IBAF World Rankings
Encyclopedia
The IBAF World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in baseball
, currently led by Cuba. The teams of the member nations of IBAF (International Baseball Federation), baseball's world governing body, are ranked based on their tournament results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. A point system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of IBAF-recognized international tournaments. Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team's performance over the last four years, with major international tournaments awarded a higher weighting compared to minor international and continental tournaments.
The ranks were most recently reissued after the 2010 Asia Baseball Cup
, with the fourth edition of the rankings issued in June, 2010. The rankings will be updated following every event that qualifies for ranking points.
and 'AA' (Under 16) Youth Championships
held during the tracking period.
and the 2009 Baseball World Cup
, they still have a sufficient points lead over World Champions United States
and World Classic champions Japan
to maintain first position when the ranks were recalculated after both tournaments.
's decision to cut baseball from the 2012 Olympics program, the IBAF has pushed the growth of women's baseball as to include a women's component in its bid for a reinstatement of the sport in future Olympics.
The initial Women's World Rankings are based upon results from past Women's Baseball World Cup
s. While the calculations to the women's rankings are similar to that of the men's, one main difference is that they will be inclusive of the three most recent IBAF Women's Baseball World Cups where as the men's rankings only include the last two. Points will then be weighted to the most recent results.
for cricket
, that is based on both individual matches and the results of series, or the FIFA World Rankings
for association football, that is based solely on individual matches.
Points are awarded according to the following table:
- If more than 32 teams compete, points are only awarded to the first 32 teams. (i.e. the spread is from 5th - 31st, Last gets 1 point.)
The points awarded after 4th place are spread evenly in an attempt to ensure balance between tournaments with different-sized fields: finishing 6th out of 20 teams is considered to be a higher accomplishment than finishing 6th out of 8 teams. Given that points are not fixed beyond 4th place, a calculation is used to determine how many points are awarded to each position. The calculation gives the difference between any two consecutive positions from 4th through to last (e.g. 4th and 5th, 7th and 8th, 21st and 22nd, etc.). The calculation is:
This is illustrated in the following table:
After the points have been determined, a multiplier is used to weight the points according to the relative importance of different tournaments. The weightings are:
- If a tournament is "won" via forfeit, the 0.25× multiplier is used automatically.
After each tournament where ranking points are awarded, the IBAF re-releases the ranking list with the points from the most recent tournament added, and points from tournaments more than four years old removed.
have won the most tournaments in that time, including 6 intercontinental championships. Chinese Taipei
has hosted the most tournaments, while the Netherlands
hosted one tournament every year. The next tournament to be removed from the ranking system will be the 2006 COPABE Continental Championship
, which was the first tournament held in .
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, currently led by Cuba. The teams of the member nations of IBAF (International Baseball Federation), baseball's world governing body, are ranked based on their tournament results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. A point system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of IBAF-recognized international tournaments. Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team's performance over the last four years, with major international tournaments awarded a higher weighting compared to minor international and continental tournaments.
The ranks were most recently reissued after the 2010 Asia Baseball Cup
2010 Asia Baseball Cup
The 2010 Asia Baseball Cup was held in the city of Islamabad, Pakistan, from May 19 to May 24, 2010. The tournament acted as a qualifier for the 2010 Asian Games.-Format and participation:...
, with the fourth edition of the rankings issued in June, 2010. The rankings will be updated following every event that qualifies for ranking points.
History
In January 2009, the IBAF first published a listing in rank order of its member associations to provide a basis for comparison of the relative strengths of these teams. Though primarily focused on the respective men's senior teams of member nations, the current ranks also include points awarded based on results at the IBAF 'AAA' (Under 18) JuniorWorld Junior Baseball Championship
The IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States...
and 'AA' (Under 16) Youth Championships
World Youth Baseball Championship
The IBAF AA World Youth Championships is an under-16 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1989 in Japan...
held during the tracking period.
Rank leaders
When the system was introduced, Cuba debuted as the top ranked team. Though they failed to win the 2009 World Baseball Classic2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
and the 2009 Baseball World Cup
2009 Baseball World Cup
The 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country...
, they still have a sufficient points lead over World Champions United States
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
and World Classic champions Japan
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
to maintain first position when the ranks were recalculated after both tournaments.
