Each Premier League team plays 38 league games in a full season: 19 at home and 19 away. With 20 teams in the competition, that makes 380 Premier League matches in total.
The number is only for league fixtures. A club’s full season can include extra matches in domestic cups and European competitions, so its total varies. Here’s how the league schedule adds up, what “games in a season” can mean, and why postponed fixtures can make the count look different during the year.
How many games in a football season premier league teams play
In the standard Premier League format, each club plays 38 league matches during a complete season. There are 20 clubs, and every club meets each of the other 19 twice: once at its own stadium and once at the opponent’s ground.
That is a double round-robin format. A round-robin competition means teams play one another; “double” means they do it twice, with the home venue changing for the return meeting. So the calculation for each club is 19 opponents × 2 matches = 38.
The number refers to a club’s Premier League schedule, not every match its players might take part in during the season. Cup competitions and European tournaments have separate fixtures. Those are added to a club’s league total when counting all competitions.
Why the Premier League has 380 matches
There are 380 distinct league fixtures across a full season. One way to work it out is to count 38 matches for each of the 20 clubs, then divide by two. Each fixture involves two clubs, so counting every club’s schedule directly would count every match twice.
The calculation is 20 clubs × 38 matches ÷ 2 = 380 fixtures. The same answer comes from counting the 190 possible pairs of clubs and scheduling two matches for each pair: 190 × 2 = 380.
| What you are counting | Number | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Clubs | 20 | Teams in the league |
| Matches per club | 38 | Each club’s league schedule |
| Home matches per club | 19 | League games at that club’s stadium |
| Away matches per club | 19 | League games at other clubs’ stadiums |
| League fixtures overall | 380 | Distinct matches across the competition |
There are 760 team appearances in those 380 fixtures because two clubs take part in each match. That does not mean there are 760 separate games. It is simply another way of describing the total number of times a club appears in a fixture.
How the 38-match schedule works
Each team faces the other 19 clubs once at home and once away. For example, if a club hosts an opponent in one meeting, the other league fixture is played at the opponent’s ground. These two matches are often called the home and away legs, although there is no aggregate score across them in league play.
A club earns points in each match: three for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. Those results contribute to the league table, where clubs are ranked first by points. Goal difference and goals scored are used as further tie-breakers if teams finish level on points.
Here is the basic schedule count for one club:
- Count the other teams: 20 clubs in the league means 19 opponents.
- Play each opponent twice: one home fixture and one away fixture.
- Multiply: 19 opponents × 2 meetings = 38 league games.
In a completed season, each club’s schedule therefore has 19 home and 19 away fixtures. A club may not have played all 38 at a particular point during the season, though. A postponed match can leave its “played” total temporarily below 38 until the rearranged fixture takes place.
League matches versus a club’s total games
“How many games does a Premier League team play?” can mean two different things. If the question is about the league, the answer is 38. If it means every competitive match in every competition, there is no single fixed total for all clubs.
Each club has the same league schedule, but other competitions add different numbers of matches. A club might enter a cup at a later stage, be eliminated early, or progress through several rounds. European qualification and results also affect how many additional fixtures it plays.
| Competition or match type | Included in the 38? | How it affects a club’s season | Best way to count it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Yes | Every club has 38 fixtures in a full season | Count league matches only |
| FA Cup | No | Knockout rounds add games until a club is eliminated | Add the rounds actually played |
| EFL Cup | No | Entry stage and progress determine the extra total | Add the rounds actually played |
| European competition | No | Participation and progress can add league-phase and knockout matches | Count the matches in that season’s format |
| Friendlies | No | May be played in preseason or during breaks | Include only if counting all matches, not competitive fixtures |
For example, a club that plays 38 league matches and also appears in cup and European fixtures will have a higher all-competitions total. The exact number depends on its entry points, how far it advances, and whether any games are replayed or rescheduled under the relevant competition rules.
