#RankingsRedux

#BetweenTheSheets: Rankings Redux

Revisiting the rankings discussion with a tour overhaul?

TwineTime is back in da house....the curling house that is. After enjoying a lengthy break from the sport during the summer months it is time to dust off the old rocks and return to the hack in preparation for another curling season.

Before we slide into the season though, lets revisit a favourite topic of the TwineTime blog: Rankings! If you have been a loyal follower of this blog over the years you have read numerous posts and comments on the current system. During the off-season the World Curling Tour revealed their Order of Merit (OOM) rankings review highlighting some key changes moving forward. ICYMI HERE is the official summary.

The WCT statement reveals four key changes to the OOM but are these changes enough to fix the issue? Perhaps we need to take this a step further and not only rethink the ranking system but maybe a complete tour structure overhaul?

It was almost two years ago to the day when the TwineTime blog delved into the issue in a blog post prior to the 2016/17 season. Need a memory refresher? Take a quick read over HERE.

Don't worry, I will wait for you......

Did you click the link and get caught up?

No really....give it a refresher read.

Welcome back!

Back in 2016 the discussion this blog wanted to bring into the forefront was the idea of how the current rankings system, with multipliers and strength of field and other crazy factors, was doing more of a disservice to the teams on tour and to the fans of the sport. It is still a confusing system. Sure I will say it...Math. Is. Hard! Ok math itself is not hard but when you develop a weird math equation to try and formulate a ranking system, aren't we really just making everything more difficult for ourselves?

Plus why are we reinventing the wheel? There are already numerous ranking models and formulas out there in other sports which would work quite fine and dandy on the curling ice. Sometimes I think sports, all sports not just curling, try so hard to be unique and different when in actuality it is just sport. People competing for their personal passion and for the delight of the fans. It is not brain surgery. It is not directly saving lives. It is entertainment and amusement. Check our egos at the door!

Back in 2016 I proposed adopting a similar ranking structure used in tennis where events on tour would be classified based on prize money awarded and/or number of teams entered. I want to revisit this idea but take the conversation one step further into a more realistic realm of possibility.

Overall there are 25 actual weeks of competition within the tour calendar. All tour events would be divided up into categories:

• Grand Slam
• Tour Final
• Special Events
• Tour 1000
• Tour 500
• Tour 250

With 25 weeks of actual competition and possible point allocation, a teams ranking would be based on the total points accrued in their participation of these events. To level the field a bit lets say teams can only add points to a max of their 15 best results on tour. If a team plays 17 events, their two lowest results would not count. If a team chooses to play only 11 events, they better have strong results and play a few of the big events to keep up.

Now lets eliminate these weird ranking numbers filled with decimal placings and strange calculations. Under the #TwineTime format, here is how rankings points would be distributed:

Grand Slam
Winner - 2000
Final - 1200
SF - 720
QF - 360

Tour Final
Winner - +500 (1500 max)
Final - +400 (1000 max)
Each RR W - 200 (600 max)

Special Events
Winner - 750
Final - 450
SF - 340
QF - 135
Wins - 12 points per W with a max of 48

Tour 1000
Winner - 1000
Final - 600
SF - 360
QF - 180
Wins - 15 points per W with a max of 60 (for fields with 24 teams or more only)

Tour 500
Winner - 500
Final - 300
SF - 180
QF - 90
Wins - 10 points per W with a max of 40 (for fields with 24 teams or more only)

Tour 250
Winner - 250
Final - 150
SF - 90
QF - 45
Wins - 5 points per W with a max of 20 (for fields with 24 teams or more only)

In the above formula we want to ensure teams can still earn some points even in they fail to qualify. As we know, some teams will have the unlucky run of losing A, B and C qualifiers and would then go home with nothing, which seems unfair. Under the format above teams can still accumulate some points for winning games but with a max allowance if they do fail to qualify. There is a small amendment though to the points for wins allocation. The field of play must be 24 teams entered or more. If a field is 20 or 16 or less, no points would be awarded for picking up wins. In a 16-team field, as an example, with 8 qualifiers a team entered already has a 50% chance of picking up the big points so the extra win incentive should not be in play. We are not operating under a "Millennial Generation" sports competition model where everyone who shows up gets a medal here folks. You want points, you better work and you better win (or at least play a few spiels with 24+ teams and win a few games at least).

