Points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc … needing a change?

IRF smallest logoWhen racing Sprint, Head to Head, Slalom and Downriver the points distribution is weighted quite heavily to the top three teams, with the winning team getting the giants share. It has been proposed to reduce that distribution so that the overall points will be closer and make the overall title more exciting.

This is what it is at the moment:

1st place – 100%, 2nd place – 88%, 3rd place – 79%, 4th place – 72%,  5th to 18th place – less 3% each place, 19th to 32nd place – less 2% for each place. (32nd place will therefore receive 2% of points.)

So for Sprint the distribution is: 1st = 100; 2nd = 88, 3rd = 79, 4th = 72, 5th = 69, etc. And for Downriver the distribution is: 1st = 400, 2nd = 352, 3rd = 316, 4th = 288, 5th = 276, etc.

Often the champions are declared even before the final event of Downriver! Reducing the points for the first places will bring the competition closer. Plus the present system is quite complicated to remember.

Here are some proposed options:

  1. Take maximum points x 2%. So for the 100 point Sprint = 2 point spread. 1st = 100, 2nd = 98, 3rd = 96, 4 = 94, 5th = 92, etc.
    For the 400 point DR: 8 point spread. 1st = 400, 2nd = 392, 3rd=284, 4 = 376, 5th = 370, etc.
    Easy to remember, fair, simple to create a universal formula for it in a spreadsheet: =SUM(previous cell – (maximum points * 2%))
  2. 5% difference instead of 2% as above
  3. The winner gets 100%, 2nd 90%, 3rd 82% 4th 75% and the rest following get 5% difference.
  4. Adopt the point system from a sport like FIS (World cup skiing)
    FIS system:
    Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
    Points 100 80 60 50 45 40 36 32 29 26 24 22 20 18 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

What do you think? Put your thoughts up on our Forum so we can all see and discuss!!!