Six-pointer
Six pointer is a sporting cliché, particularly used in association football, used to describe a game between two teams with similar league positions, in leagues that employ a three points for a win system.
The term is normally reserved for the latter part of the season, when the league standings approach the ranking they will have at the end of the season. Therefore the result of the game is likely to have a significant bearing on which of the two teams will eventually finish in the higher position. The term may be applied, for example, to teams chasing the championship or promotion, but is most often used to describe a match between two teams near the bottom of the table - "a relegation six pointer".
A six pointer can only occur when 'Team A' is three points ahead of 'Team B'. A win and three points for Team A is effectively six points better than losing the game, as a loss will mean Team B has moved level.
For example, the standings going into the match could be as follows:
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Team A | 40 |
| Team B | 37 |
If Team A win the match, then they are 6 ahead on 43 points, if Team B wins then the teams are level on 40 points.
In Australia the term six pointer can also be used in football (soccer) to describe a poor shot at goal where the ball goes between the posts but very high over the bar. It refers to Australian rules football, where a goal (worth 6 points) is scored at any height between goalposts which have no crossbar.