Common mix-up: a club’s total games are not the same as the number of matches in the Premier League. The league total stays at 38 per club in the 20-team format; cup and European matches sit outside that figure.
Why a team may have fewer than 38 games played
Fixtures are spread across the season, so a team’s live match count rises gradually. Clubs also do not always play the same number of matches by the same date. Postponements can create gaps, followed by a busy stretch when rearranged games are fitted into the calendar.
Matches can be moved for reasons such as severe weather, stadium or safety issues, or scheduling conflicts with cup competitions. The game still belongs to the league schedule; postponement does not remove it. It is normally assigned a new date, and the club plays it later.
That means there are two useful figures to distinguish:
- Season allocation: 38 league fixtures for a club in the full 20-team format.
- Games played so far: the number completed at the time you check, which may be fewer than 38.
If you are checking a live table, look at the “played” column rather than assuming every club has completed the same number of matches. A team with a game in hand has played one fewer match than at least some rivals. Its points total may therefore be less directly comparable until the postponed game is played.
A rearranged match changes the timing, not the normal season total. If a scheduled fixture is abandoned or otherwise dealt with under competition rules, the relevant league decision determines the outcome. It is not sensible to treat every delayed game as a cancellation.
Does 38 games mean 38 matchweeks?
Not necessarily. The league’s 38 matches per club are not always played in 38 separate calendar weeks. A “matchweek” is a label for a group of fixtures in the schedule, not a promise that every club plays exactly once in each week of the season.
Fixtures are often spread across several days, and clubs can have a free weekend when another competition or a postponed match affects the calendar. A team can also play more than once in a short period if the schedule is congested. As a result, matchweek numbers and a club’s number of games played do not always line up neatly.
The season commonly runs from late summer into spring, but exact start and finish dates change from year to year. The schedule includes breaks and may be adjusted around cup competitions, international periods, and other calendar demands. The 38-match count is the more reliable answer than trying to infer a club’s total from the number of weeks elapsed.
Has the Premier League always had 38 games per club?
No. The modern Premier League began with 22 clubs, so each team initially played 42 league matches: 21 opponents, home and away. The league reduced to 20 clubs for the 1995–96 season. Since then, the standard format has been 38 matches per club and 380 fixtures across the league.
This history matters when comparing old season records or reading older articles. A team’s league-match total in an earlier season may differ because the number of clubs was different. The 38-game figure applies to the Premier League’s current 20-team structure, not every English top-flight season in history.
Quick answers about Premier League season length
Does every team play 38 Premier League games?
Yes, in a full season under the 20-club format, each team is scheduled to play 38 league matches. It meets each of the other 19 clubs twice, once at home and once away. At a particular point in the season, a team may have played fewer because some fixtures are still to come or have been postponed.
Are there 380 games or 760 games in a Premier League season?
There are 380 distinct fixtures. The figure 760 counts team appearances: every match has two participating clubs, so 380 fixtures create 760 club appearances. For the number of separate matches, use 380.
Do cup matches count toward the 38?
No. The 38 refers only to Premier League fixtures. FA Cup, EFL Cup, European competition, and friendly matches are separate. Add those matches if you want a club’s total across multiple competitions.
Can a Premier League team play more than 38 games?
Yes, if you count games outside the league. Cup and European fixtures add to the total, and a club that progresses further generally plays more of those matches. It still has 38 Premier League fixtures in a full season under the standard format.
Why do some teams have a game in hand?
A game in hand means a club has played one fewer league match than a comparison team at that moment. The missing fixture is usually postponed or scheduled for a later date. It does not normally mean the club has a shorter 38-game league allocation.
Each Premier League club is scheduled for 38 league matches in a full season: 19 at home and 19 away. Across the 20-team league, that adds up to 380 distinct fixtures.
To count a club’s complete season, add its cup and European matches separately. If you are checking progress during the season, compare games played as well as points, since postponed fixtures can leave teams on different match totals.