Women's rankings
In the wake of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
's decision to cut baseball from the 2012 Olympics program, the IBAF has pushed the growth of women's baseball as to include a women's component in its bid for a reinstatement of the sport in future Olympics.
The initial Women's World Rankings are based upon results from past Women's Baseball World Cup
Women's Baseball World Cup
The Women's Baseball World Cup is an international tournament in which national women's baseball teams from around the world compete. It is sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation...
s. While the calculations to the women's rankings are similar to that of the men's, one main difference is that they will be inclusive of the three most recent IBAF Women's Baseball World Cups where as the men's rankings only include the last two. Points will then be weighted to the most recent results.
Calculation method
Under the current system used, points are awarded to member nations based purely on their final position in recognised international tournaments. This is opposed to other international sports ranking systems such as the ICC Test ChampionshipICC Test Championship
The ICC Test Championship is an international competition run by the International Cricket Council in the sport of cricket for the 10 teams that play Test cricket...
for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, that is based on both individual matches and the results of series, or the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
for association football, that is based solely on individual matches.
Points are awarded according to the following table:
| Final position | Points awarded |
|---|---|
| 1st | 50 |
| 2nd | 40 |
| 3rd | 30 |
| 4th | 15 |
| 5th - 2nd-last | Spread evenly between 15 & 1 |
| Last | 1 |
- If more than 32 teams compete, points are only awarded to the first 32 teams. (i.e. the spread is from 5th - 31st, Last gets 1 point.)
The points awarded after 4th place are spread evenly in an attempt to ensure balance between tournaments with different-sized fields: finishing 6th out of 20 teams is considered to be a higher accomplishment than finishing 6th out of 8 teams. Given that points are not fixed beyond 4th place, a calculation is used to determine how many points are awarded to each position. The calculation gives the difference between any two consecutive positions from 4th through to last (e.g. 4th and 5th, 7th and 8th, 21st and 22nd, etc.). The calculation is:
This is illustrated in the following table:
| Number of teams | Points difference | 4th | 5th | 2nd-Last | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 1 | |
| 8 | 3 1/2 | 11 1/2 | 4 1/2 | ||
| 12 | 1 3/4 | 13 1/4 | 2 1/4 | ||
| 16 | 1 1/7 | 13 6/7 | 2 1/7 | ||
| 32 | 1/2 | 14 1/2 | 1 1/2 | ||
After the points have been determined, a multiplier is used to weight the points according to the relative importance of different tournaments. The weightings are:
- 4.00× - Major World Championships (which currently includes the Baseball World Cup, World Baseball ClassicWorld Baseball ClassicThe World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, and Olympic GamesBaseball at the Summer OlympicsBaseball at the Summer Olympics had its unofficial debut at the 1904 Summer Games and its official sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Baseball has a long history as an exhibition/demonstration sport in the Olympics. However, for 1992 Barcelona the International Olympic Committee granted the sport...
) - 1.00× - Minor World Championships (which currently includes the Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (baseball)The Intercontinental Cup is a baseball tournament between the members of the International Baseball Federation . It was first held in 1973 in Italy, and was held every other year following until 1999....
, 'AAA' World Junior ChampionshipsWorld Junior Baseball ChampionshipThe IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States...
, 'AA' World Youth ChampionshipsWorld Youth Baseball ChampionshipThe IBAF AA World Youth Championships is an under-16 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1989 in Japan...
, FISU World University ChampionshipsWorld University Baseball ChampionshipThe World University Baseball Championship is an under-23 international college baseball competition sponsored by the International University Sports Federation and sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 2002 in Italy...
, and Haarlem Baseball WeekHaarlem Baseball WeekThe Haarlemse Honkbalweek is an international invitation baseball tournament at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands...
) - 1.00× - World Qualifying Tournaments, with three or more continents (which currently includes the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament)
- 1.00× - Continental Championships/Qualifying Tournaments, where 3 or more competing teams are in the previous year-end top 10
- 0.75× - Continental Championships/Qualifying Tournaments, where 2 competing teams are in the previous year-end top 10
- 0.50× - Continental Championships/Qualifying Tournaments, where 1 competing team is in the previous year-end top 10
- 0.25× - Continental Championships/Qualifying Tournaments, where no competing teams are in the previous year-end top 10
- If a tournament is "won" via forfeit, the 0.25× multiplier is used automatically.
