Here is our calendar of leagues showing you exactly where the mid-season breaks. Some leagues have still not confirmed their schedules for 2020-21, but updates will be performed when information becomes available.
If you are not already aware, Soccerwidow’s HDAFU Tables are the analytical tool we use for 1X2 (Home-Draw-Away-Favourite-Underdog) portfolio betting.
The level of detail contained in the tables even stretches to distinguishing between the first and second halves of a league season, where markedly different patterns of results are usually found.
Likewise, to help you plan holidays around your Over/Under Cluster Tables, please take note of the dates below.
We begin with the more popular Winter Leagues; the Summer Leagues are detailed on Page 2.
2020-21 Winter Leagues
The Austrian Bundesliga has an official winter break every season (approximately six weeks) beginning in mid-December.
Start Date: 11th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A. (To Be Advised)
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A
Finish Date: 23rd May, 2021*
*The last round of the all-against-all home/away format. After this, the league splits into two groups of six where each team plays another 10 games, home and away, against the other five teams in its group. These games are to be included in any HDAFU portfolio strategy. The official finish date of the league will be updated when known.
The Jupiler League usually has a three/four-week break beginning after the last round of matches in December each year.
The second half of the season is shorter than the first and for the sake of the HDAFU tables, finishes with the last round of matches before the league splits into Championship* and Europa League Play-off* groups.
(*These latter matches are not included in our analyses and should not form part of any HDAFU portfolio strategy).
Start Date: 8th August, 2020
1st Half Ends: 26th December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: 23rd January, 2021
Finish Date: 17th April, 2021 (= Regular Season Matches. Play-offs end 30th May, 2021).
The Superligaen has a seven/eight-week break beginning after the last round of matches in December each year.
The second half of the season splits into a Championship Group, a Relegation Group* and includes Europa League playoff games*.
(*The Relegation Group and Europa League playoff games are not included in our analyses and should not form part of any HDAFU portfolio strategy).
Start Date: 12th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A.
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A.
Finish Date: 30th May, 2021
The Premier League has no mid-season or winter break, but the season breaks naturally at the end of the calendar year.
Start Date: 12th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A. (Round 19)
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A. (Round 20)
Finish Date: 23rd May, 2021
Ligue 1 breaks for around three weeks just before Christmas each year.
Start Date: 21st August, 2020
1st Half Ends: 23rd December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: 6th January, 2021
Finish Date: 22nd May, 2021
Ligue 2 breaks for around four weeks just before Christmas each year.
Start Date: 22nd August, 2020
1st Half Ends: 22nd December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: 5th January, 2021
Finish Date: 22nd May, 2021
The Bundesliga 1 has a break of four/five weeks each year beginning in mid-December.
Start Date: 18th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A.
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A.
Finish Date: 22nd May, 2021
Serie A usually has a break of around two weeks beginning after the last round of games immediately before/after Christmas, with the re-start during the first or second week of January each year.
Start Date: T.B.A. September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A.
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A.
Finish Date: T.B.A. May, 2021
The Eredivisie has a four-week break beginning after the last round of games immediately before Christmas.
Start Date: 12th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: 23rd December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: 9th January, 2021
Finish Date: 16th May, 2021
The Ekstraklasa has a seven/eight-week break beginning after the last round of matches in mid-December each year.
The second half of the season splits into a Championship and Relegation Group, and all matches are included in our analyses for inclusion in any strategy.
Start Date: 22nd August, 2020
1st Half Ends: 19th December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: 6th February, 2021
Finish Date: 16th May, 2021*
*The league splits after the final matches of the regular season. The Finish Date for the league will be updated thereafter.
The Primeira Liga has a two-week break beginning after the last round of matches immediately before Christmas each year.
Start Date: 12th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A.
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A.
Finish Date: T.B.A. May, 2021
The Russian Premier League needs an extended break to cope with the winter weather. The break usually begins in mid-December, with the re-start not until early March each year.
Start Date: 8th August, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A. December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A. March, 2021
Finish Date: 16th May, 2021
La Liga Primera has a break of up to two weeks after the games immediately before Christmas.
Start Date: 12th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A. December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A. January, 2021
Finish Date: 23rd May, 2021
The Super League breaks for six/seven weeks in mid-December each year.
Start Date: T.B.A. September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A. December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A. January, 2021
Finish Date: T.B.A. May, 2021
The Süper Lig breaks for around two weeks at the end of each calendar year.
Start Date: 12th September, 2020
1st Half Ends: T.B.A. December, 2020
2nd Half Starts: T.B.A. January, 2021
Finish Date: T.B.A. May, 2021
Elena/Rob
Posting this here as it’s a calendar related questions. I’m interested in the take you guys may have on the coronavirus and the disruption it is having on the start of some of the summer leagues. China, of course, South Korea and now Japan are seeing it’s football games postponed indefinitely. We don’t know when the seasons will actually start, therefore do you think this will have any impact on the results distribution especially when considering 1st and 2nd half of season systems? Do you think this level of disruption should have any bearing on whether to pursue these particular leagues for betting purposes.
