WPRS Formula Change #2 | Free Flyers Union

Discipline

PG and HG XC

What do we want ?

To reward winners and top places more in WPRS.
Today the difference in WPRS points between the winner of a comp and the second placed is almost the same as the difference between the 30th and the 31th. This does not happen in any other sport I can think of.
Being in the top spots of a comp is not easy, so they should be rewarded more.

How do we achieve that ?

One idea: Add % of own WPRS points to top finishers. My initial proposal would be 10% more for 1st place; 5% more to second place, 3% more to third place, 2% more to fourth place and 1% more to fifth place. The rest remain unchanged.

This is a quite modest change from the actual status quo. If after using for one year we feel we can enhance it, then percentages could go higher.

Issue category :

WPRS

ranking

Comments

PWCA Board

CIVL Delegate

By eduardosanchezgranel on Wed, 22 Oct 2025 - 05:22

This change is independent of Kuba Sto´s proposal acceptance or not.
It can be applied to actual WPRS and it can be applied to Kuba Sto´s proposal as well.

Organiser

CIVL Delegate

By brettjanaway on Wed, 22 Oct 2025 - 10:30

I agree with the issue you raise, but I would propose a different solution.

At the moment I perceive there is a bigger problem in the points distribution in, say, PWC events and SRS events. By way of example, consider this:

1/ Currently the winners points are calculated according to the quality of pilots attending. This works fine. 90 points for a PWC is right. 70 points for an SRS is right. 40 points for a smaller event is right.

2/ 0.1 point for the person that comes last is also correct.

3/ My problem is that the points between are linear. This is not fair. They should be based on the event results in some way. So if the winner of a PWC has 3,000 points and you come 20th with 2,900 points, you are almost as good as the winner. But in an SRS event, probably the 20th person has half the points and skill of the winner. I therefore believe the WPRS score should be based on a curve according to the results in the event. A curve, so it has averaging still, rather than a direct percentage. In that, a fixed percentage could also be forced for 1st, 2nd, 3rd. So, winning is worth at least 2% more than 2nd, but 4th downwards is more in line with the overall score.

The above will devalue the result of many of the Sports pilots at Sports events and will enhance results at PWC's. But winners will still get the same predicted reward for winning, regardless of the event format.

You must also recognise that giving too large a reward for the winner could have a negative affect on safety.

PWCA Board

CIVL Delegate

By eduardosanchezgranel on Wed, 22 Oct 2025 - 14:30

Hi Brett

In regards to point 1/, I am not totally in agreement with that. I think WPRS does not work really well. It does not give points according to the quality of the event for many reasons, but that is a way bigger discussion, and I do not intend to insist on that. So just to clarify but moving on to the next.

Most ranking points in other sports are based on final positions, no matter the difference. I understand your point, and I see some logic behind it, but I am not sure it is the best way to go. Just think of two comps with exactly the same pilots. First comp has perfect weather, all racing tasks, big gaggles arriving to goal like bee swarms, and logically very few points difference in all those tasks. Second comp with more tricky weather, some challenging tasks with few pilots in goal, or tasks that get really slow at the end. Points difference in these tasks will be much higher so final scores will probably reflect higher differences. But these two comps should award the same WPRS points in my view

Winning by few points require an extra edge by a pilot, so that is why I think he should get a much higher boost in WPRS

I cannot see a negative aspect in safety in all this. You mean that a pilot will risk more because of a higher WPRS prize ?
Pilots will risk the same just to win the comp. Pilots want to win comps. No pilot is thinking of WPRS when making a move in a task, but yes he is thinking of winning the task or the comp (regardless of WPRS points distribution)