NFL Strength of Victory Calculator

Strength of Victory (SoV) is a critical NFL tiebreaker that measures the combined win percentage of all opponents a team has defeated during the regular season. When teams finish with identical records and earlier tiebreakers like head-to-head record, conference record, and common games fail to separate them, the NFL turns to Strength of Victory to determine playoff seeding. A higher SoV indicates a team has beaten stronger opponents, which the league values as a measure of quality wins. Our interactive calculator shows you exactly how SoV is computed, breaking down each victory's contribution to the overall percentage and allowing you to compare teams to see who would win the tiebreaker in crucial playoff scenarios.

Calculate Strength of Victory

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How Strength of Victory Works

• What it measures: The combined win-loss-tie percentage of all opponents your team has defeated during the regular season.

• When it's used: Applied as the 4th tiebreaker in division scenarios and wild card scenarios when head-to-head, conference record, and common games don't break the tie.

• How it's calculated: Sum the wins of all beaten opponents, divide by their total games, expressed as a percentage (e.g., .545).

• Why it matters: Higher SoV means you beat better teams, demonstrating quality victories rather than just quantity. It can be the difference between making the playoffs or going home.

Pro Tip: Every win matters, but beating playoff-caliber teams significantly boosts your Strength of Victory compared to defeating weaker opponents.

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Strength of Victory

Total Wins

Opponent Wins

Opponent Games

Formula: Opponent Wins ÷ Total Opponent Games

Victory Breakdown

Each opponent you defeated and their contribution to your Strength of Victory

Understanding Strength of Victory

The Math Behind Strength of Victory

Strength of Victory (SoV) is calculated by adding up the total wins from every team you've beaten, then dividing by the total number of games those teams have played. For example, if you've beaten three teams with records of 10-7, 9-8, and 8-9, your SoV would be (10+9+8) ÷ (17+17+17) = 27 ÷ 51 = .529. This percentage represents the collective quality of your victories throughout the season.

Why SoV Comes Before Strength of Schedule

The NFL prioritizes Strength of Victory over Strength of Schedule (SoS) because it rewards teams for actually winning against quality opponents rather than simply playing them. Two teams might play similarly difficult schedules, but the team that beats the tougher opponents deserves recognition through a better tiebreaker position. SoV measures proven success against strong competition, while SoS only measures opportunity. This distinction becomes critical in close playoff races where every tiebreaker matters.

Real-World SoV Scenarios

Strength of Victory frequently determines playoff seeding in competitive divisions and wild card races. In 2023, multiple teams finished with identical 10-7 records, and SoV decided who secured the 6th seed versus the 7th seed, dramatically affecting first-round matchups. Teams that defeat eventual playoff teams during the regular season gain significant SoV advantages. Even a single win against a 13-4 division champion can swing SoV by several percentage points compared to beating a 4-13 team.

How Teams Can Influence Their SoV

While teams can't directly control their opponents' records, they can maximize SoV by winning games against stronger opponents, especially within their division and conference. Late-season victories against playoff-bound teams provide the biggest SoV boosts. Conversely, resting starters in Week 18 and losing to a weak opponent has minimal SoV impact. Teams tracking tiebreakers pay close attention to whether the teams they've beaten continue winning, as each additional victory by a defeated opponent slightly improves their SoV.

Strength of Victory vs Conference Record

Conference record comes before Strength of Victory in the NFL tiebreaker hierarchy, meaning SoV only matters if teams have identical conference records. However, SoV often provides clearer separation than conference record because it uses precise percentages rather than whole-win comparisons. A team with SoV of .545 definitively beats a team with .538, whereas conference records might both be 8-4. This precision makes SoV particularly valuable in three-way or four-way tiebreaker scenarios where multiple teams need clear ranking.

The Relationship Between SoV and Playoff Seeding

Strength of Victory impacts more than just making the playoffs—it determines exact seeding, which defines first-round matchups and potential home-field advantage scenarios. The difference between the 5th and 6th seed often means facing the 4th seed versus the 3rd seed, significantly affecting playoff difficulty. In tightly contested conferences where four or five teams finish 10-7 or 11-6, SoV can determine whether you host a playoff game or travel, making it one of the most consequential tiebreakers despite appearing late in the sequence.