Running a club series with ranking points
A single tournament crowns a winner for a day. A series – a monthly social, a summer circuit, a season of club championships – rewards players who keep turning up and keep performing, and gives everyone a reason to come back next time. The secret of a good series is a points system that players understand and trust. This guide sets one out, with the choices you need to make.
Step 1: give each tournament a rating
Not every event is worth the same. A Tuesday social with eight players shouldn't count as much as the club championships. Give each tournament a rating: the number of points the winner earns.
| Event | Example rating |
|---|---|
| Weekly or monthly social | 500 |
| Club tournament | 1000 |
| Club championships, inter-club open | 2000 |
Keep the scale simple and announce it at the start of the season. If an event turns out much bigger or stronger than expected, it is fair to raise its rating before results are published, but never afterwards.
Step 2: points for every place
A popular and easily explained rule: each place earns a fixed percentage less than the place above it. With a 10% drop and a rating of 1000:
| Place | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 1000 | 900 | 810 | 729 | 656.1 | 590.5 | 531.4 | 478.3 |
Every finisher earns something, so the last-placed player still has a reason to enter, while winning is clearly worth more. A bigger drop (say 20%) favours the top places; a smaller one (5%) rewards participation. In formula form, place p earns rating × (1 − drop)p − 1.
Step 3: shared places split the points
In many formats some places are shared: the two losing semi-finalists of a knockout without a third-place match are both 3rd; four quarter-final losers are all 5th. The fair rule is that tied players share the combined points of the places they cover:
- Two players sharing 3rd cover 3rd and 4th: (810 + 729) ÷ 2 = 769.5 each.
- Four players sharing 5th cover 5th to 8th: (656.1 + 590.5 + 531.4 + 478.3) ÷ 4 = 564.1 each.
This keeps the total points of every tournament the same however the places are decided. If you prefer fewer shared places, use a format that plays off every place, such as a progressive knockout or a group stage with play-offs.
Step 4: which scores count?
This is the decision that shapes your series most. Compare two players over a ten-event season:
| Events played | Typical result | All scores count | Best 5 count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player A | 8 | 600 points each | 4,800 | 3,000 |
| Player B | 5 | 900 points each | 4,500 | 4,500 |
- All scores count rewards attendance. Good for socials and club nights, where you want people to come every time.
- Best N count (for example best 5 of 10) rewards quality, and lets players miss a few events without being punished. Good for a championship-style ranking.
Many clubs pick a middle road: best 6 or 7 out of 10, so regular players still have an edge but a missed weekend doesn't ruin anyone's season.
Step 5: a set season or a rolling ranking?
- A set season has a start and end date. Points reset next season, and the final ranking crowns a series champion. Best for leagues and circuits with a prize-giving.
- A rolling ranking has no end: only results from, say, the last six months count, and older results drop off automatically. Best for an ongoing club ranking used for seeding, because it always reflects current form.
Combining both ideas works well: the best 10 results in the last six months is a stable, current ranking that is hard to "game" by playing lots of weak events.
Step 6: identify players properly
The most common reason a club ranking goes wrong is not the maths but the names: "Ann Smith", "A. Smith" and "Annie Smith" become three players, each with a third of the points. Give every player a player ID when they first sign up – a membership number works well – and enter it every time they play. Please don't use South African ID numbers or other personal identifiers: they aren't needed, and keeping them would bring obligations under POPIA. Show names, not IDs, on public ranking pages.
Ties in the ranking
Decide in advance how equal totals are separated. Common choices are the best single result, then the number of wins, then the most recent result. Players with exactly equal totals can also simply share a ranking position.
Publish it where players will look
A ranking that is updated a week late on a notice board loses most of its effect. Players should see the new ranking the evening of the event, ideally on their phones, and be able to tap their own name to see which results count. That transparency answers most "why am I below…?" questions before they're asked.
Run it with our series rankings
Our free series rankings do all of the above: set a default rating and drop per place, choose a set season or a rolling period, and how many scores count. Tournament managers link their events with a join code, players are matched by player ID, and the final placings flow in automatically when the last match of each tournament is played. The public ranking updates by itself, and anyone can tap a player to see their results.