I’m attempting a summer league portfolio, but am a little concerned that betting on those particular affected leagues may not be wise in the circumstances due to the delayed start dates and possibly condensed/congested season which would be unlike any in the previous 5.
Your thoughts greatly appreciated.
Simon.
Hi Simon, nobody really knows how the virus will develop and if the world is truly facing a pandemic and what effect it will have on the economy and everything else.
However, I, as a statistician, see it for the economy far less devastating than many panic reactions suggest. So far, 80% of the infected people don’t show any or only very mild symptoms; the majority of them don’t even notice that they have the virus. The really big problem with these unaffected people is that they are carriers of this deadly virus for around 14 days. That’s a real problem and very high risk as it’s causing a very easy spread of this virus and hence, the intense control measures that are currently being put in place all over the world. All countries are working very hard to reduce the spread of the virus.
Of course, what must have an effect on the economy and businesses are the quarantines and lock-downs. However, how much and what exactly that is everybody’s guess. For example, in Italy, many A-League games have been recently played without a supporting crowd. However, I personally wouldn’t think that this should affect the game results, at least not as long all the players are still healthy, their managers and team around them as well as their families. But that is my opinion. Statistically, we will only know for sure next year.
Nevertheless, what I would suggest doing is to pick systems and monitor them for a while without putting on real big money. It doesn’t do any harm to start betting with real money a little bit later. Anyway, the first 6 weeks of every season are always a little bit bumpy, with or without a Coronavirus.
Good luck to you and everyone else who is reading this comment! Stay away from crowds for a while and try of not catching that virus! 🙂
Hey guys,
just before you spend money, consider this data is to the most extend freely available online. And further, before relying on this data read this https://twitter.com/12Xpert and the information provided on the 11.04.2019 about systems based on historical data.
All the best.
Peter
I’m confused, the last match in Allsvenskan was played on the 27th of May, but you say it has no break during the World Cup, although the next match will be played on the 3rd of July. Japan J league also has a break since 20th of May, the next round will be played on the 18th of July.
Hi Jo,
Yes, the WC has interrupted a few schedules. From the Japan perspective, all of its analyses for the HDAFU tables split perfectly in half – the first 17 rounds followed by the next. The WC has created a ‘false’ break – what effect this is likely to be is anyone’s guess. But to be technically following the HDAFU tables’ model, I suggest using the half/half season break per the dates above.
I have changed the dates for Sweden and thanks for making me think again on that one.
Hi Right Winger,
ok understood. According to this article 2nd half of Finish Veikkausliga started on the 30th of June (round 17) but there were some teams with just 15 matches played and these teams played against teams with 16 or even 17 matches played. How to maneuver this the next time?
Hi,
With the new format in the Ireland premier league this season, is the end of the 1st half of the season to be treated as the end of round 16 as stated in this article? Or would it be the end of round 18, which is exactly half of this season? Want to make sure I switch to the second half system at the right time.
Thanks.
Hi Simon,
I will update the article over the weekend with the various Summer League dates now that most of them are known.
You are right – end of Round 18 (19th May) signals the close of the first half of the season in Ireland.
Second half of season systems in Ireland should begin with the round of matches commencing on 21st May.
Thanks for taking the trouble to write.
Hi, i read all your stuff but never posted.
Im making something that looks at the “book” and finds pricing errors.
I can not think of a logical way to price matches between “NEW” teams (ones that have just been promoted) and existing teams.
It is very hard to get anything making much sense pricewise with so few games played in most of the leagues.
Got any tips on how to deal with NEW teams in Imature leagues ? ANything you have ever wrote on this would be very helpfull – I cant find anything on this subject.
Hi Semnomic,
Thanks for your comment.
We have written in the past about the issue of calculating odds for league newcomers and agree it is an unreliable science.
Better to concentrate on teams with longer track records in the leagues you are looking at.
I hope this helps in some small way.
Thanks for link – What I’m looking at is using history from newcomers LAST season, applying a sort of weighting to it and combining it back into current season. So although the HDA numbers + total goals etc are high for last season they get diluted yet give some credit. As the season progresses I dilute less and less until about 50% of way through season where NO old data is used…
Hi Right Winger,
will you update this article with the dates now that the schedules are out? Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Hi Daniel,
Your wish is my command!
Everything duly updated – still a few gaps in the Winter League programme (Greece and a few end-of-season uncertainties), but this calendar article will continue to be amended as soon as dates become fixed…