arXiv subjects

Lawrence Feldman

Publications and source records attributed to Lawrence Feldman.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Comparing Powerwise (PWR) and the NCAA Power Index (NPI): Advising the NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse Committee

This memo compares two methods, Powerwise (PWR) and the NCAA Power Index (NPI), that aim to rank NCAA Division I, II, and III teams on the basis of deservedness of an invite to end-of-season championship tournaments. It find that while the NPI might be a fit for sports like hockey, it falls short of the PWR method for use in ranking team sports that regularly feature somewhat wider margins of victory, including football, basketball, and lacrosse. In comparing the methods, this memo highlights differences in i) accuracy; ii) procedural integrity; iii) objectivity; iv) reproducibility; v) simplicity; and vi) stability; before drawing conclusions.

stat.AP↗

arXiv2025

Technical Overview of Safe3Step (S3S): Power Ratings and quality wins for selecting at-large teams to the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship

This document describes a system for selecting teams to the NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse Championship Tournament called "Safe3Step" (S3S) that was developed in conversation with the NCAA Lacrosse Selection Criteria and Ranking Committee (SCR) with the objective of improving on the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). S3S employs three steps that: 1) evaluate the strength of each team based on score data, 2) award S3S points to each team based on the quality of its wins and losses, ranking teams accordingly, and 3) examine each pair of teams with adjacent rankings, swapping ranks if the lower-ranked team has a better head-to-head record against the higher-ranked team. Safe3Step is not entirely new, but it improves on other "quality win" methods by using Power Ratings to identify team strengths, respecting head-to-head records, and adhering to standards of simplicity, transparency, and objectivity. Empirical analysis is left to future work.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2025

Introducing Powerwise (PWR): A pairwise and Power Rating method for selecting at-large teams to the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship

This document describes a new system for selecting teams for the NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse championship tournament called "Powerwise" that was developed in discussions with the NCAA Lacrosse Selection Criteria and Ranking Committee (SCR). The method is simple, employing hierarchical pairwise comparisons that emphasize on-field performance in head-to-head and common opponent matchups, and a simple Massey/Colley/Sagarin-like statistic called the Power Rating (PR) when on-field results are not conclusive. Power Ratings are based on margin of victory and implicitly account for strength of schedule. Powerwise addresses the complexities of team selection in a way that both coaches and fans can understand while improving the fairness, objectivity, and overall quality of the selection process.

stat.AP↗