If you have ever looked at the WFTDA ranking algorithm, you might have felt like you accidentally walked into a maths test instead of a roller derby tournament. Even as a semi-casual fan and skater, it’s easy to wonder: Does it really need to be this mathematically complicated?

Short answer? Yes.

But the good news is that the complexity isn’t there just to give us a headache. It exists to solve a massive logistical problem. Unlike the Premier League, Roller Derby teams don’t play a set schedule against a predictable rotation of opponents.

Because it’s an amateur, self-funded sport, teams build their own schedules based on their travel budgets/team restrictions. One team might play 15 international games a year, while another plays 4 local games. You can’t rank these two teams using a simple win/loss record because they are essentially playing two entirely different seasons.

To solve this, WFTDA calculates how well a team played (the score ratio) multiplied by how hard their opponent was to play against (their current Ranking Score, or GPA).

So, notebooks out…your baseline formula for any single game looks like this:

Your Game Points = (Opponent’s Ranking Score) x (Your Points / Their Points)

To see how this maths completely changes the strategy of the game, let’s look at the actual results from Saturday’s massive matchups at West Track Story 11 in Nantes.

*All figures except for today’s final scores are unofficial and are examples.

Scenario 1: Tight Upset (Nantes vs. London)

This game was a highly anticipated showdown. Because #5 London (approx. 256 GPA) and #6 Nantes (approx. 245 GPA) are so closely ranked, the maths predicted a tight, competitive game. And these teams delivered. Nantes fought hard and secured a thrilling 140-131 upset victory.

Here is how the maths looks for that game:

Nantes’s Game Points: London’s GPA (256) x Score Ratio (140/131 = 1.07) = 274 points

London’s Game Points: Nantes’s GPA (245) x Score Ratio (131/140 = 0.94) = 230 points

Takeaway: Because Nantes won a tight game against a slightly stronger opponent, they earned a game score of 274, which is significantly higher than their current 245 average. This upset will mathematically pull their ranking up!

Scenario 2: Quality Loss (Nantes vs. Rainy City)

Later in the day, Nantes had a much tougher assignment taking on the UK Giant, #2 Rainy City (approx. 449 GPA). Rainy City won comfortably, 183 to 86. But what does this mean for Nantes’s ranking? It entirely depends on how they lost.

Takeaway: Earning 211 points is a slight dip from Nantes’s 245 average, but it is not a disaster. Fighting for those 86 points on the track saved them from the absolute ranking free-fall that a 75 point blowout game would have caused. A quality loss against the #2 team is mathematically much safer than giving up and getting steamrolled.

A Loophole? Protecting Your Rank or a ‘Strategic Opt-Out’

Now that you see how risky the maths can be, you might be wondering: what happens if a team just refuses to play sanctioned games to protect their spot? In WFTDA tournaments, a higher ranking equals better seeding, a more favourable bracket, and potentially a coveted first-round bye.

If you already sit near the top, playing a highly competitive game where you might underperform carries a massive mathematical risk. To navigate this, teams will sometimes choose to play unsanctioned games. Look at the massive clashes today between #1 Toulouse (approx. 453 GPA) and both #5 London and #2 Rainy City.

These games were not officially sanctioned. We don’t know exactly which team requested to keep the WFTDA calculators turned off, but looking at today’s final scores shows us exactly what was mathematically on the line for Toulouse:

Massive Missed Boost (Toulouse vs. London)

Toulouse absolutely dismantled London, winning 191 to 74.

Maths: London’s GPA (256) x Score Ratio (191/74 = 2.58) = 660 Game Points

Takeaway: 660 points is a mammoth score. If this game had been sanctioned, it would have massively boosted Toulouse’s overall average. By playing unsanctioned, they missed out on a huge ranking reward.

Dodged Bullet (Toulouse vs. Rainy City)

Later, Toulouse played a nail-biter against Rainy City and lost, 142 to 157.

Maths: Rainy City’s GPA (449) x Score Ratio (142/157 = 0.90) = 404 Game Points

Takeaway: For a #1 team with a high 453 GPA, averaging a 404 point game into their season record could actually drag their overall score down. By playing unsanctioned, Toulouse successfully protected their ranking from taking a mathematical hit.

If it was Toulouse who opted out of the sanctioning, they essentially took out an insurance policy. Missing out on the mathematical reward of crushing London, but protecting themselves from the penalty of losing to Rainy City. They still got all the high-level practice ahead June, but on paper, it’s like today never happened.

Why It Makes the Sport Better

This mathematical risk is the exact reason rankings are so volatile, and why teams will call timeouts and spurious official reviews to fight tooth-and-nail for a single point in one more jam of a game they are already losing (or already winning by a landslide). The maths forces teams to play their hardest from the first whistle to the last, making it a relentlessly exciting sport to watch. But you already know that…

Don’t Miss Super Sunday!

West Track Story 11 (Nantes): Keep your eyes glued to Nantes’ Youtube channel for the stream. Free! Thank you Nantes! If you click now, it’ll notify you when they go live. First game 10am (CET).

(UK folks – it’s an all English affair at 9am our time with London v Rainy)

Antwerp Triple Header: Antwerp is also blessing us with a free live stream over on Twitch. Click Here. First game 10am (CET).

Because it is a free broadcast, make sure to keep your expectations for production value in check. It’s going to be raw, volunteer-powered derby stream energy, but regardless of the camera angles, you definitely don’t want to miss this.

Choices will have to be made. Or multi-screen. Show us your Super Sunday Set Up.

Looking Ahead to Euro Champs

As for how all this maths will translate into the actual bracket for the upcoming European Championships? The truth is, we don’t quite know yet. WFTDA hasn’t released the official tournament structure for Euro Champs, meaning we’re still waiting to see exactly how these rankings will dictate seeding, matchups, and those all-important byes. But don’t worry, as soon as the format drops, we’ll be right here to break it all down for you.

*All figures are unofficial and are purely to illustrate the maths. Please see the official data from the WFTDA here. Including their Live Rankings (Beta).

Instagram: @euroderbynews

Hit follow for live score reactions, upset alerts, and on-the-ground updates from both Nantes and Antwerp as the maths unfolds in real-time.

Subscribe here: Make sure you are subscribed so you always get your Euro Derby News delivered direct to your inbox.