In Ratings School - Leagues vs. Tournaments - Part 1, we broke down the common misconception that rounds played during a PDGA League generate lower round ratings when compared to rounds on the same course during a PDGA Tournament. In Part 2 we'll be looking at average league vs tournament round ratings for players over a longer period of time that includes more than just a single course comparison. Several higher rated players have suggested that the PDGA split the Player Ratings system into two separate entities: League Ratings and Tournament Ratings.

This is something we support and plan on implementing in the years ahead, but let's first take a look at why we hear this suggestion more from higher rated players. As usual, the data doesn't lie. 

The table below contains stats from the first three years of PDGA Leagues (2012-2014) plus data from a handful of league rounds that were played in early 2015. There's quite a bit of information incorporated, so here is a quick backstory. Using 1700 players that competed in at least two rated tournament rounds and two rated league rounds, we calculated the straight averages of each player's respective tournament round ratings and league ratings, separately.

The column headers across the top categorize players by how often they play in rated rounds, ranging from very active competitors on the left that played at least 10 rated rounds of each (Tour. 10+, League 10+) down to the less active players on the right that played in less than 10 rated rounds of each (Tour 2-9, League 2-9). 

Leagues vs Tournaments - Player Ratings Details

The players were also grouped into five rating categories from the Gold to Green skill level. For each combination, the difference was calculated between each player's tournament average round ratings and their league average round ratings. Those averages were then averaged again within each cell. A negative rating points difference means that the group associated had better round ratings during tournaments. A positive ratings points difference means that the group associated had better round ratings during leagues. Each cell also shows the specific count of how many players did better in tournaments (T) and how many did better in leagues (L).

So, what does this all mean? The table below shows the same data from the table above in a different way, one that leads to a simple conclusion; the lower the Player Rating, the more likely it is that the player will earn better ratings during league rounds compared to tournament rounds. However, the average difference is less than one throw (assuming a typical situation where each throw is worth roughly 10 ratings points). On the flip side, the highest rated players average slightly lower rounds ratings at leagues compared to tournaments, but their average difference is even less impactful at essentially what equates to 1/3 of a single throw.

Leagues vs Tournaments - Player Ratings Details

To be fair, we're only showing averages here. The data includes some players that play up to 50 points better in leagues and some that play up to 50 points better in tournaments. That's to be expected in the same way that it should be expected to see some players averaging up to five throws better on one course compared to another.

Please note that the weighted overall average difference for all 1701 players in this analysis is +0.2 (lower right corner), meaning that all players included in this study averaged virtually the same total ratings in leagues as they did in tournaments. This confirms the fundamental principle of our ratings system; that the sum of propagators Ratings being used in a round rating calculation should be equal to or very close to equal to the sum of the round ratings they receive for the round. 

What's Your Player Rating Risk at Leagues?

The clear progression shown on the right side of the table above, where higher rated players tend to earn slightly fewer points in leagues than tournaments might be troublesome for players rated over 975. Yes, it's true. Slightly more than half of these higher rated players do earn slightly lower ratings in leagues. But it's not as widespread due to the fact that many players rated over 975 actually earn better ratings in leagues. In our study, the split was pretty close to 50/50, where 44% of the Gold players actually earned better average ratings at leagues than tournaments.

Some of the factors working against higher rated players in leagues are as follows:

• Some leagues use low SSA courses leaving top players, especially locals, with little room to shoot much lower than they already do.
• Higher rated players appear to have a smaller gap between their tournament performances vs their league performances compared to lower rated players that may be stressed more by tournament pressure.
• Lower rated local players may know the course better than higher rated non-local players. Does the term "local route" sound familiar?

One solution to reduce the concern would be to separate league ratings from tournament ratings. As stated earlier, the PDGA intends to make this a reality in the years to come, but there is currently no specific timetable set. The best advice we have for higher rated players that are considering league play is to give it a try and see if it works for you. For everyone else, you're likely to earn the same ratings and in many cases, better ratings in leagues.

For more information on PDGA Player Ratings please visit:

• Ratings School - Leagues vs Tournaments - Part 1
• PDGA Player & Course Rating System
• Ratings FAQ

*Story by Chuck Kennedy #4949, PDGA Consultant and Ratings Committee Chair. Edited by Matt Gregoire #28647, PDGA Media Manager.