TOC Bid Ranking System
This ranking system measures what a debater actually accomplished and how difficult the tournament was.
It is grounded entirely in the structure of elimination brackets and the meaning of TOC bid tiers.
The Core Principle
Each elimination round you advance is approximately twice as hard as the previous one.
This is because single-elimination brackets naturally become harder as weaker teams are eliminated and the remaining field becomes stronger on average.
This structural reality allows performance to be modeled mathematically.
Two Objective Inputs
Every result is scored using only two measurable facts:
- Placement depth — how many elimination rounds you survived.
- Bid tier — how strong the tournament field is, as indicated by the TOC bid level.
No subjective weighting. No prestige judgments. Just bracket structure.
Placement Points (Depth of Elimination Run)
Let w be the number of elimination wins achieved in bid‑relevant rounds.
| Placement | Elim Wins (w) | Points = 2^w |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost Bid | 0 | 1 |
| Octos | 1 | 2 |
| Quarters | 2 | 4 |
| Semis | 3 | 8 |
| 2nd | 4 | 16 |
| 1st | 5 | 32 |
Interpretation:
Every additional elim win is worth as much as all previous wins combined.
Tournament Difficulty (Bid Tier)
Let d be the bid tier index.
| Bid Level | d | Multiplier = 2^d |
|---|---|---|
| Finals-bid | 0 | 1 |
| Semis-bid | 1 | 2 |
| Quarters-bid | 2 | 4 |
| Octos-bid | 3 | 8 |
Interpretation:
Each higher bid tier represents a significantly stronger national field, so its weight doubles at each step.
Final Score Formula
Score = 2^(w + d)
Rankings are therefore determined by a single integer achievement level (w + d), expressed exponentially so major accomplishments clearly separate.
Example Equivalence
- 1st at Finals-bid = 32
- Quarters at Octos-bid = 32
These are treated as equivalent achievements.
Matrix of Meaningful Outcomes
Finals-bid (×1)
- Ghost (Semis ghost): 1
- 2nd: 16
- 1st: 32
Semis-bid (×2)
- Ghost (Quarters ghost): 2
- Semis: 16
- 2nd: 32
- 1st: 64
Quarters-bid (×4)
- Ghost (Octos ghost): 4
- Quarters: 16
- Semis: 32
- 2nd: 64
- 1st: 128
Octos-bid (×8)
- Ghost (Doubles ghost): 8
- Octos: 16
- Quarters: 32
- Semis: 64
- 2nd: 128
- 1st: 256
Why This System Works
- Based only on bracket structure and bid tiers
- Produces intuitive, defensible comparisons
- Rewards deep runs at elite tournaments appropriately
- Transparent and easy to explain to competitors and coaches