You will also notice no points allocated for wins at the grand slam level. These are the best of the best competing and receiving the greatest advantage in terms of TV time, sponsor opportunities and the possibility of accruing the most points. If you want the points, you MUST qualify. No more of that going 1-3 at a slam and picking up more points than a team who plays the same weekend in a Tour 500 equivalent event and does better. You want to hang with the best and sit on the top, you better play your best to stay with the top!

If we were to employ the TwineTime system, how would the men's and women's tour look? Lets take a look at the tour events for the upcoming 2018/19 season:

MEN

Grand Slam (4)

Masters (Oct. 23 - 28)
National (Dec. 11 - 16)
Canadian Open (Jan. 8 - 13)
Players' Championship (Apr. 9 - 14)

Tour Final (1)

Champions Cup (Apr. 23 - 28)

Special Events (9)

Elite 10 (Sept. 26 - 30)
Pacific-Asia Curling Championships (Nov. 3 - 10)
Tour Challenge Tier I (Nov. 6 - 11)
Tour Challenge Tier II (Nov. 6 - 11)
European Curling Championships (Nov. 16 - 24)
Canada Cup of Curling (Dec. 5 - 9)
World Junior Curling Championships (Feb. 17 - 24)
Tim Horton's Brier (March 2 - 10)
World Men's Curling Championships (March 30 - April 7)

Tour 1000 (9)

Shorty Jenkins Classic (Sept. 13 - 16)
Stu Sells Toronto (Oct. 5 - 8)
Swiss Cup Basel (Oct. 4 - 7)
Canad Inns Men's Classic (Oct. 12 - 15)
Curling Masters Champery (Oct. 18 - 21)
Challenge de Curling de Gatineau (Oct. 18 - 21)
DEKALB Superspiel (Nov. 2 - 5)
Ashley Home Store Curling Classic (Nov. 23 - 26)
Karuizawa International (Dec. 20 - 23)

Tour 500 (12)

Baden Masters (Aug. 24 - 26)
Stu Sells Oakville (Sept. 6 - 9)
College Clean Restoration Curling Classic (Sept. 20 - 23)
Medicine Hat Charity Classic (Oct. 19 - 22)
Huron ReproGraphics Oil Heritage Classic (Oct. 25 - 28)
Mayflower Cash Spiel (Nov. 1 - 4)
Original 16 WCT Bonspiel (Nov. 9 - 11)
Red Deer Curling Classic (Nov. 16 - 19)
Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic (Nov. 15 - 18)
Secker Ross & Perry Eastern Ontario Championship (Nov. 16 - 18)
Challenge Casino de Charlevoix (Nov. 22 - 25)
Perth Masters (Jan. 3 - 6)

Tour 250 (27)

Hokkaido Bank Curling Classic (Aug. 2 - 5)
Icebreaker at The Granite (Aug. 24 - 26)
Oakville Fall Classic (Aug. 30 - Sept. 2)
King Cash Spiel (Sept. 14 - 17)
Mother Club Fall Curling Classic (Sept. 20 - 23)
Avonair Cash Spiel (Sept. 27 - 30)
Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Calssic (Sept. 28 - 30)
Tallinn Mens International Challenger (Sept. 28 - 30)
St. Paul Let's Cure Lupus Cash Spiel (Oct. 5 - 7)
Abbotsford Cashspiel (Oct. 12 - 14)
McKee Homes Fall Curling Classic (Oct. 12- 14)
Stroud Sleeman Cash Spiel (Oct. 11 - 14)
Atkins Curling Supplies Classic (Oct. 12 - 15)
Kamloops Crown of Curlnig (Oct. 26 - 28)
Latvia International Challenger (Oct. 25 - 28)
Kelowna Double Cash (Nov. 2 - 4)
Prague Classic (Nov. 1 - 4)
Grand Prix Bern Inter Curling Challenger (Nov. 2 -4)
The Sunova Spiel (Nov. 23 - 26)
High River Cash (Nov. 23 - 25)
Curl Mesabi Classic (Nov. 30 - Dec. 2)
Brantford Nissam Mens Classic (Nov. 30 - Dec. 2)
WFG Jim Sullivan Curling Classic (Dec. 7 - 9)
Aland International Challenger (Dec. 6 - 9)
Dakota Challenger Spiel (Dec. 14 - 16)
U.S. Open of Curling (Dec. 28 - 31)
Golden Wrench Classic (Jan. 24 - 27)

