Men's and Women's Basketball at the Tokyo Olympics is well underway, with the Group Stage opening on Saturday, July 25.
In both 12-team tournaments, the field is divided into three groups of four, with each team playing each other one time. A team earns two points for a win, one point for a loss and zero points for a forfeit.
Of the 12 teams, eight will advance to the knockout stage – the top two teams from each of the three groups and the two best third-place teams that remain.
How are qualifying third-placed teams determined? There is an order in which third-place teams are classified.
1. Win-loss record
A team's win-loss record has a direct impact on the standings.
2. Points difference
If the win-loss record is the same, point difference in the group comes into play. As such, the margin of victory and/or defeat takes on greater importance, meaning games are important through the final buzzer, even when they may already be decided.
3. Points scored
If the point differential is the same, the tiebreaker goes to the team that scored a higher total of points during group play, making prolific offensive showings more important.
4. FIBA Ranking
If win-loss record, point differential and points scored are all the same, third-place classification goes to the team with the higher FIBA ranking.
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