Rankings Madness

Noticed that Top Drawer is now ranking teams, anyone know what they use, or how they do it?
If I'm correct, we now have GotSoccer, NSR, Mathman, USA Rank and Top Drawer.
GotSoccer has a new method, but tournemnt points isn't the best way to rank.
Mathamn has a good method, but is limited to girls
NSR, I don't know
USA Rank uses a method simialr to mathman, which is based on actual competition. The downside is that teams must register and record their own results.

Re: Rankings Madness

Soccerincollege is another system. Ithas just announced a partnership with US Club Soccer (which just terminated its relationship with Gotsoccer). Got soccer's version of the termination was that Gotsoccer felt the points given pursuant to the agreement were too high. Not sure what the other side is.

This all casts a bit of a pall on the whole ranking thing - that's for sure.

Re: Rankings Madness

soccer in college uses USA Rank

Re: Rankings Madness

Beyond jumping off points for discussion or foolish boastfulness, the only real value for these ranking systems is as a tool for the acceptance and seeding of tournaments. In that regard, Gotsoccer is way ahead of the others as their scheduling connection to most tournaments also assures that the Gotsoccer rankings will have the greatest impact on the tournaments. All of them have their weaknesses but I believe that the mathman offers the most comprehensive and fair approach. The new Gotsoccer method is much improved over the old method. Everything with Topdrawer reaks of complete subjectiveness and dependent upon their hand-picked (and basically anonymous) evaluators. Topdrawer does offer the best public interest stories and I think the rest of their stuff is just filler and revenue enhancers.

Re: Rankings Madness

Topdrawer soccer is in the midst of revising their top 100 recruits, boys and girls, 2009 and 2010. They post an additional 10 each day starting from 100 backwards. It is a list they choose using their own criteria and scouts so one could say that the list itself is suspect (just like Soccer buzz for the girls). Still one would hope for some representation on the lists for Massachusetts boys and girls.

They've got 51-100 posted and there's not a single boy from Massachusetts included. Presumably a couple of those discussed on the commitments thread will make it in at the top of the list, but it is disappointing not to see a better showing. Surely Caldwell will make the list.

On the girls' side there are several Massachusetts girls listed (Dakin, Manoogian, Vettori, McCarthy - who does all hr playing in CT) and there will likely be more towards the top of the list (Mewis, etc.)

Is boys' soccer in Massachusetts that far behind the rest of the country or is it our girls' soccer is just further advanced? Or is it a little of both? Maybe we should be happy with two players total on each list?

Re: Rankings Madness

Top Drawer has a midwest bias on the boys side

Re: Rankings Madness

Yes I've heard they have a Texas bias on the girls side too. Of course the rest of the country has a CA bias.