How to BTV League

Complete explanation of Elo ratings and league rankings

🎯 Overview

What is the Goal?

Our league system measures your actual performance, not just how often you show up. A player who attends 5 days and wins 80% of their games can beat a player who attended 12 days but only won 55%.

Two Separate Ratings:

Rating Purpose Calculation
Global Elo All-time Strength Permanent, across all leagues
League Ranking Season Rating Per league, reset each season
Gameday Winner Daily Champion Best performance on a single day

Important:

  • Global Elo is used for pairings (team composition)
  • Win Percentage determines who wins the league
  • Gameday Winner is for daily bragging rights (doesn't affect season ranking)

⚖️ Elo Rating System

What is Elo?

Elo is a mathematical system originally developed for chess. It measures your relative playing strength compared to other players.

Starting Value: 1500 Elo (every new player)

How Does My Elo Change?

After each match, your Elo is adjusted based on:

  1. Expected Performance (based on team Elos)
  2. Actual Performance (score of the game)
  3. K-Factor (sensitivity of change, standard: 32)

Formula (for those interested):

Team Elo = Average of 2 players' Elos
Expected = 1 / (1 + 10^((Opponent Elo - Your Team Elo) / 400))
Actual = Your Points / (Your Points + Opponent Points)
Delta = K-Factor × (Actual - Expected)

💰 How Much Elo Do I Gain/Lose?

Scenario 1: Evenly Matched Game (both teams ~1500)

Score Your Gain/Loss
21:20 ±0.8 Elo
21:18 ±2.1 Elo
21:14 ±5.3 Elo
21:10 ±8.0 Elo

Conclusion: With equally strong teams, you gain little, lose little.

Scenario 2: You Are the Favorite (+100 Elo Advantage)

Result Score Your Gain/Loss
You win narrowly 21:18 -3.8 Elo ❌ (too close!)
You win clearly 21:10 +2.1 Elo ✅
You lose 18:21 -8.0 Elo 💥

Conclusion: As the favorite, you must win clearly, otherwise you lose points!

Scenario 3: You Are the Underdog (-100 Elo Disadvantage)

Result Score Your Gain/Loss
You lose narrowly 18:21 +3.8 Elo ✅ (good performance!)
You lose badly 10:21 -2.1 Elo (ok)
You win 21:18 +8.0 Elo 🚀 (Upset!)

Conclusion: As the underdog, you can gain points even in defeat!

🎯 Important Principles:

  1. Score Difference Counts: 21:10 is better than 21:18
  2. No Win Protection: Winning doesn't guarantee points
  3. Honest System: Favorite wins against weak teams yield little
  4. Upsets Are Rewarded: Surprise wins yield many points

📈 Elo Development Over Time

Typical Elo Ranges After 20 Game Days:

Skill Level Elo Range Description
Elite 1650-1800+ Top 5%, dominates strongly
Advanced 1550-1650 Top 20%, very good
Upper Mid 1500-1550 Upper midfield
Average 1450-1500 Average
Lower Mid 1400-1450 Lower midfield
Beginner+ 1350-1400 Developing
Beginner 1200-1350 Still learning

Example Career:

Start:         1500 Elo
After 5 days:  1540 Elo (+8 Elo/day, good player)
After 10 days: 1580 Elo
After 20 days: 1660 Elo (stabilizes at true level)

🎲 Pairing System (Matchmaking)

Goals of Pairing:

  1. Skill-based: You play with/against similarly strong players
  2. Diversity: You play with different partners and against different opponents
  3. Fairness: Everyone gets a similar number of matches per game day

How Does It Work?

Step 1: Elo Band (±150 Elo)

The system searches for 3 partners within your Elo ±150.

Example:

  • Your Elo: 1600
  • Possible Partners: 1450-1750

Why ±150?

  • At ±150 Elo = ~30% skill difference in 1v1
  • In doubles this balances out through Power Pairing
  • Prevents: 1700 vs 1300 games (frustrating for both)

Step 2: Diversity Prioritization

The system prefers new partners and opponents.

