How many points are needed for League 1 survival?

As we approach the home straight of the League One campaign, supporters at the bottom end of the table find themselves studying their current points total consistently, wondering how many they'll need for survival. With four relegation places in the third tier of English football, it can lead to some of the biggest dogfights as clubs give everything to stay in the division.

We've crunched the numbers from previous League One seasons and taken a look at the points total of the highest-placed L1 team each year who have ended up relegated since 1996.

The points tally for the 2019/20 season has not been taken into account as a full season was not played

When factoring in the tallies above, the average number of points required for League One survival in 2022-23 is 47.9, but an inferior goal difference adds an extra point to that total, taking it to 48.9. The last two seasons in League 1 has seen every side who have managed to accumulate 48 points or more remain in the division. However, in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, Oldham Athletic and Plymouth Argyle were relegated in 21st place despite accruing 50 points over the course of the season.