Relative form

When evaluating a team's current form, we would typically look at the Form Tables or other types of Form Guides. 

Form tables are useful to evaluate a team's recent performance, for example in their last 8 games or in their last 4 home games. They also allow to view how that recent performance compares with the other teams' in the league.

While such Form tables can be relevant when answering questions such as "Which teams have been faring the best - or the worst - in the last few games?" they come short when it comes to highlight which teams have been performing better than usual or worse than usual. This is where the Relative Form table comes into play.

A Relative Form table shows each team's recent performance relative to the team's overall performance since the beginning of the season by displaying the following columns:

• Points Per Game (PPG) in the last 8 matches
• Points Per Game in all matches
• Difference (in percentage) between both values

Looking at the differences between the recent performance and the overall performance of each team can make it easier to spot which teams may be experiencing a relatively good or relatively bad run of form irrespective of the teams' overall ranking in the league table. 

For example, even a team that is ranked high in the Form table for the last 8 games can actually have a negative relative form. This is because the team might have been performing even better on average during the season than they did in their recent outings.

To view an example of how the Relative Form table looks like, you can visit the Serie A Relative Form page.