The fight for automatic promotion from the Championship could go right down to the wire as Nottingham Forest battle Bournemouth for second spot.
Forest are currently third, three points behind the second-placed Cherries, with two matches remaining. However, the two sides go head-to-head at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night (7pm kick off) in a crunch showdown.
Steve Cooper's Reds have a marginally better goal difference - by one - so would leapfrog Bournemouth into the runners-up spot behind champions Fulham with a win on the south coast. They have currently scored exactly the same amount of league goals this term (72).
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In the event the two teams finish with the same number of points, goal difference would decide who finishes second. If that is also equal come the end of the campaign, English Football League rules state it will come down to goals scored. The Cherries are currently ahead on that front, having bagged 69 compared to the Reds’ 67.
In the unlikely scenario there is no separating the teams by that method either, the league record between them will come into effect. In order of precedence, that will take into account points gained, goal difference and goals scored.
The regulations go even further than that, though, just in case there is still nothing to choose between the sides. Number of wins, followed by goals scored in away games would then be used.
And if even that proves to be inconclusive, the EFL would tot up "penalty points", with the club with the lowest total having the edge. Each cautionable or sending-off offence committed by players would rack up a certain number of points.
The number of penalty points incurred would be as follows: any cautionable offence - four penalty points; denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball - 10 penalty points; denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free-kick - 10 penalty points; serious foul play - 12 penalty points; spitting at an opponent or any other person - 12 penalty points; violent conduct - 12 penalty points; using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures - 12 penalty points; receiving a second caution in the same match - 10 penalty points.
Beyond that even, the club with the lowest number of sending-off offences would be awarded the higher ranking. And if that isn’t enough to separate them, “the clubs concerned shall play off a deciding league match or matches under arrangements determined by the League”.
On the final day of the regular campaign, Forest go to Hull City. Bournemouth, meanwhile, are at home to Millwall.
