Abstract:
This paper explores the impact of structural change in tournament design on probabilities of winning in the FIVB World Tour in beach volleyball. Specifically, it examines the 2017 modification that reduced the number of games played by each team in the round-robin (pool) stage from three to two. This shift moved from a traditional round-robin format, where each of the four teams played against all the other teams for a total of three games, to a format where the initial games are played between the highest-ranked team against the lowest and the second-highest against the third. In the subsequent round, winners face winners, and losers face losers. By analyzing 2114 games, we find that the decrease in the number of games in a pool does not significantly affect the probability of a favourite team winning a single game, nor does it affect the final rankings in the pool for both genders. These findings underscore the effectiveness of the new format in maintaining competitive integrity and equity, offering valuable insights for the organization of sports tournaments.
You can see the list of seminars here: https://www.himolde.no/english/research/events-articles-and-news/events/brown-bag-seminars/index.html