Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
I exploit a major structural change that has occurred in world soccer to study the impact of incentives on outcomes in a strategic setting. A game‐theoretic model is developed that captures some essential strategic elements of soccer vis‐à‐vis the number of points awarded to a win. The observable implications of the model are tested using a large data set that spans 30 years and 35 countries. The empirical results support the theoretical model and show that the 3‐point system has led to a statistically significant increase in the expected number of goals and a decrease in the fractions of drawn matches. (JEL C72, L83, C23)