Bet only what you can afford. Define a bankroll at the beginning of the year or season and stick to it.

Define a staking system and stick to it.

Do not bet on teams or leagues that you don't know anything about. Try to specialise on chosen leagues.

Do not assume that there are any 'sure things'. Any result is possible.

Your Selection Criteria must include recent form, a minimum of the last six matches.

In general, stick to betting on League Matches, as recent team form is only consistent within the boundaries of that league.

Do not bet at the beginning of the season; wait until each team has played at least 6 matches so that your recent form analysis is valid.

Do not bet on local derbies or evenly balanced teams. The exception being that the odds are favourable to covering your bet (i.e. cover bet with a draw).

Do not work with more than 3 Selection Criteria Strategies. Define your Selection Criteria Strategies; fine-tune them as you go.

Analyse all bets after the fact, especially if it is a losing bet. Learn by your mistakes and/or experiences.

Determine the best return on your bet from various Bookmakers. The variance on returns across bookmakers can be substantial, especially on multiple bets or accumulators.

Bet only when you deem the odds to be fair or acceptable for your bet.

Bet only on the smallest combinations of results feasible. 4+ accumulators may give big returns but they are also the hardest to achieve.

Keep a up to-date record of all bets, returns and losses. You may not be suited to gambling and an up to-date record will highlight this.

Bet only when the odds are in you favour. Do not bet for the sake of it.

Always remain calm especially after a big win or loss. Discipline is the key. A big loss can causes some punters to chase their losses by betting big and for high returns thus accumulating bigger losses. Likewise a big win can cause some punters to become flippant and bet more frequently and sporadically.