Example Game Day:

Match 1: You play with Player A, against Players B & C
Match 2: System prefers Players D, E, F (all new for you)
Match 3: Only if necessary: System takes Players A-C again

Weighting:

  • Same partner again? → System strongly avoids (Penalty: 1000)
  • Same opponent again? → System moderately avoids (Penalty: 500)

Step 3: Power Pairing (Team Balance)

When 4 players are selected, they are divided as follows:

4 players sorted by Elo: [1650, 1580, 1520, 1480]

Team A: Strongest + Weakest = 1650 + 1480 = Avg 1565
Team B: Middle Two = 1580 + 1520 = Avg 1550

→ Difference: only 15 Elo! (very balanced)

Why Power Pairing?

  • Prevents "Dream Teams" (both strong players together)
  • Gives weaker players a chance to learn
  • Makes games more exciting

🎮 Example Game Day (19 Players, 16 Matches)

Player Elos:

1700, 1680, 1650, 1620, 1600, 1580, 1560, 1540, 1520, 1500,
1480, 1460, 1440, 1420, 1400, 1380, 1360, 1340, 1320

Match 1: (System selects the 4 with fewest games today = all 0)

  • Seed: Player #1 (1700)
  • Search: 1550-1850 Elo
  • Find: #2 (1680), #4 (1620), #6 (1580)
  • Teams: [1700+1580] vs [1680+1620] → Avg: 1640 vs 1650 ✅

Match 2: (Players 1,2,4,6 now have 1 game, rest have 0)

  • Seed: Player #3 (1650, 0 games)
  • Search: 1500-1800, prefers not #1,2,4,6
  • Find: #5 (1600), #7 (1560), #8 (1540)
  • Teams: [1650+1540] vs [1600+1560] → Avg: 1595 vs 1580 ✅

Match 5: (Player #1 plays again)

  • Seed: Player #1 (1700, 1 game)
  • Search: 1550-1850, prefers new players
  • System avoids #2,4,6 (were in Match 1)
  • Find: #3 (1650), #5 (1600), #9 (1520)
  • Teams: [1700+1520] vs [1650+1600] → Avg: 1610 vs 1625 ✅

Result After 16 Matches:

  • Top player (1700): 3-4 matches, always with 1550-1700 range
  • Mid player (1500): 3-4 matches, with 1350-1650 range
  • Weak player (1320): 3 matches, with 1170-1470 range

✅ Nobody plays against completely mismatched opponents!

🏆 League Ranking System

How Are Players Ranked?

Simple: Win Percentage

Win% = (Wins / Total Matches) × 100

That's it. The player with the highest Win% wins the league.

Why Win Percentage?

Problem with Total Points:

Player A: 5 days, 20 wins, 5 losses → 80% Win
Player B: 15 days, 45 wins, 30 losses → 60% Win

Player B has more total wins, but Player A performs better!

Solution: Win Percentage

Player A: 80% Win% → Rank 1 ✅
Player B: 60% Win% → Rank 2

Fair: Performance matters, not just attendance

📊 Win Percentage Explained

Simple Calculation:

  • Count your wins
  • Count your losses
  • Win% = Wins / (Wins + Losses) × 100

Example:

Matches Played Wins Losses Win%
50 35 15 70.00%
40 32 8 80.00%
30 15 15 50.00%

🎯 Complete Ranking Order

Season Ranking Hierarchy:

  1. Qualified players first (≥ minimum game days)
  2. Win Percentage (descending)
  3. Total Wins (tiebreaker - descending)
  4. Global Elo (final tiebreaker - descending)

Example Ranking Table:

Rank Player Days Matches W-L Win% Status
🥇 1 Anna Schmidt 10 40 32-8 80.00% Qualified
🥈 2 Max Weber 8 32 24-8 75.00% Qualified
🥉 3 Lisa Müller 12 50 35-15 70.00% Qualified
4 Tom Fischer 9 36 24-12 66.67% Qualified
5 Ben Klein 7 28 18-10 64.29% Qualified
- Sarah Lang 5 20 16-4 80.00% ⚠️ Not qualified

Note: Sarah has excellent Win% but hasn't played enough game days to qualify!

💡 What This Means for You

1. Winning Is Everything

Focus: Win your matches
Result: High Win% = High Rank

Simple as that!

