List of winless seasons

2017

Cleveland Browns

0

16

0

0.520

19-game winless streak, beginning with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the 2016 NFL season and ending with a victory over the New York Jets in Week 3 of the 2018 season. Ties the 2008 Detroit Lions for most losses in a single season. Coincidentally, both had perfect 4–0 preseasons. First NFL franchise to have multiple seasons with 15 or more losses, going 1–31 over two seasons, with their only win in week 16 of the 2016 season. The team would not record its next win until week 3 of 2018 season, and would go 1–35–1 between their three wins through four seasons, resulting in consecutive 17 game losing streaks; this is also the most recent winless season and last under the 16-game schedule.

2008

Detroit Lions

0

16

0

0.559

20-game winless streak, beginning with a loss against the Green Bay Packers in the final week of the 2007 NFL season and ending with a win against the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) in Week 3 of the 2009 NFL season. Combined with a 1–7 finish from 2007, a 2–14 season in 2009, and a 2–10 start in 2010, Detroit went 5–45 from Week 9 of the 2007 season until Week 13 of the 2010 season. Detroit was the first non-expansion team to lose every game in a full season since World War II. This was their second winless season in franchise history (1942, see below). With this season, the Lions became only the second NFL franchise with two full winless seasons, and the only one still in existence; this was also the first winless season since the institution of the 16-game schedule in 1978 (that was used until 2020).

1982

Baltimore Colts

0

8

1

0.648

Strike-shortened season; seven weeks (out of 16) of the schedule were cancelled as a result.

1976

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

0

14

0

0.520

Debut season; also lost the first twelve games of the 1977 season to start 0–26 as a franchise.

1960

Dallas Cowboys

0

11

1

0.540

Debut season; lost twice by two points in first half of season. Tie was in the eleventh game against the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium.

1944

Brooklyn Tigers

0

10

0

0.645

Suspended operations after the season, and did not return to the league after World War II ended.

1944

Card-Pitt

0

10

0

0.650

Merger between Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers due to player shortages during World War II.

1943

Chicago Cardinals

0

10

0

0.595

If one includes the 1944 Card-Pitt team (see above), the Cardinals are the only NFL team to have back-to-back full seasons without a victory. (The league, however, considers Card-Pitt and the Cardinals to be separate franchises.) If the connection between Card-Pitt and the Cardinals is made, the team would have a 29-game losing streak (the most by an NFL team); between week 6 of the 1942 season and week 1 of the 1946 season, the Cardinals and Card-Pitt teams posted a combined 1–36 record.

1942

Detroit Lions

0

11

0

0.541

This was the first NFL season during U.S. involvement in World War II, leading to a depletion of the player talent pool. There were talks of suspending play. However, it was ultimately decided to continue operations to boost morale on the home front.

1934

Cincinnati Reds

0

8

0

0.608

Folded before the season was over.

1925

Columbus Tigers

0

9

0

0.649

First franchise with more than one full winless season (the Tigers folded after the 1926 campaign).

1922

Columbus Panhandles

0

8

0

0.531

1929

Dayton Triangles

0

6

0

0.656

Dayton's final season. The third of three consecutive winless seasons for Dayton. Their final win was in 1927; they then consecutively went 0–18–1, losing every game in their final two seasons.

1928

Dayton Triangles

0

7

0

0.625

The second winless season for Dayton.

1927

Buffalo Bisons

0

5

0

0.456

The Bisons consecutively went 0–13–2 through a three-season span.

1926

Hammond Pros

0

4

0

0.537

The second winless season for Hammond.

1926

Louisville Colonels

0

4

0

0.546

Louisville changed their name from the Brecks to the Colonels making this the franchise's third winless season and going 1-12–0 in their four seasons.

1925

Rochester Jeffersons

0

6

1

0.609

The fourth consecutive winless season for the Jeffersons. They went 0–21–2 through this span.

1925

Dayton Triangles

0

7

1

0.663

1925

Duluth Kelleys

0

3

0

0.621

1925

Milwaukee Badgers

0

6

0

0.708

1924

Kenosha Maroons

0

4

1

0.612

Only season.

