In 2020 FIVB introduces reforms in world ranking system: every set will count
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This year in May, the BOA tested a new World Ranking system, along with the current system, in order to reach a more transparent and fair way of ranking senior national teams.
In short, the new system will rely on a points-based approach that counts all scores and which will be consistently updated to reflect the latest results and performance, and the opponent’s strength will be considered in collecting points.
Since the FIVB came to the conclusion that testing was successful, the new World Ranking system will be implemented on February 1, 2020, and will take into account all results that national teams achieved starting from January 1, 2019. However, the current rankings (as of January 31, 2020) will be applied for determining pools at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The new World Ranking system will take into account the match results from these competitions: Olympic Games and Qualification, World Championships and Qualification, Volleyball Nations League, Challenger Cup, World Cup, continental championships and Qualification, and international events recognized by the FIVB (including annual continental competitions with a minimum of 4 participating teams).
So, how will this exactly work? The FIVB will implement the algorithm that will calculate the probabilities of all six outcomes of the match (will include scores of both teams overall and head-to-head scores) and compare the actual result of the match with the expected results that were previously calculated.
A team that exceeds expectations will get World Ranking points, and a team that underperforms will lose World Ranking points.
All in all, every team that wins a match will get World Ranking points, but inactive teams will lose points each year and might be even removed from the World Rankins as an ultimate punishment.