Ronde Suisse software incorporates a ranking system based on the ELO formula, enabling players’ ranks to be dynamically tracked and updated throughout the tournament.
What is the ELO system?
The ELO system is a rating system that calculates the relative strength of players in competitive games. Originally developed for chess, it has been adapted for many sports and games.
Basic principle
- Each player has an initial rank (for example: 1000, 1200, 1600).
- After each match, the rank is updated according to the result.
- Beating a stronger opponent earns more points
- Losing to a weaker opponent means losing more points
How to activate the ELO system
1. Set initial player ranks
First mandatory step: Assign initial ranks to your players in Participants.
How to define the initial rank :
- Go to Participants
- For each player, enter a value in the “Rank” field
- If you leave the field empty, the default value will be 0.
Attribution strategies :
- Known ranks: If you know the level of the players, use their actual ranks.
- Estimate: base your estimate on past performance and experience
- Equal ranks: For a discovery tournament, give everyone the same rank (e.g. 1200).
2. Add “Rank” ranking criterion
- Go to Settings → Rating criteria
- Click on “Add a criterion
- Select “Rank” from the list
- The criterion will appear in your list of ranking criteria, and you can move it to give it more or less priority.
3. Set automatic rank update after each round
Click on the “Rank” criterion to open its parameters:
- Update the rank after each round with the ELO formula:
- If enabled: Ranks are automatically recalculated after each round
- If disabled: Ranks remain fixed throughout the tournament
Setting the ELO formula
When automatic update is enabled, you can adjust the calculation parameters:
Available parameters
- K (K factor): Controls the amplitude of changes
- Default value: 20
- The higher the K, the greater the rank changes
- Recommended: 10-40
- Scale: Sensitivity factor to rank differences
- Default value: 400
- Determines the extent to which a difference in rank influences the expected result
- Recommended: 200-600
- Base: Logarithmic base for probability calculation
- Default value: 10
- Influence the probability curve
- Generally maintained at 10
Other options
- Add game score to ELO rank:
- If activated: Match score (goals, points) added to new ELO rank
- Apply to first round:
- If enabled: Ranks influence matching from the first round
- If disabled: First round ignores initial ranks and remains random
Effects on the tournament
- Rank becomes a ranking criterion in its own right
- Priority according to defined criteria
- Rank history visible for each player
- Display of variations (+/-) between revolutions
Advantages of the ELO system
- Fairness: proportional reward according to opponent’s strength
- Motivation: Visible, measurable progress
- Balanced pairings: Tighter, more interesting matches
- Longitudinal tracking: Player development over several tournaments
The ELO system considerably enriches the tournament experience by adding a strategic and progressive dimension to participants’ rankings.