WOMEN

Grand Slam (4)

Masters (Oct. 23 - 28)
National (Dec. 11 - 16)
Canadian Open (Jan. 8 - 13)
Players' Championship (Apr. 9 - 14)

Tour Final (1)

Champions Cup (Apr. 23 - 28)

Special Events (9)

Elite 10 (Sept. 26 - 30)
Pacific-Asia Curling Championships (Nov. 3 - 10)
Tour Challenge Tier I (Nov. 6 - 11)
Tour Challenge Tier II (Nov. 6 - 11)
European Curling Championships (Nov. 16 - 24)
Canada Cup of Curling (Dec. 5 - 9)
Scotties Tournament of Hearts (Feb. 16 - 24)
World Junior Curling Championships (Feb. 17 - 24)
World Women's Curling Championships (March 16 - 24)

Tour 1000 (6)

Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic (Sept. 27 - 30)
Stockholm Ladies Cup (Oct. 5 - 7)
Autumn Gold Curling Calssic (Oct. 5 - 8)
Canad Inns Women's Classic (Oct. 18 - 21)
DEKALB Superspiel (Nov. 1 - 4)
Karuizawa International (Dec. 20 - 23)

Tour 500 (11)

HDF Insurance Shoot-Out (Sept. 6 - 9)
Stu Sells Oakville (Sept. 6 - 9)
Shorty Jenkins Classic (Sept. 13 - 16)
Colonial Square Ladies Classic (Sept. 14 - 17)
Womens Masters Basel (Oct. 12 - 14)
Paf Masters Tour (Oct. 18 - 21)
Royal LePage Women's Fall Classic (Nov. 1 - 4)
Red Deer Curling Classic (Nov. 16 - 19)
Boundary Ford Curling Classic (Nov. 23 - 26)
Perth Ladies International (Dec. 6 - 9)
International Bernese Ladies Cup (Jan. 10 - 13)

Tour 250 (27)

Hokkaido Bank Curling Classic (Aug. 2 - 5)
Icebreaker at The Granite (Aug. 24 - 26)
Oakville Fall Classic (Aug. 30 - Sept. 2)
King Cash Spiel (Sept. 14 - 17)
Mother Club Fall Curling Classic (Sept. 20 - 23)
Riga International Curling Challenge (Sept. 21 - 23)
Avonair Cash Spiel (Sept. 27 - 30)
Tallinn Ladies International Challenger (Sept. 28 - 30)
Stu Sells Toronto Tankard (Oct. 5 - 8)
St. Paul Let's Cure Lupus Cash Spiel (Oct. 5 - 7)
Abbotsford Cashspiel (Oct. 12 - 14)
Stroud Sleeman Cash Spiel (Oct. 11 - 14)
Atkins Curling Supplies Classic (Oct. 12 - 15)
Medicine Hat Charity Classic (Oct. 19 - 22)
Kamloops Crown of Curlnig (Oct. 26 - 28)
Latvia International Challenger (Oct. 25 - 28)
Gord Carroll Curling Classic (Oct. 26 - 28)
Mayflower Cashspiel (Nov. 1 - 4)
Kelowna Double Cash (Nov. 2 -4)
Crestwood Ladies Fall Classic (Nov. 8 -11)
The Sunova Spiel (Nov. 23 - 26)
Spitfire Arms Cash Spiel (Nov. 23 - 25)
Curl Mesabi Classic (Nov. 30 - Dec. 2)
WFG Jim Sullivan Curling Classic (Dec. 7 - 9)
Dakota Challenger Spiel (Dec. 14 - 16)
U.S. Open of Curling (Dec. 28 - 31)
Gylnhill Ladies International (Jan. 17 - 20)

