Why Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and West Brom could rely on their disciplinary record to get promoted

Nottingham Forest are patiently waiting for the Championship season to return.

Professional football is on an unscheduled and unprecedented break from action at the moment as sport takes a back seat to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United are both well clear of the Reds in the race for the Premier League, but stranger things have happened in football and the automatic promotion places are not quite out of the question yet.

Equally, Forest could be drawn into a battle for sixth with Bristol City, currently seventh, only five points behind.

Should the Reds lose their first three games back and the Robin win on and draw two, then not only would the two club be balance on the same points tally, but they would also have the same number of wins, draws and defeats - along with the potential of have sharing an identical goal difference.

So how would they be separated in the standings?

Well, there are eight ways that the EFL separate sides in the standings before a play-off game is needed, ranging from points to goals scared away from home.

Nottingham Forest's Samba Sow is booked during the Sky Bet Championship match with Stoke City (Dan Westwell)

It could go right down to the club's disciplinary record should there be nothing else to separate them - making Forest's on-field behaviour all that more important.

And that bodes well for the Reds, who have only had Ryan Yates sent off so far this season.

Samba Sow is the most booked player (8), following by Brice Samba (7), Tiago Silva (6) and Ben Watson (6).

Here are the rules, in order of precedence, for how clubs will be separated this season:

Points

Goal difference

Goals scored

Respective league record against each other: taking into account order of precedence points, goal difference, goals scored

Number of wins

Goals scored in away games

Lowest number of total penalty points

Lowest number of sending off offences which attract 12 penalty points

Play-off

Here is an explanation on penalty points?

Yellow card = Four penalty points

Denying the opposing team a goal/obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberate handball = 10 penalty points

Denying a goal/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