How to Break a Tie: Fair Tie-Breakers for Games and Votes

A quiz ends level, two players have the same score, a vote splits down the middle. Ties are normal, and what usually causes the argument is not the tie itself but the rule used to break it, made up on the spot by someone who has an interest in the result. Here are fair tie-breakers for games, classrooms, quizzes and votes, plus a few famous ties from sport.

The Golden Rule: Decide Before You Play

The fairest tie-breaker is the one everyone agreed on before the game started. Write it on the score sheet or say it out loud: "If it is a draw, we do one sudden-death question." Once the tie happens, everyone knows which side each rule would help, and agreement becomes much harder.

Skill or Chance?

Tie-breakers come in two kinds. Skill tie-breakers, like an extra question, keep the game a contest. Chance tie-breakers, like a coin, are quick and cannot be argued with, but they decide the result by luck. A simple guide: use skill when the prize matters and there is time; use chance when it is late, the prize is small, or the players are young children who are getting upset.

Skill Tie-Breakers

Sudden Death

Play one more round, question or point at a time. The first player to win a round while the other loses it wins the game. It is exciting and fair, but it can go on a while if both sides keep scoring.

Closest Number Wins

The favourite in pub quizzes: ask a question with a number answer, such as "How many keys are there on a standard piano?" (88) Everyone writes a guess, and the closest wins. There is always a result, because two different guesses cannot be the same distance away unless they sit exactly either side of the answer. Agree in advance what happens in that rare case.

Count Back

Look at the score in the last round only, then the round before, until one player is ahead. Many games and competitions use this because it needs no extra play.

Chance Tie-Breakers

• Coin flip. Two players, a true 50/50, decided in seconds on the coin flip.
• Roll-off. Each player rolls a die; highest roll wins, roll again on a draw.
• Rock paper scissors. Best of three. Slightly less random than a coin, which some players like. See the strategy behind it.
• Name picker. For three or more tied players, put their names in the Random Name Picker and spin once in front of everyone.
• Drawing straws. The classic way to pick one person from a group, explained in how drawing straws works.

Breaking a Tied Vote

Groups, clubs and committees need a rule for a split vote. The common options are:

• Casting vote. The chair gets an extra vote that is only used to break a tie. Many clubs give the chair this power in their rules.
• Status quo wins. If a vote to change something is tied, nothing changes. Some parliaments follow this custom.
• Vote again after more discussion, or between only the top two options.
• Drawing lots. In several countries, a tied election can be settled by lot.

Famous Ties in Sport

• Euro 1968: Italy and the Soviet Union drew 0-0 after extra time in their semi-final, and a coin toss sent Italy through. Italy went on to win the tournament. The full story is in coin flipping through history.
• Penalty shoot-outs: football's rule makers approved them in 1970, partly so that big matches would no longer be settled by a coin.
• Tennis tiebreak: the US Open introduced a tiebreak in 1970 to stop sets running for hours.
• World Cup 1990: the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands finished their group level on every measure, so lots were drawn to decide which team took second place.

Ties in the Classroom

For a class quiz or game, keep the tie-breaker quick and kind: one bonus question for both teams, then a coin flip if they are still level. If several children want the same job or prize, spin the Random Name Picker with only their names, and remove each winner so everyone gets a turn over the week. More ideas are in classroom games with a random picker.

FAQ

What is the fairest way to break a tie?

The fairest rule is one agreed before the game starts. For skill, use sudden death or a closest-number question; for speed, use a coin flip, a dice roll-off or a random name picker.

How do you break a tie in a quiz?

Ask one question with a number answer. Everyone writes a guess, and the closest to the right answer wins.

How do you break a tie between three or more people?

Use a random name picker with only the tied names, or a dice roll-off where everyone rolls and the highest wins.

What happens when a vote is tied?

It depends on the group's rules: the chair may have a casting vote, the existing situation may stay, the group may vote again, or the result may be decided by lot.

Was a football match ever decided by a coin toss?

Yes. At Euro 1968, Italy reached the final after a coin toss against the Soviet Union, and penalty shoot-outs were approved in 1970.