1924

Minneapolis Marines

0

6

0

0.650

Consecutively went 0-9-2 through a three-season span.

1924

Rochester Jeffersons

0

7

0

0.594

The third consecutive winless season for the Jeffersons.

1923

Louisville Brecks

0

3

0

0.544

The second winless season for Louisville in their third season, and only having one win in the previous season.

1923

Rochester Jeffersons

0

4

0

0.550

The second consecutive winless season for the Jeffersons.

1922

Evansville Crimson Giants

0

3

0

0.567

1922

Rochester Jeffersons

0

4

1

0.590

1922

Hammond Pros

0

4

1

0.526

1921

Tonawanda Kardex

0

1

0

0.400

Only NFL season.

1921

Muncie Flyers

0

2

0

0.444

The second winless season in a row. The Flyers finished their NFL franchise record as 0–3.

1921

Louisville Brecks

0

2

0

0.285

1921

New York Brickley Giants

0

2

0

0.650

Only season.

1920

Muncie Flyers

0

1

0

0.700

1989

Maryland Commandos

4

Only year branded as the Maryland Commandos.

AFL

1991

Columbus Thunderbolts

10

Moved to Cleveland the following year.

1992

New Orleans Night

10

Team ceased operations after season.

1994

Milwaukee Mustangs

12

First winless team to remain in same city during following season. Went 10–4 in 1996. Folded in 2001.

1996

Memphis Pharaohs

14

Relocated twice, firstly as the Portland Forest Dragons from 1997 and then as the Oklahoma Wranglers. Folded in 2001.

2003

Carolina Cobras

16

Went 6–10 the following season. Folded in 2004.

2018

Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

15

Only team in the league to be winless. Was 9–1 the season before and 2nd in the league. Folded after the season.

NAL

1949

Hamilton Wildcats

12

0

12

0

Merged with the Hamilton Tigers for 1950 season

1946

Hamilton Wildcats

12

0

10

2

1941

Montreal Royals

6

0

6

0

Did not resume when Canadian football recommenced after World War II; succeeded by the Montreal Alouettes.

1939

Montreal Royals

6

0

5

1

1938

Edmonton Eskimos

8

0

8

0

1938

Montreal Royals

6

0

6

0

2016

Los Angeles Reign

3

0

3

2015

Baltimore Anthem

3

0

3

Debut season

2015

Los Angeles Reign

3

0

3

2014

Boston Iron

2

0

2

2014

Philadelphia Founders

3

0

3

Folded after the 2014 season.

2014

Los Angeles Reign

4

0

4

Including one playoff loss.

1897

St Kilda

0

14

0

Did not win a match until Round 1 of 1900

1898

St Kilda

0

17

0

1899

St Kilda

0

17

0

VFL/AFL record low percentage of 23.2% (scored only 323 points and conceded 1,391)

1902

St Kilda

0

17

0

Full-forward Charlie Baker won the VFL Leading Goalkicker medal despite the team being winless

1913

University

0

18

0

Full-forward Roy Park won the VFL Leading Goalkicker medal despite the team being winless

1914

University

0

18

0

Dropped out of competition and folded at the end of the season; reformed in 1919 and have competed in amateur football since

1919

Melbourne

0

16

0

Melbourne's first season in the VFL after being in recess from 1916 to 1918 due to World War I

1926

North Melbourne

0

17

1

1928

Hawthorn

0

18

0

1931

North Melbourne

0

18

0

1934

North Melbourne

0

18

0

1950

Hawthorn

0

18

0

1964

Fitzroy

0

18

0

2020

Richmond

0

6

0

First season in the league. Season was prematurely ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

Gold Coast

0

9

0

2022 (S7)

Sydney

0

10

0

First season in the league. The AFL acknowledged an umpiring error cost Sydney a potential match-winning goal in their four-point loss to Essendon.

1898

West Adelaide

0

14

0

First season in SAFL.