As you can see there are A LOT of points on the board for teams. But maybe we should add a few extra qualifiers into the mix here. How about:

• The max amount of Tour 1000 events to count towards a teams ranking is 6 for the men and 4 for the women
• The max amount of Special Events a team can accumulate for is 6
• All teams must play a minimum 5 Tour 500 events over the season
• All teams can play as many Tour 250 events as they want but only a max of 8 can count for the team ranking
• Ranking points gained competing in an event are dropped 52 weeks later

The last point is important. We know one of the issues with curling right now is the inconsistent scheduling of events, especially the grand slam events. While a team may play a Tour 1000 event in week 3 last year, the same event may not be played until week 6 this year. Rather than the risk of a team counting a strong Tour 1000 result for over a year, automatically the points are removed from their total 52 weeks later. This does also put a bit of power in the hands of the teams though. If they are smart, they can manipulate their schedule to ensure their Tour 1000 results for this year are added against the removal of a Tour 500 or Tour 250 result from the previous year. Of course, end of the day you still have to qualify in your events to even take home some points so the results on the ice speak the loudest!

Now lets address the elephant on the ice: The Curling World Cup. You may have noticed there is no mention of this elite series above. This is not by error but rather intentional. I will be honest here, I am not sure where the World Cup events would fall on the proposed structure realignment. I think I am more torn because we are not really sure how the pilot initiative is going to go over this year. Teams selected to represent their country were just hand picked and it almost seems a bit unfair to give them the points advantage based on something like a non-transparent membership association selection. If this series does pick up, I can see adjusting the format above with the World Cup having their own category, similar to the Tour Final (Champions Cup) but with a different point structure perhaps. Can we agree we let the initial season of the Curling World Cup not count towards the rankings for the pilot season on the basis it would appear there are still more details to be worked out on the series itself. While I like the idea and do believe it will be successful, the qualification and selection process probably needs to be examined a bit better. Lets meet up again in a year from now and discuss, yes?!?

So what do you think rock heads and stoners? Agree or disagree with the Rankings Redux argument presented above? I think the World Curling Federation is on the right sheet of ice now with the proposed changes for the upcoming season. However I still think the combination of the ranking system combined with an adjustment to the tour schedule can be developed in more detail.

Don't you think seeing a rankings system looking potentially like this:

1. Brad Gushue - 6,580
2. Niklas Edin - 5,450
3. Kevin Koe - 4,850

Looks a lot better than the current system looking like this:

1. Brad Gushue - 521.23
2. Niklas Edin - 496.98
3. Kevin Koe - 360.104

Seriously? Your current ranking ends in a .23 or a .104? This is what we like seeing?

The classification of events is huge, both for the players but also for the event organizing committees. We have seen it numerous times on the tennis tour where an event is able to elevate themselves from a Tour 250 to Tour 500 or even better to Tour 1000. And some events may be quite happy to operate as a Tour 500 or Tour 250 event but at least they have some additional WCF marketing opportunity by classifying themselves. There are many tennis events who capitalize on their classification both in attracting players to compete but also in attracting fans. Smaller events are able to sometimes do more up close and personal fun asides uniting players and fans. Larger events are able to promote themselves as such, which also can attract more teams and fans.

There are HUGE opportunities still being left on the ice one or two sheets over from where we are right now. But in comparison to two years ago, at least I feel we are all talking inside the same arena now!

Share your thoughts in the comment section below or through social media. And #StayTuned for more pre-season blog posts as we prepare for what should be a wild and exciting 2018/19 curling season.