TEAM RANKINGS
For team rankings, the College Squash Association utilizes a combination of manual and computerized ranking systems.
- Preseason: CSA varsity coaches vote to determine the ranking of all varsity teams.
- Manual Rankings (November – January): The CSA Rankings Committee manually ranks all varsity teams, as well as club programs once they have played a minimum of three official matches.
- Computerized Rankings (January – End of Season): The College Squash Association will rank teams that have played at least three matches utilizing the ELO ranking methodology. If appropriate, the Ranking Committee may adjust a non-varsity team’s ranking position.
The ELO ranking methodology is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of teams in competitor-versus-competitor situations. A team with the most points is ranked highest.
If any number of teams are tied, the following methodology is used to break the tie:
- Head-to-head competition: If teams have played more than once, the most recent result will be used
- Highest ranked win within 5 ranking positions either up or down
- Overall team match score in highest ranked win if best win is common
- Home vs. Away in highest ranked win, with an away win breaking the tie
- Highest number of individual games won against highest ranked common win
- If teams are still tied: Apply criteria (1-5) to remaining 5 best wins until ties are resolved
VARSITY PROXIMITY MATCHES
Each season, a varsity team should play the two varsity teams above them and the two varsity teams below them in final team rankings of the prior season (referred to as “Proximity Matches”). Proximity Matches should be played during the regular season and should not be played during conference championships or post-season play.
For example, if a varsity team is ranked 10th in the final ranking of the season, the closest varsity teams ahead of them were ranked 7th and 9th, and the closest varsity teams below them were ranked 11th and 12th, the next season they should play those four teams.
If a varsity team does not have two opponents on either side of the rankings, they should play four varsity opponents in immediate proximity in the final team rankings of the prior season. For example, the top-ranked varsity team should play the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ranked teams, while the 2nd ranked team should play the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ranked teams.
If matches are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances (weather, national emergency, etc.) every effort needs to be made reschedule the match. The affected teams should contact the CSA with the date of the rescheduled match within 48 hours of the cancellation.
Club teams should strive to abide by this rule.
ELIGIBLE/RECOGNIZED TEAMS
One team per school is eligible for CSA membership and ranking. If a school has both a varsity and a club team, only the varsity squad is the officially recognized team and may represent the school in CSA sanctioned events. The club team may play exhibition matches against CSA member teams; however, the results will not count as a CSA recognized match and the match will not count towards the CSA member schools’ match minimum for entry into the Men’s National Team Championships or the Women’s National Team Championships. The match will not count for rankings.
In addition, teams may only be composed of players from the same school. A team composed of players from multiple schools is ineligible to compete in official CSA matches.
MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS PER TEAM
For a regular season match to officially count for ranking purposes, each team must play at least seven players. Matches with fewer than seven players per team will not count towards the required number of matches for entry into the National Team Championships.
For any match involving a varsity team, the match score will be best of nine matches. For example, if varsity Team A has nine players and club Team B has 8 players, Team A automatically wins one match.
TEAM RANKING PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
The CSA will publish rankings throughout the season (Mid-November through March):
- Manual Rankings will be published biweekly.
- ELO rankings will begin January 23, 2017 and continue until the beginning of the National Team Championships.
SEASON ENDING TEAM RANKINGS
The results of the National Team Championships will determine the final team rankings of the season. Failure to compete in the National Team Championships will result in a team’s removal from the final team rankings of the season.
SCORE ENTRY TIMELINE
The home team is responsible for entering match results online on the same day as the match was played. For matches or tournament/round robin events at a neutral site, the winning team is responsible for submitting the scores.
Coaches are strongly encouraged to have their teams play as competitive a schedule as possible to help improve the accuracy of the rankings.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Individual rankings are generally based on an ELO ranking model. This model is based on a player’s individual results from their team’s matches.
Men’s and women’s individual rankings will be published on a periodic basis.
The results for the Individual Championships will determine the season ending individual rankings. Unless a waiver is granted by the CSA, a player must compete in the Individual Championships to receive an end of the season ranking.
RANKING APPEALS
With the exception of pre-championship team and individual rankings, coaches may not appeal rankings.
Coaches may only appeal prior to Team and Individual Championships for extraordinary circumstances, such as an error in a match result that prevented the ELO formula from evaluating the team or player properly. Opinion-based appeals will not be considered.
