Editing Serie A (section)

==Format==
For most of Serie A's history, there were 16 or 18 clubs competing at the top level. Since [[2004–05 Serie A|2004–05]], however, there have been 20 clubs in total. One season (1947–48) was played with 21 teams for political reasons, following post-war tensions with Yugoslavia. Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history:
* 18 clubs: 1929–1934
* 16 clubs: 1934–1943
* 20 clubs: 1946–1947
* 21 clubs: 1947–1948
* 20 clubs: 1948–1952
* 18 clubs: 1952–1967
* 16 clubs: 1967–1988
* 18 clubs: 1988–2004
* 20 clubs: 2004–present

[[File:Scudetto.svg|thumb|upright=0.65|''[[Scudetto]]'' patch]]
During the season, which runs from August to May, each club plays each of the other teams twice; once at home and once away, totalling 38 games for each team by the end of the season. Thus, in Italian football a true [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]] format is used. In the first half of the season, called the ''andata'', each team plays once against each league opponent, for a total of 19 games. In the second half of the season, called the ''ritorno'', the teams play another 19 games, once more against each opponent, in which home and away matches are reversed. The two halves of the season had exactly the same order of fixtures until the [[2021–22 Serie A|2021–22 season]], when an asymmetrical calendar was introduced, following the format of the [[Premier League|English]], [[La Liga|Spanish]] and [[Ligue 1|French]] leagues.<ref name=asimmetrico>{{cite web |url=https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-a/2021/07/02-83223629/rivoluzione_in_serie_a_il_calendario_sara_asimmetrico_cosa_cambia |title=Rivoluzione in Serie A: il calendario sarà asimmetrico |work=[[Corriere dello Sport]] |date=2 July 2021 |language=it |access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref> Since the [[1994–95 Serie A|1994–95 season]], teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Prior to this, teams were awarded two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. The three lowest-placed teams at the end of the season are [[Promotion and relegation|relegated]] to [[Serie B]], and three Serie B teams are promoted to replace them for the next season.

=== European qualification ===
In 2023–24, Serie A was ranked as the best league by [[UEFA coefficient]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidferrini/2024/05/10/serie-a-confirmed-top-uefa-association-leaping-the-premier-league/ |title=Italy's Serie A Is Top Soccer League In Europe, Bumping English Premier League To Third |work=Forbes |last=Ferrini |first=David |date=11 May 2024 |access-date=2 October 2024}}</ref> This was due to a combination of all seven Serie A teams progressing into the knockout stages in European competition, picking up extra coefficient points. Additionally, Atalanta won the [[Europa League Final]] and Fiorentina were losing finalists in the [[UEFA Europa Conference League]]. This continued a strong recent record where five of the six European club finals have featured at least one Serie A side over the past two seasons. As a result of this ranking the top 5 clubs in Serie A qualify for the champions league in 2024.

=== Tiebreaking ===
[[File:20231205 100438 Mondo Milan Museum.jpg|thumb|The Serie A championship trophy]]
If after all 38 games, two teams are tied on points for either first place or for 17th (the last safety spot), the outcome is decided by a single-legged play-off match. This match consists of 90 minutes of regulation time followed by penalties if necessary (no extra time). The game is to be held at a neutral venue, with the designated "home" team determined by the tiebreakers listed below.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Serie A introduce Scudetto tiebreaker: One match playoff to determine champion if teams tied at season's end |url=https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/serie-a-introduce-scudetto-tiebreaker-one-match-playoff-to-determine-champion-if-teams-tied-at-seasons-end/ |access-date=2022-09-19 |website=CBSSports.com |date=29 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-29 |title=Playoff to decide Serie A title if 2 teams finish level |url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-soccer-serie-a-milan-53a64413421c938417937f92823b7402 |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-08 |title=Soccer-Serie A considering play-off to decide title and final relegation spot |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-italy-playoff-idUKKBN2NP1AN |access-date=2023-02-19}}</ref> In cases where there are at least three teams tied for one of these positions, a mini table is created using the same tiebreakers to determine which two teams will play in the decider. For ties concerning all other league positions, the following tiebreakers are applied:

# Head-to-head points
# [[Goal difference]] of head-to-head games
# Goal difference overall
# Higher number of goals scored
# Play-off game at a neutral venue if relevant to decide European qualification or relegation; otherwise by coin flip<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Goal difference or head to head? How every major football competition ranks teams level on points {{!}} Goal.com|url=https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/goal-difference-or-head-to-head-how-every-major-football/1jax9vfriz1xs13jkdpf9qzhjo|access-date=2021-09-13|website=www.goal.com}}</ref>

Between 2006–07 and 2021–22, the tiebreakers currently used for all places to decide the scudetto winner if necessary, though this was never needed. Before 2005–06, a play-off would immediately be used if teams were tied for first place, a European qualification spot, or a relegation spot. In some past years, the playoff was a single game at a neutral site while in others it was a two-legged tie decided by aggregate score.

The only time a playoff was used to decide the champion occurred in the [[1963–64 Serie A|1963–64 season]] when Bologna and Inter both finished on 54 points. Bologna won the playoff 2–0 at the [[Stadio Olimpico]] in Rome to win the scudetto.<ref name=":0" /> Playoff games have been used on multiple occasions to decide European competition qualifications (most recently in [[1999–2000 Serie A|1999–2000]]) and relegation (most recently in [[2022–23 Serie A|2022–23]]).