2. Sample Size Doesn't Matter

Player A: 5 days, 20 matches, 80% Win%
Player B: 15 days, 60 matches, 60% Win%

Player A ranks higher (better performance)

Win% removes the "attendance advantage"

3. Every Match Counts Equally

Match 1 of the season = Match 50 of the season
First match of the day = Last match of the day

All wins count the same toward your Win%

🏅 Gameday Winner System

What is the Gameday Winner?

Every gameday has its own daily champion based on that day's performance only!

Purpose:

  • Adds excitement to every single gameday
  • Recognition for great daily performance
  • Bragging rights for the day
  • Does NOT affect season rankings (separate system)

How is the Gameday Winner Determined?

Ranking Criteria (calculated when gameday is finalized):

  1. Win% of the Day (primary)

    Gameday Win% = Wins Today / Matches Today × 100

  2. Elo Gain of the Day (tiebreaker)

    Elo Gain = Ending Elo - Starting Elo

  3. Total Wins of the Day (tiebreaker)

  4. Global Elo (final tiebreaker)

📊 Example Gameday Ranking

Gameday: Sunday League - February 16, 2025

Rank Player Matches W-L Win% Elo Gain
🥇 1 Max Weber 4 3-1 75.00% +8.5
🥈 2 Anna Schmidt 4 3-1 75.00% +6.2
🥉 3 Lisa Müller 3 2-1 66.67% +4.1
4 Tom Fischer 4 2-2 50.00% +2.3
5 Ben Klein 3 1-2 33.33% -1.5

Winner: Max Weber 🏆

  • Same Win% as Anna (75%)
  • But higher Elo Gain (+8.5 vs +6.2)
  • Dominated his wins more

🎯 Key Points About Gameday Winner

Important to understand:

  1. Separate from Season Ranking

    • Gameday Winner = Best performance TODAY
    • Season Ranking = Best performance OVERALL
    • Winning a gameday doesn't affect your season rank

  2. Fair with Different Match Counts

    • Uses Win% (not total wins)
    • 3 games, 100% Win = better than 4 games, 75% Win
    • Everyone has equal chance

  3. Calculated Automatically

    • System calculates when gameday is finalized
    • Based on actual Elo changes from that day
    • No manual input needed

  4. Motivation & Recognition

    • Adds excitement to each gameday
    • Even if you're not #1 in season, you can win a day
    • Fresh competition every gameday

💡 Strategy for Winning a Gameday

How to become Gameday Winner:

  1. Win Most of Your Matches

    • Primary metric is Win% of the day
    • 3-1 record better than 2-2

  2. Win Decisively

    • High wins = more Elo gain
    • 21-10 better than 21-19
    • Acts as tiebreaker

  3. Play Consistently

    • All matches count toward daily Win%
    • One bad loss won't ruin your day

  4. Don't Worry About Others

    • Focus on your own performance
    • Can't control how many games others play

📈 Gameday Winner vs Season Champion

Example: Two Different Winners

Max's Season:

  • 10 game days attended
  • 40 total matches: 32-8
  • Season Win%: 80% → Rank 1 🏆

Anna's Season:

  • 12 game days attended
  • 50 total matches: 35-15
  • Season Win%: 70% → Rank 3

But on February 16:

  • Max: 4 games, 2-2, 50% Win → Rank 8 (bad day)
  • Anna: 4 games, 4-0, 100% Win → Gameday Winner! 🥇

Both can celebrate:

  • Max = Season Champion (overall best)
  • Anna = Gameday Winner (best that day)

🎲 Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: "The Comeback"

Player: Ben

  • Season Ranking: #12 (struggling)
  • Gameday Performance: 4-0, +12 Elo
  • Result: Gameday Winner! 🏆

What it means:

  • Still ranked #12 in season
  • But won the day
  • Proof he's improving
  • Motivation boost!

Scenario 2: "Bad Day at the Top"

Player: Lisa (Season #2)

  • Usually dominant
  • Today: 1-3 record, -8 Elo
  • Result: Rank 15 for the day

What it means:

  • Season rank unchanged (#2)
  • Just had an off day
  • Tomorrow is a fresh start
  • Still in great position overall

Scenario 3: "The Consistent Grinder"

Player: Tom

  • Gameday: 3-1, +6 Elo, 75% Win
  • Another player: 3-1, +8 Elo, 75% Win
  • Result: Rank 2 for the day (Elo tiebreaker)

What it means:

  • Close competition!
  • Slightly less dominant wins
  • Still excellent performance
  • One of the top performers

🎯 Qualification & Minimum Requirements

For Season Ranking:

  • Minimum: 7 game days (configurable per league)
  • Anyone with less → not ranked (but stats still tracked)

For Gameday Winner:

  • No minimum! Everyone who plays is eligible
  • Only need to play at least 1 match
  • Fair chance every single day

Why No Minimum for Gameday?

