How to measure a match result
One of the major features of equTournaments and equRankings is that they produce a very accurate and informative ranking by exploiting the results to their fullest. For equTournaments and equRankings a match result represents a relative measure of the strengths of the opponents. Obviously a 5:1 victory is a better achievement than a 3:1 victory since the difference in points is 4 rather then 2. Also, the proportion of points scored to the total number of points in a 5:1 victory is larger than in a 3:1 victory as well. But, is it better to win with a score of 5:3 or with a score of 3:1? By the difference of the points these results are equivalent, but by the proportion criterion a 3:1 is a better result since the winner received 75% rather then 62.5% of the total points scored. If fact, 3:1 is even better than an 8:3 victory in proportional terms.
Every sport has it is own approach for measuring the results. In most cases they only look at the difference between the points scored by the winner and loser. But sometimes other factors come into play. For instance, in football (soccer) tournaments it is better to win "at home" with a score of 3:1 than with a score of 5:3. It is also better to win "away" with a score of 5:3 that with a score of 3:1. In the NHL, results of 3:1, 5:3 and 8:6 are regarded as equivalent during the regular season, and during the play-offs even scores as far apart as 3:1 and 8:1 are treated as equivalent. To manage equTournaments efficiently it is important to decide how to measure the results for a particular tournament. The purpose of this guide is to help you in making such decisions.
In 0:0 irrelevant sports like tennis, volleyball and squash you do not have to make such decisions. The measure of a result is always a proportion of the number of points won out of the total number of points played, i.e., points won/total points. If Peter plays 20 points against John and Peter wins 12 of them, it means that Peter is able to win 60% of the points against John. Similarly, if Peter beats John 24:16 - which is equivalent to beating John twice with the score of 12:8 - this is also interpreteted by the ranking as 60% of the points won, but the weight of this result is greater then the weight of a single 12:8 score.
In 0:0 relevant sports like football, ice-hockey and baseball you would have to set the proper values for the two parameters - difference and proportion - which together constitute the measure of a result.
By default the measure is set to the difference of points in the score only, i.e., it measures the point-spread of the match results only and ignores the proportion. It is so because the general assumption is that the conditions in every match of a professional tournament are the same and even if they are not the same then the "offense" and "defense" of both sides are affected equally. This may not always be true. For example, there are differences between playing American football in a heavy rain as opposed to dry or windy weather. In this sport heavy rain on a grass field will benefit the defense of both teams. In baseball the dimensions of the playing fields are not the same everywhere. On a smaller field it is easier to hit a home-run, so the offense has an advantage. It is typical in ice-hockey that while one team plays two games in a row that team's opponent in the second match may have not played the day before, so both offense and defense of the former team will be more tired. How does one compare the results in this match to the results of other matches where both teams are "fresh".
The potential variability in match conditions increases significantly in amateur competitions with respect to professional ones. Take for example a football (soccer) tournament. In amateur football tournaments there are no guarantees that participating teams will have a full squad of 11 players for every match. Sometimes it happens that a match is played 8-on-8. In such a match the players have more opportunity to score so for a stronger team it is easier to increase the difference in goals scored than in a regular 11-on-11 match. Furthemore, not every province, state or country has a well developed football infrastructure which means that many amateur tournament matches are played on fields of different dimensions or with nets of different sizes. In such tournaments the results should not be measured purely by the difference in goals scored, but instead the proportion of goals scored to the total number of goals should be taken into consideration as well. What exact mix of weights one should choose for the goal-difference and the proportion components of the results measure is a decision that needs to be taken before the tournament, after taking into account all of the specifics. The measure could be calculated exclusively on the basis of the goal difference, which would have a 100% weight, or a mix of 75% difference and a 25% proportion, or, if conditions are extremely variable proportion could account for 100% of the measure. The values for the difference and proportion parameters can be set on the Settings page in the Result Measure box as seen below.
The Results Measure can be used to create and manage tournaments in a way that was not possible before. Take for example junior football for kids under-12. Certain skills could be practiced by playing 11-on-11 on a regular size field. Other skills, which are no less important, could be practiced more efficiently by playing 7-on-7, by using only half of the football field. By playing 7-on-7 players have more chances to score, and goalkeepers have more opportunity to be in action. Using only half of the football field means that twice as many matches can be played simultaneously without loss of efficiency.
Given the Measure's flexibility, it can also be used to design tournaments with a mixed-match format. The proper implementation of a such a tournament depend on the particular football association's development strategy for its under-12 juniors, to stick with our example. Based on that, two things should be decided:
- a proportion of 11-on-11 to 7-on-7 matches
- how to measure the results
If a tournament has 5 football fields at its disposal, then how many fields should be used for playing 11-on-11 matches and how many for playing 7-on-7? If 2 fields are assigned for playing 11-on-11 and 3 fields for playing 7-on-7, then you get a 60% increase in the total number of matches that can be played. In other words, coaches and players have 60% more opportunities to test what they have been working-on during practices in a tournament environment.
The proper values for the parameters in the Results Measure box should be set after a comparative analysis of the scores from the matches of 11-on-11 and 7-on-7. Note that the parameter values can be different for boys and girls, as well as by age group.
The above discussion goes beyond football and sport in general. A tournament involving a computer game should also examine if the conditions in every match are the same. The general rule for all 0:0 relevant games is: the more variable the conditions between matches of a tournament the higher should be the value assigned to the proportion parameter in the Results Measure box.
