3 times table in real life: football wins

Quick answer

You can use football wins to learn the 3 times table by thinking of every win as 3 points, or 3 goals, or 3 players on a team. If you win 1 game, you get 3 points. If you win 2 games, you get 6 points. If you win 3 games, you get 9 points. And so on!

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how the 3 times table works using football wins and be able to solve 3 times table problems quickly and confidently.

• You can count in 3s up to 36
• You can multiply any number by 3 using repeated addition or skip counting
• You can solve real-life problems using the 3 times table
• You can explain how 3 times table helps in football and other games

Why this matters

Football is a fun way to learn multiplication because it's full of points, goals, and teams. When you win a football game, you get 3 points. So if you win 4 games, you get 12 points. This is the same as 4 groups of 3 points. Learning the 3 times table helps you count points, understand scores, and even play games better. It's useful in many other situations too, like sharing 3 sweets with friends, or seeing how many legs 5 spiders have.

How it works

Let’s start with a simple idea: every time you win a football game, you get 3 points. This means:

1. 1 win = 3 points
2. 2 wins = 6 points
3. 3 wins = 9 points
4. 4 wins = 12 points
5. 5 wins = 15 points
6. 6 wins = 18 points
7. 7 wins = 21 points
8. 8 wins = 24 points
9. 9 wins = 27 points
10. 10 wins = 30 points
11. 11 wins = 33 points
12. 12 wins = 36 points

Each time you win, you add 3 more points. This is called skip counting by 3s. You can also think of it as repeated addition:

• 1 x 3 = 3
• 2 x 3 = 3 + 3 = 6
• 3 x 3 = 3 + 3 + 3 = 9
• 4 x 3 = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you are playing football with your friends. Here are some real-life examples:

• If you win 1 game, you get 3 points.
• If you win 2 games, you get 6 points.
• If you win 3 games, you get 9 points.
• If you win 4 games, you get 12 points.
• If you win 5 games, you get 15 points.
• If you win 6 games, you get 18 points.

You can also think of it in terms of football teams:

• A football team has 11 players.
• If you have 3 teams, how many players do you have?
• 11 + 11 + 11 = 33 players
• This is the same as 3 x 11 = 33

Or imagine you are collecting football stickers. Each pack has 3 stickers:

• If you buy 1 pack, you get 3 stickers.
• If you buy 2 packs, you get 6 stickers.
• If you buy 3 packs, you get 9 stickers.
• If you buy 4 packs, you get 12 stickers.

Try it as a mini adventure

Imagine you are the coach of a football team. You have won 5 games in a row! You need to count how many points you have. Let’s go through this step by step:

1. 1st game: 3 points
2. 2nd game: 3 + 3 = 6 points
3. 3rd game: 6 + 3 = 9 points
4. 4th game: 9 + 3 = 12 points
5. 5th game: 12 + 3 = 15 points

You have 15 points! This is the same as 5 x 3 = 15.

Now let’s try a challenge: You want to know how many points you would have if you won 8 games. You can count like this:

1. 1 game = 3 points
2. 2 games = 6 points
3. 3 games = 9 points
4. 4 games = 12 points
5. 5 games = 15 points
6. 6 games = 18 points
7. 7 games = 21 points
8. 8 games = 24 points

So 8 x 3 = 24 points.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Thinking 3 x 4 = 14
• Why it happens: Confusing 3 x 4 with 3 + 4 = 7, or counting wrong.
• Fix: Remember that 3 x 4 means 4 groups of 3. So 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12.

• Mistake: Forgetting that 3 x 0 = 0
• Why it happens: Thinking that if you don’t win any games, you still get points.
• Fix: If you don’t win any games, you get 0 points. So 3 x 0 = 0.

• Mistake: Adding 3 to 3 x 4 to get 3 x 5
• Why it happens: Not understanding that 3 x 5 means 5 groups of 3.
• Fix: 3 x 5 = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 15.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:

1. Playing football or any game with your child and counting points together.
2. Using stickers or small toys to show 3 groups of 3.
3. Practising skip counting by 3s: “3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36”.
4. Using real-life situations like: “If you win 3 games, how many points do you get?”
5. Encouraging your child to write down or draw the 3 times table as they learn it.

Don’t worry if your child makes mistakes. It’s normal to mix up numbers sometimes. The most important thing is to keep practising and having fun!

Practice questions

1. How many points do you get if you win 1 game?
2. How many points do you get if you win 2 games?
3. How many points do you get if you win 3 games?
4. How many points do you get if you win 4 games?
5. How many points do you get if you win 5 games?
6. How many points do you get if you win 6 games?
7. How many points do you get if you win 7 games?
8. How many points do you get if you win 8 games?
9. How many points do you get if you win 9 games?
10. How many points do you get if you win 10 games?
11. How many points do you get if you win 11 games?
12. How many points do you get if you win 12 games?

• 1 x 3 = 3
• 2 x 3 = 6
• 3 x 3 = 9
• 4 x 3 = 12
• 5 x 3 = 15
• 6 x 3 = 18
• 7 x 3 = 21
• 8 x 3 = 24
• 9 x 3 = 27
• 10 x 3 = 30
• 11 x 3 = 33
• 12 x 3 = 36

FAQ

Why is learning the 3 times table useful?

Learning the 3 times table helps you count points in football, share items equally, and solve problems quickly. It’s also a building block for learning bigger multiplication tables.

How can I remember the 3 times table?

You can remember it by skip counting: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36. You can also use your fingers or draw pictures to help you.

What if I forget a 3 times table fact?

If you forget, you can always add 3s together or use skip counting. For example, if you forget 5 x 3, you can count: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15. So 5 x 3 = 15.

Can I use the 3 times table in other games?

Yes! You can use it in board games, card games, or even in cooking. If a recipe calls for 3 ingredients and you make 4 batches, you need 12 ingredients total.

How can I practice the 3 times table at home?

You can play games, sing songs, use flashcards, or count football points together. The more you practice, the easier it gets!