Topic: Handicapping Techniques

[Joel]

One of the problems I am running into is finding out a good way to handicap monthly tournaments at my work. There is getting to be a bigger gap between the good players and the weaker players. One idea I suggested was to do a Hi-Low DYP event, where we group everyone into a top half or bottom half. However, that didn't go over well because the people in the middle would argue over which bucket they were placed in (obviously, everyone in the middle wanted to be in the Low bucket). I also thought about doing 3 groups (Hi-Mid-Low) but we only have 12 - 14 people per tournament and the teams would likely be very similar each month.

Other than a Hi-Low event, what are some practical ways for us to use handicapping for a tournament? I was thinking it would be nice to start some kind of rating system and then spot the lower rated teams some points for each game but I can't think of a good/fair way of going about this. Any ideas? Are they any existing algorithms for computing a handicap from such a rating system?

Thanks,
Joel

[WillD92]

If you use netfoos for your tournaments it has an ELO calculator built in.

[pinalyzer]

If you handicap too much, then it is hard to keep the better players so either way you could lose players.

I like the true hi/low format.  The format you describe is more of a pro/am draw and it has some of the same problems.  A top player could draw the best of the lower ranked players and dominate.

The true Hi/low takes the best player and matches them up with the lowest ranked player. The second best player then is teamed up with the 2nd lowest player.

Another event is to have an event with just the lower ranked players.

You will have to do some sort of ranking system and the confidence in the netfoos rankings is fairly good.  It seems screwy sometimes, but the players seem to have confidence in it and if one week a player says that they are not ranked poorly or highly as they think they or someone else should be you simply let them know that the rating system will solve that over time.

Everybody wants or needs to play players better than them (to get better and test where they are and have to be), players worse than them to gain confidence and players at the same level to test stress.

I hope this helps,
John aka pinalyzer

[gitablok]

Another idea might be a pick your partner tourney where depending on size, the last one or two or even three teams formed get the point spot. That way even the guys who get picked last have a chance. This format is usually pretty fun.

[wildcard]

Another idea might be a pick your partner tourney where depending on size, the last one or two or even three teams formed get the point spot. That way even the guys who get picked last have a chance. This format is usually pretty fun.

good idea ^^^^^

[Joel]

Thanks for all the ideas. We've been using NetFoos for quite awhile and now that I have the ELO ratings I'd really like to find algorithm to compute a points handicap for each match. For instance, if team A has a total rating of 2200 and team B has a total rating of 1600, then team B gets spotted 2 goals. Has anyone ever done something like this? Maybe something like (total difference) / 300 and rounded to the nearest whole number, capped at 3.

The true Hi-Low format and even the Pro-Am DYP format did not go over well with all the players since we generally only have like 12 - 14 people and teams would be quite similar each month.

As for the points handicaps, I'm thinking the most a team would be spotted would be 3 goals. But another idea would be to let the underdog team always get the serve throughout the match (deadballs, points scored, new games, etc) with the only exception being rule violations. Another idea would be to let them serve the ball by placing it on their offensive 3-bar. Or conversely, make the higher ranked team serve the ball by starting in the goalie area.

Also, this probably wouldn't help much but another way to help out a lower-rated team would be to enforce a 2-goal victory for the higher ranked team (capped at but only a 1-goal victory for the lower ranked team.

[Nosorog]

Hey Joel, if your top players are much better at offensive you could tell them to play defense.  I know you like playing front, but this could help your overall game.  Keep up the good work down there,

Einer   

 

[foozkillah]

forcing the higher ranked player to play nets is a standard event.  It's called designated doubles.  

a more balanced format that forces teams to play together is roto-foosball.  The only switches between forward and goalkeeper are allowed during a game when that team scores a point.  And they cannot switch during a timeout, either.  This does two things: it prevents a strong forward dominating and staying up front on a groove, because every time his/her team scores, they HAVE to switch.  And if a strong forward gets stuck in back and his/her team is unable to score points to switch back to better position, that team gets stuck back in their disadvantaged positions, and they have to learn to play those positions better and play together well enough to get the switch back.

[Nosorog]

Thanks for the designated doubles info, never knew what it meant.

[PGA_Fooser]

Joel,

Post this same question on the NetFoos web site.  Hugh has a mathematical system for handicapping that he uses in the Jacksonville tournaments.  Its a random DYP, but depending on the points level of the teams involved in each match, one might give up every serve, one point per match, one point per game, etc.  He can tell you the math.

We do high / low DYPs with good results in Charlotte.  Players trust the Net Foos points system and the tournament director can always use discretion if new players join who are already strong.  When in doubt between two middle players, always place the better forward in the top side of the DYP.

Designated doubles will tend to frustrate your better players who want play forward.  Instead, the Roto format is a blast.  It creates some team tension when a good forward can't make a block or score from the back in order to get back up front and his partner can't score from the 3 bar either.

One final handicapped system is to limit forwards to one goal per type of shot per game.  One wrist rocket, one pull , one pull kick, one push, one Euro pin, etc.  If they shoot a second one, the ball goes over to the opponents goalie.

Good luck.