Ranking Methodology

These rankings are generated by this app for informational and entertainment purposes only. They are not official NABBA rankings and are not sanctioned by, affiliated with, or endorsed by NABBA.

What These Rankings Are

The Unofficial App Rankings are calculated entirely from published NABBA Championships results. Every band that has placed in an Overall category within the ranking window receives points. The rankings reflect competitive performance over time, with more recent results weighted more heavily.

The Formula

Total Points = Σ( Placement × Section Weight × Decay )

Placement

Points for finishing position

Section Weight

Higher sections count more

Decay

Placement Points

Base points awarded for each finishing position. The scale drops off steeply — 1st place earns 100 points while 6th earns just 13.2.

1st

100

2nd

66.6

3rd

44.4

4th

29.6

5th

19.8

6th

13.2

7th

8.8

8th

5.8

9th

10th

2.6

Placements beyond 10th receive a minimum of 2 points.

Section Weights

Results from higher sections carry more weight. The current settings use a strict cascade: winning a section earns the same points as placing 6th in the section above.

Tier	Weight	1st Place Worth	Sections
championship	1.000000	100.0000	Elite, Championship
first	0.132000	13.2000	First, Honors
second	0.017420	1.7420	Second, Challenge
third	0.002300	0.2300	Third, Explorer
open	0.000304	0.0304	Open
youth	0.000304	0.0304	Youth, Youth Open, Youth First, Youth Championship

What Each Result Is Actually Worth

Effective points for 1st through 3rd place in each section (current year, no decay):

Time Decay

More recent results count more. Points are multiplied by 0.5 for each year back. Results older than 10 years are excluded.

100.0%

Now

50.0%

-1yr

25.0%

-2yr

12.5%

-3yr

6.3%

-4yr

3.1%

-5yr

1.6%

-6yr

0.8%

Worked Example

A band places 1st in Championship this year and 3rd in Championship last year:

ResultPlace PtsWeightDecayPoints

This year, 1st Champ1001.00001.0000100.0000

Last year, 3rd Champ44.41.00000.500022.2000

Total122.2000 pts

Now compare: what if the band placed 1st in First Section instead of Championship?

1st First Section, this year: 100 × 0.132000 × 1.0 = 13.2000 pts

6th Championship, this year: 13.2 × 1.000000 × 1.0 = 13.2000 pts

Winning First Section earns approximately the same as placing 6th in Championship.

Current Parameters

The parameters above reflect v6, published April 12, 2026. Rankings are recalculated whenever new results are published or parameters are adjusted. Each version is tracked and preserved.

View Current Rankings