1906

West Adelaide

0

12

0

1908

Sturt

0

12

0

1909

South Adelaide

0

12

0

1921

Glenelg

0

14

0

First season in SAFL; did not record first win until Round 1 of 1925.

1922

Glenelg

0

14

0

1923

Glenelg

0

14

0

1924

Glenelg

0

14

0

1926

South Adelaide

0

13

1

1933

West Adelaide

0

17

0

1948

South Adelaide

0

17

0

1950

South Adelaide

0

17

0

1964

Central District

0

20

0

First season in SANFL.

1995

Sturt

0

22

0

1899

Rovers

0

8

0

Folded during season; Perth played the remaining fixtures.

1902

Subiaco

0

15

0

1905

Subiaco

0

10

0

Played fewer games than rival league clubs due to financial difficulties.

1917

Midland Junction

0

12

0

Disbanded at end of season.

1999

Peel

0

20

0

2020

Peel

0

8

0

COVID-19-shortened season

1898

Brunswick

0

15

0

Single

1903

Essendon Town

0

18

0

Single

1904

Preston

0

18

0

Single

1910

Preston

0

18

0

Single

1912

Melbourne City

0

18

0

Single

First season in the VFA.

1913

Melbourne City

0

18

0

Single

Folded at the end of the season.

1941

Sandringham

0

18

0

Single

Conceded then-record score of 43.29 (287).

1951

Box Hill

0

19

1

Single

First season in VFA.

1961

Brighton

0

18

0

Second

Nearly folded at the end of the season before reforming as Brighton-Caulfield.

1973

Box Hill

0

18

0

Second

1977

Box Hill

0

18

0

Second

1981

Sunshine

0

18

0

Second

1983

Waverley

0

18

0

First

1986

Camberwell

0

18

0

First

1986

Mordialloc

0

18

0

Second

1989

Camberwell

0

18

0

Single

Defeated Sunshine in Round 4, but Sunshine dropped out of the VFA and folded after eight games, with their record being expunged.

1990

Camberwell

0

18

0

Single

Dropped out of the VFA and folded before the start of the following season.

1993

Coburg

0

18

0

Single

Lost 29 consecutive matches between 1992 and 1994.

1995

Williamstown

0

16

0

Single

2001

Bendigo

0

20

0

2002

Bendigo

0

19

1

2009

Bendigo

0

18

0

2013

Bendigo

0

18

0

2014

Bendigo

0

18

0

Dropped out of league and folded at the end of the season.

2015

Frankston

0

18

0

2023

Coburg

0

18

0

1884

Derbyshire

0

10

0

Won only three games from 1884 to 1887Lost every game in 1887, but played only six games

1920

Derbyshire

0

17

0

One match, against Nottinghamshire, was abandoned without a ball bowled

1865

Yorkshire

0

6

2

Were to have an amazing rise due to the discovery of deadly fast bowlers Freeman and Emmett, winning every game in 1867.

1871

Surrey

0

9

4

1877

Sussex

0

7

1

1886

Derbyshire

0

8

1

Was demoted from first-class status between 1888 and 1893

1897

Derbyshire

0

9

7

Lost two games by one wicket to power clubs Lancashire and Yorkshire

1900

Hampshire

0

16

6

Lost star batsman Robert Poore to the Boer War

1901

Derbyshire

0

13

7

1910

Somerset

0

15

3

Lost star bowler Bill Greswell to business in Ceylon.Two-year record in 1910 and 1911 was one win, 28 losses and five draws

1924

Derbyshire

0

13

11

1928

Worcestershire

0

19

11

Most matches and most losses by any winless county team.Played 54 county matches without a win between June 1927 and May 1929.