Season ranking needs consistency (7+ days)
Gameday winner is about TODAY only
New players can win their first day!

💡 Strategy Tips

For Season Success:

  1. Focus on Win%

    • Most important: win your matches
    • Attendance matters but performance matters more
    • 7 great days > 15 mediocre days

  2. Consistency Over Time

    • Steady 70% Win% beats streaky performance
    • Every match counts equally
    • No "throwaway" games

  3. Quality Over Quantity

    Better: 8 days, 75% Win%
Worse: 15 days, 55% Win%

For Gameday Winner:

  1. Play Your Best Today

    • Focus on THIS gameday only
    • Yesterday doesn't matter
    • Tomorrow doesn't matter

  2. Win Decisively When Possible

    • High wins boost Elo gain
    • Acts as tiebreaker
    • Show dominance

  3. Stay Consistent

    • Win most of your matches today
    • Even 3-1 can win the day
    • Don't need perfection

🎮 Real-World Examples

Example 1: "The Elite Performer"

Season Performance:

  • Attends 10 game days
  • 40 matches: 32-8
  • Win%: 80.00%
  • Season Rank: 1 🥇

Typical Gameday:

  • 4 matches: 3-1
  • Win%: 75%
  • Elo Gain: +8.2
  • Gameday Rank: 1-3 (usually wins)

Result: Dominates both season and most gamedays

Example 2: "The Improving Player"

Season Performance:

  • Attends 8 game days
  • 32 matches: 18-14
  • Win%: 56.25%
  • Season Rank: 9

One Special Gameday:

  • 4 matches: 4-0 (perfect!)
  • Win%: 100%
  • Elo Gain: +15.3
  • Gameday Rank: 1 🥇 (Winner!)

Result: Not season champion, but won a day!

Example 3: "The Streaky Player"

Season Performance:

  • Attends 12 game days
  • Some excellent, some poor
  • Win%: 58.33%
  • Season Rank: 7

Gameday Variation:

  • Good days: Gameday Winner (2x)
  • Bad days: Rank 12-15 (5x)
  • Average days: Rank 4-8 (5x)

Result: Inconsistent but exciting to watch

❓ FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: Why did I lose Elo points even though I won?

A: Elo and League Ranking are separate!

  • Elo: Measures expected vs actual performance
  • League Ranking: Based on Win% (did you win or not?)
  • Gameday Winner: Best performance today

For league ranking: Win = +1 to wins (helps Win%)

Q: I won the Gameday but I'm still ranked low in the season. Why?

A: Gameday Winner and Season Ranking are completely separate!

Gameday Winner:

  • Best performance TODAY
  • Resets every gameday
  • Instant gratification

Season Ranking:

  • Best performance over ENTIRE season
  • Cumulative over all gamedays
  • Requires consistency

Think of it like:

  • Gameday = Winning a stage in Tour de France
  • Season = Winning the overall Tour de France

You can win stages without winning the tour!

Q: Can I win a Gameday even if I play fewer matches than others?

A: Yes! That's why we use Win%.

Example:

  • You: 3 matches, 3-0 = 100% Win → Rank 1 🏆
  • Other player: 4 matches, 3-1 = 75% Win → Rank 2

Win% makes it fair regardless of match count.

Q: Two players have same Win% on gameday. Who wins?

A: Elo Gain is the tiebreaker.

Example:

  • Player A: 75% Win, +8.5 Elo → Rank 1
  • Player B: 75% Win, +6.2 Elo → Rank 2

Higher Elo gain = more dominant wins = better rank

Q: I attend often, but I'm far back in season ranking. Why?

A: The system rates Win%, not attendance.

Comparison:

  • You: 15 days, 60 matches, 55% Win% → Rank 10
  • Anna: 8 days, 32 matches, 75% Win% → Rank 2
  • Anna wins (better Win%)

This is fair: Otherwise part-time players would have no chance.

