Gillian is a fullback on her soccer team. Her team has just made the league final. They will be playing a team from a neighboring town for the league championship. During the regular season, the two teams met ten times and each won five games. Most believe the teams are matched evenly, that either team has a 50% chance of winning the final, and that the series will go to seven games. However, there is a chance that one of the teams will win in fewer games. What is the probability that either Gillian's team or their opposition will sweep the series in four games?

The events in this scenario, Gillian's team sweeping the series or the opposing team sweeping the series , cannot happen at the same time . They are called mutually exclusive events.

Sarah is a forward on the team Gillian will be playing against in the league championship. Sarah was her team's top goal scorer in the regular season. She thinks that, if she is on the starting line-up in both the first and second half of each game, her team will win the championship.

Sarah's soccer team has twenty-five players. Their coach posts the list of starting players the morning of each game day. Eleven girls take the field at the start of each half of the game and five of those start both halves. What is the probability that Sarah starts the first or second half of the game?

The events in this scenario, Sarah starting the first half or Sarah starting the second half , can happen at the same time . They are called non-mutually exclusive events.