How ratings work

Bowls Rating uses a strength-based rating model for Weekend Premier sides. Ratings update after eligible matches based on the match result and the strength of the opposition. Player profiles summarise available match history and do not currently carry an individual Bowls Rating score.

1. 1

   Built from publicly available pennant results

   Bowls Rating processes publicly available BowlsLink Weekend Metro match records. BowlsLink is the public source; Bowls Rating is independently developed and is not a direct or official Bowls Victoria data feed.

2. 2

   Which matches are rated

   Premier ratings use Weekend Premier regular-season matches with a usable completed result and valid overall scores. Finals, other divisions, byes, incomplete fixtures and matches without usable scores do not enter the rating model — even when those matches still appear in Results or profiles.

3. 3

   Strength of opposition matters

   Each side’s rating change depends on the result and how expected that result was given both sides’ current ratings. Beating a stronger-rated side has a larger impact than beating a weaker-rated side; an upset moves ratings more than a predictable outcome.

4. 4

   How a result updates a rating

   Updates use the overall match result — win, loss or draw from each side’s total shots. In the current model, winning margin, home or away venue and how many games a side has already played do not change the size of the update.

5. 5

   What a rating means

   Every Premier side starts at 1500. Ratings rise after wins and fall after losses, and they carry forward across the seasons currently covered rather than resetting each year. The number is mainly useful relative to other rated Premier sides and through its movement over time — it is not an official ladder position.

6. 6

   Ratings are independent

   Bowls Rating’s Premier ratings are an independent analytical model and are not published by Bowls Victoria. They are not official rankings or representative selection lists. The separate Official Ladders section independently reconstructs competition standings from publicly available match results and applicable competition rules. BowlsLink remains the official source of record.

Player profiles are descriptive. They summarise available appearances, positions, results, teammates and rink combinations; they do not currently assign an individual Bowls Rating score.