Excel formula: Win loss points calculation

Generic formula

=VLOOKUP(result,points_table,2,0)

Explanation

To assign points based on win/loss/tie results for a team, you can use a simple VLOOKUP formula, or a nested IF formula, as explained below.

In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:

=VLOOKUP(C5,points_table,2,0)

How this formula works

This is a very simple application of the VLOOKUP function set for "exact match":

lookup value comes from C5
table array is the named range "points_table" (F5:G7)
column index is 2, since points are in column G
range lookup is 0 (FALSE) to force exact match

Because we are using VLOOKUP in exact match mode, the points table does not need to be sorted in any particular way.

VLOOKUP is a nice solution in this case if you want to display the points table as a "key" for reference on the worksheet. If you don't need to do this, see the nested IF version below.

Nested IF version

To calculate win/loss/tie points with the IF function, you can use a simple nested IF:

=IF(C5="Win",3,IF(C5="Loss",0,IF(C5="Tie",1)))

See this article for a detailed overview of nested IF formulas.

Author

Dave Bruns

Related formulas

Map text to numbers

To map or translate text inputs to arbitrary numeric values, you can use the VLOOKUP function with a simple table. In the example, we need to map five text values (statuses) to numeric status codes as follows: Status Code Started 10 Normal 20...

Nested IF function example

In the code above, T1-T5 represents 5 different logical tests, and R1-R5 represents 5 different results. You can see that each IF function requires it's own set of parentheses. This article describes the Excel nested IF construction. Usually, nested...

Related functions

Excel VLOOKUP Function

VLOOKUP is an Excel function to look up data in a table organized vertically. VLOOKUP supports approximate and exact matching, and wildcards (* ?) for partial matches. Lookup values must appear in the first...

Excel IF Function

The IF function can perform a logical test and return one value for a TRUE result, and another for a FALSE result. For example, to "pass" scores above 70: =IF(A1>70,"Pass","Fail"). More than one condition can be tested by nesting IF functions....

Excel Formula Training

Formulas are the key to getting things done in Excel. In this accelerated training, you'll learn how to use formulas to manipulate text, work with dates and times, lookup values with VLOOKUP and INDEX & MATCH, count and sum with criteria, dynamically rank values, and create dynamic ranges. You'll also learn how to troubleshoot, trace errors, and fix problems. Instant access. See details here.