1936

Northamptonshire

0

9

15

Did win one game against Sussex under "one-innings" rules after first two days washed out by rain

1937

Northamptonshire

0

16

8

Lost star batsman Fred Bakewell to a car crash and bowler "Nobby" Clark to loss of form

1938

Northamptonshire

0

17

7

Ninety-nine County Championship matches without a win between 14 May 1935 and 29 May 1939

1967

Nottinghamshire

0

4

24

Only team to be winless without finishing bottom24 drawn matches is most in county cricket history; four finished games is fewest in a season of more than sixteen games

1979

Glamorgan

0

10

11

1982

Warwickshire

0

8

14

Alvin Kallicharran was leading run-scorer in country, but bowling exceptionally weak with average of over 45 runs per wicket

1996

Durham

0

12

5

Won only one match in any competition (four-day or one) against a first-class opponent

2008

Surrey

0

5

10

First Division

2008

Gloucestershire

0

5

11

Second Division

2009

Worcestershire

0

10

6

First Division

2013

Leicestershire

0

8

8

Second Division

2014

Northamptonshire

0

12

4

First Division

2014

Leicestershire

0

10

6

Second Division. First back-to-back winless seasons by a county since the Second World War.

2016

Derbyshire

0

10

5

Second Division. One match abandoned with no play.

2017

Leicestershire

0

9

5

Second Division

2019

Nottinghamshire

0

10

4

First Division

2018

West Wales Raiders

0

26

0

League 1Conceded 2106 pointsSet a new world record for biggest Rugby League defeat, losing 144–0 to York City KnightsFinished on -4 points after fielding an ineligible player in two matches

2006

Oldham

0

18

0

National League OneFinished with a points difference of -724

1991–92

Nottingham City

0

26

0

Third DivisionLast season in league Finished with a points difference of -1159

1989–90

Runcorn Highfield

0

28

0

Second DivisionRenamed Highfield for following season; still took five successive wooden spoons before disbanding in 1997

1941–1942

Bramley

0

19

0

Left the league until 1945–1946

1940–1941

Broughton Rangers

0

10

0

"Wartime Emergency Season"Left the league until 1945–1946 as Belle Vue Rangers before disbanding in 1955.

1940–1941

Leigh

0

13

0

"Wartime Emergency Season"Did not return until 1946–1947

1906–1907

Liverpool City

0

30

0

Scored only 76 points and conceded almost 1,400.

1966

Easts

0

18

0

Longest winless season in NSWRL/NRL history. Last season with 18 games: in 1967 the season expanded to 22.Sequence of 29 winless games from Round 13 of 1965.

1946

Souths

0

14

0

Lost 22 successive games after the death of Alf Blair during the 1944/1945 off-season.

1937

University

0

8

0

Team disbanded after season shortened by Kangaroo tour, having won only one game in three years (13–11 against St. George in the last round of 1936).

1935

University

0

16

0

Lost 42 consecutive games after winning 4–3 in opening game of 1934

1921

University

0

8

0

Kangaroo tour shortened season.Won only one game in initial season of 1920 for a combined 1–20 record.

1920

Annandale

0

13

0

Disbanded at end of season after having won only one game (8–5 against Norths) in three seasons.

1918

Annandale

0

14

0

Sequence of 27 winless games: won only twice in last four seasons

2023

Ipswich Jets

0

20

0

Will end the season on 4 points as each club has two byes

1946

Western Suburbs

0

10

0

Broke its losing streak in the opening game of 1947 but fell to 2–7–1; then won premiership in 1948.

1945

Eastern Suburbs

0

10

0

Would rise to minor premiers in 1946 and six straight grand finals 1946 to 1951 via massive recruitment drive.

1944

Eastern Suburbs

0

10

0

Two consecutive winless seasons

1943

Western Suburbs

0

9

0

Forfeited scheduled tenth match to Northern Suburbs.

1940

Eastern Suburbs

0

10

0

Nine-season record from 1937 to 1945 was 9–81–0.

1934

Southern Suburbs

0

11

0

1933

Southern Suburbs

0

12

0

Finished last every season from 1933 to 1937 with combined record of 5–48–0, including consecutive winless seasons.

1925

University

0

9

2

Would finish 7–5 in 1926, but disbanded in middle of 1934 season after all players moved to rugby union.

1915

West End

0

8

0

Became "Ipswich" the following season, but did not compete after that.