Q: Does winning Gameday help my season ranking?

A: Indirectly, yes!

Direct Impact:

  • Gameday Winner doesn't add bonus points
  • Doesn't directly change season rank

Indirect Impact:

  • Winning gameday = you won most matches that day
  • Winning matches = improves your season Win%
  • Better Win% = better season rank

So: Play well → win gameday → improve season rank naturally!

Q: Why do I never play with the best/worst players?

A: The system maintains a ±150 Elo spread.

Example:

  • You: 1500 Elo
  • Player A: 1720 Elo (Top)
  • Player B: 1280 Elo (Beginner)

Difference to A: 220 > 150 → no pairing
Difference to B: 220 > 150 → no pairing

You play with: 1350-1650 range (your level)

Advantages:

  • Fair games
  • Top players don't frustrate beginners
  • You learn against similarly strong players

Q: I had 3 matches today, others had 4. Unfair?

A: No! That's why we use Win%.

For Season Ranking:

  • Your season Win% = all your matches
  • 3 vs 4 games doesn't matter over time

For Gameday Winner:

  • We use Win% of the day
  • 3 games, 100% = better than 4 games, 75%
  • Completely fair!

Q: Should I skip game days when I'm not feeling 100%?

A: Depends on your goals!

For Season Ranking:

Bad day: Lowers your overall Win%
Strategy: Skip if really off your game
But: Need minimum 7 days to qualify

For Gameday Winner:

Bad day: Just won't win that day
Strategy: Play anyway, fresh start next time
Benefit: More practice = improvement

Our advice: Play! It's about fun and improvement.

Q: Can I see my Gameday Winner history?

A: Yes! Check each finished gameday.

Where to find:

  • Go to past gamedays
  • Click on a finished gameday
  • See "Gameday Winner" section
  • Your rank is shown there

Track your progress:

  • How many gamedays won?
  • Average gameday rank?
  • Improvement over time?

Q: What's more important: Gameday Winner or Season Rank?

A: Season Rank is the main championship.

Priority:

  1. Season Ranking = Overall Champion
  2. Gameday Winner = Daily Achievement

Think of it like:

  • Season = Winning the League
  • Gameday = Winning Match of the Week

Both are great, but season title is the ultimate goal!

🎓 Summary for All Players

What You Need to Know:

  1. Win Percentage Is King (Season)

    • Most important metric for season ranking
    • Higher Win% = Higher Season Rank
    • Simple and transparent

  2. Gameday Winner Is Daily Fun

    • Best performance each gameday
    • Separate from season ranking
    • Fresh competition every time
    • Everyone has a chance

  3. Performance > Attendance

    • Season: 7 great days > 15 mediocre days
    • Gameday: Win% today matters
    • Quality of play determines success

  4. Every Match Counts

    • All matches contribute to season Win%
    • All matches contribute to gameday Win%
    • No "throwaway" games

  5. Pairing is Fair

    • ±150 Elo spread → suitable opponents
    • New partners/opponents preferred
    • Power Pairing prevents unfair teams

  6. Two Ways to Win

    • Season Champion = Best overall (Win%)
    • Gameday Winner = Best single day
    • Both are achievements to celebrate!

  7. Each Season is Fresh

    • Global Elo remains (for skill matching)
    • Season Win% resets
    • Gameday Winners start fresh each day
    • New chance for everyone!

📊 Quick Reference

Season Ranking:

PRIMARY METRIC:
Win% = (Wins / Total Matches) × 100

RANKING ORDER:
1. Qualified Status (≥7 game days)
2. Win Percentage (descending)
3. Total Wins (descending)
4. Global Elo (descending)

Gameday Winner:

PRIMARY METRIC:
Gameday Win% = Wins Today / Matches Today × 100

RANKING ORDER:
1. Win% of the Day (descending)
2. Elo Gain of the Day (descending)
3. Total Wins of the Day (descending)
4. Global Elo (descending)

Simple. Clear. Fair. Fun!

📞 Questions or Feedback?

For any questions or suggestions about the league system, talk to your league admin!

Good luck in the season! 🏆

And remember: Every gameday is a new chance to be the daily champion! 🏅