Note: This is an archive of the Rankings F.A.Q. from 2015.
The Current Rankings compare historic player achievement in an objective merit-based way, based on the previous 52 weeks/365 days of player activity in one-on-one combat tournaments. The rankings are to help Fight Night organizers with qualifications and seedings, leading to a more fair and entertaining tournament.
The rankings are also a way for observers to refer to how good a specific player might be. For example, "She is a top 10 player" or "He is the number one player at the moment."
More broadly, the rankings are compiled to encourage more jugglers to take part in more Fight Night tournaments, and to encourage more jugglers to organize more Fight Night tournaments at juggling conventions, festivals, or other events.
From January 2013 until December 2014, the rankings formula was very simple: Each player's ranking points are the sum of their five best tournament results by points value (not by tournament placement) from the previous 52 weeks/365 days of Fight Night tournaments. Any extra tournament results are not included, and count for zero points.
As of December 2014, there is be a new rankings formula, based on tournament level.
Each player's points total includes his or her best points from each of:
from the previous 52 weeks/365 days of Fight Night tournaments.
If a player takes part in more than two 500 level events, their remaining 500 level points are reduced to what they would be for the same placement in a 250 level tournament. Any of these reduced points may then count towards their best two 250 level results if it is better than their first or second best 250 result, or if the player has taken part in fewer than two 250 level events.
Likewise, if a player takes part in more than two 250 level results, their remaining 250 level points are reduced to what they would be for the same placement in a 125 level tournament. Any of these reduced points may then count towards their best 125 level result if it is better than any existing 125 level tournament result, or if the player hasn't taken part in a 125 level event.
Reduced points from a 500 level event, if not included at 250 level, can also count towards a player's 125 level tournament, but are once again reduced.
While higher level tournament points may be counted in place of any lower level tournament result, points for lower level tournaments can not be counted in place of higher level tournament results, even if the awarded points are higher.
Due to the scheduling of Fight Night host events, it's possible for the results of a Fight Night tournament to be counted for more or fewer than 365 days; the tournament is counted in rankings calculations from the Monday following the tournament until the drop date of the tournament.
The drop date of a tournament is either:
The Race Rankings for 2015 only counts the tournaments in the 2015 calendar year, and is a way to see the overall best FNC player for the year so far. The final race rankings result will match the current rankings for December 31st 2015.
The Race Rankings will show who is in contention for the year-end European Masters 2015.
Tournament level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th/semi-finalist | Round of 8 | Round of 16 | Qualification maximum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
"1000" | 1000 | 600 | 410 | 360 | 180 | 90 | 120 |
"750" | 750 | 450 | 315 | 270 | 135 | 65 | 90 |
"500" | 500 | 300 | 210 | 180 | 90 | 45 | 60 |
"250" | 250 | 150 | 105 | 90 | 45 | 20 | 45 |
"125" | 125 | 75 | 52 | 45 | 25 | 10 | 14 |
Notes:
So far, Fight Night tournaments are worth (for the winner) either 1000, 750, 500, 250 or 125 points. This is decided after a discussion between the tournament director and me (Luke Burrage).
As a general guide, for tournaments in 2015, the default level is 250 points. This assumes:
If a tournament doesn't meet any one (or more) of the above criteria, it may be lowered to a 125 point tournament. For example:
Not meeting one of the above criteria does not automatically lower a 250 tournament to a 125 level. This will be decided after discussion with me (Luke) and other FNC organizers. Strength in one area can make up for deficiencies in others. For example, a well-promoted tournament at a small convention may only attract 10 or 11 players, but they could all be of a high level, so the requirement for at least 12 players could be wavered. Or a spontaneous event with group qualification, but with 20 participants, could also be a 250 tournament. Or an invite-only tournament, but as part of a larger event, or even a non-juggling event, with a well-produced video, may also be a 250 tournament.
If a tournament listed as 250 points exceeds all or most of the above requirements, it might be elevated to the 500 point level.
In 2015, for a tournament to be worth 500 points, it must must meet all the above requirements and exceed them in the following ways:
Again, if a tournament listed as 500 points falls short on any of these criteria, it doesn't automatically drop to a 250 level. Exceeding the criteria in some areas will make up for missing them in others. The final level will be decided after discussion with me (Luke) and deliberation among other FNC organizers.
In 2015, there will be two 750 point tournaments, at the Berlin Juggling Convention and the Dutch Juggling Festival (NJF). These have been selected as particularly prestigious tournaments (based on player entries in 2013 and 2014), and have been elevated to the 750 level to encourage more international participation by top 10 players.
There may be other 500 points tournaments elevated to the 750 level in 2016.
For rankings purposes, the 750 tournaments are included with 500 level tournaments in a player's results calculations.
In 2015, there will be only one 1000 point tournament. The European Juggling Convention is by far the most prestigious FNC tournament, and is the most popular in terms of participation and audience. In 2014 it attracted 40 participants and had 16 players in the first knockout round.
In 2015 there may be other tournaments that fall outside of these categories. For example, the proposed year end European Masters 2015.
As of 2014, the top five results from the previous 365 days are counted towards a player's points total. In 2015, six results will be counted, though not always the top 6. As and when Fight Night tournaments become more frequent, and the number of tournaments a juggler may possibly enter increases, the number of countable tournaments will increase too.
The maximum number of top results counted will increase to always exceed the average number of tournaments entered by the top ranked players by one or two. For example, on 29-04-2014, the top five players in the rankings had taken part in an average of 4.2 tournaments each, and the top ten players had taken part in an average of 3.3 tournaments each. As of 25-08-2014, the average number of tournaments for the top 5 was 6.4 and 5.1 for the top 10.
Increasing the number of countable tournaments to stay ahead of participation will encourage those who have entered fewer tournaments to enter more. For those who have uncounted tournament points, unless they have won all the highest value tournaments, they still have incentive to enter tournaments to increase their counted points in the immediate future, and to keep more points available to bolster their ranking points total as other events drop after 365 days.
If needed in the future, to encourage top players to enter lower points value tournaments, a player must enter at least one tournament at each points level for all points across all their tournaments to be counted in full. Specifically, a player must enter at least one 250 level event before their least valuable result from their two 500 level events be worth its full amount rather than half.
For example, a player enters a 500 level event and is awarded 300 points. Then they enter a second 500 level event and win, and are awarded 500 points. If they do not have a 250 level event in their current rankings, the points from their worst 500 level event will only count the same as they would have been at a 250 level event. In this case, 500 points and 150 points instead of 500 and 300.
As soon as a player has at least one 250 level event counting towards their rankings, the results from all 500 point events are counted in full. Conversely, if the last 250 level event drops from the player's counted tournaments and they have two remaining 500 level events, the least valuable points will be halved to match up with the points awarded for the same result at a 250 event.
These future changes in the rankings formula will hopefully encourage more players of every level to take part in more tournaments across all levels of competition, from the biggest and most valuable to small tournaments at one day conventions.
If the entire system looks familiar, it's because it is based on the ATP Rankings.
If the entire system looks complicated, it's because the Association of Tennis Professionals (the ATP) has had four decades to work out all the problems. Each new complication to the basic concept is to avoid an unfairness to those taking part in the tournaments and to make the whole scene more interesting and exciting.
Of course, due to the different nature of the sports, the Fight Night Beta rankings will differ in key ways, and will do so more in the future as the sport develops, but by learning from the history of another sport that features knockout tournaments of matches between individuals I hope to avoid the same pitfalls.
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