After each tournament where ranking points are awarded, the IBAF re-releases the ranking list with the points from the most recent tournament added, and points from tournaments more than four years old removed.
Events
The rankings are currently based on 35 different tournaments held in the last four years. Teams from the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have won the most tournaments in that time, including 6 intercontinental championships. Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
has hosted the most tournaments, while the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
hosted one tournament every year. The next tournament to be removed from the ranking system will be the 2006 COPABE Continental Championship
Pan American Baseball Confederation
The Pan American Baseball Confederation , is the governing body of baseball within the Americas.-Members:-Rankings:...
, which was the first tournament held in .
| Event | Final host | Point values weighting | Number of participating teams | Team with most points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COPABE Continental Championship Pan American Baseball Confederation The Pan American Baseball Confederation , is the governing body of baseball within the Americas.-Members:-Rankings:... |
N/A | Continental (1x points) | 8 teams | |
| World Baseball Classic 2006 World Baseball Classic ---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:... |
Major World (4x points) | 16 teams | ||
| Central American & Caribbean Games 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games The 20th edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games was held in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. The tournament began on July 15 and ended on July 30.-Host City:*Main**Cartagena de Indias*Other host cities... |
Continental (0.75x points) | 10 teams | ||
| Qualifier 2007 European Baseball Championship 2007 European Baseball Championship - Qualification The qualification for the 2007 European Baseball Championship was held from July 25–29, 2006 in Russia and August 1–5, 2006 in Belgium. 16 nations contested to qualify for 2 spots available among the 10 other sides already qualified. In the end, 3 teams qualified for the 2007 competition, because... |
N/A | Continental (0.25x points) | 16 teams | |
| Haarlem Baseball Week 2006 Haarlem Baseball Week The 2006 Haarlem Baseball Week was an international baseball competition held at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, the Netherlands from July 21–30, 2006... |
Minor World (1x points) | 6 teams | ||
| World Junior Baseball Championship | Minor World (1x points) | 12 teams | ||
| World University Baseball Championship | Minor World (1x points) | 11 teams | ||
| Intercontinental Cup 2006 Intercontinental Cup (baseball) The 2006 IBAF Intercontinental Cup was held in Taichung, Taiwan from November 9 through the 19th. Eight countries contested the tournament, which was played in two different venues. Those venues were Taichung Baseball Field and the newly-built Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium... |
Minor World (1x points) | 8 teams | ||
| Asian Games Baseball at the 2006 Asian Games Baseball was one of the many sports which was held at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar beginning on November 29, 2006. Six East and Southeast Asian nations participated in the tournament. Chinese Taipei won its first ever baseball gold medal in the Asian Games when they mounted a ninth inning... |
Continental (1x points) | 6 teams | ||
| ABSA Continental Championship African Baseball & Softball Association The African Baseball and Softball Association , is the governing body of baseball and softball within Africa. As of June 2011, there are 24 members.The confederation is responsible for operation of Baseball at the All-Africa Games.-Members:... |
Continental (0.25x points) | 6 teams | ||
| BCO Continental Championship Baseball Confederation of Oceania The Baseball Confederation of Oceania is the governing body of baseball within Oceania, and is responsible for the Oceania Baseball Championship.The Baseball Confederation of Oceania was established in 1989, it currently has 15 member nations.... |
Continental (0.25x points) | 2 teams | ||
| Good Luck Beijing Tournament | Minor World (0.50x points) | 4 teams | ||
| Pan American Games Baseball at the 2007 Pan American Games Baseball at the 2007 Pan American Games took place at Cidade do Rock which received temporary facilities for baseball competitions, with a stadium and training fields... |
Continental (1x points) | 8 teams | ||
| World Port Tournament 2007 World Port Tournament The 2007 World Port Tournament was an international baseball competition held at the DOOR Neptunus Familiestadion in Rotterdam, The Netherlands from August 2–12, 2007... |
Minor World (1x points) | 5 teams | ||
| South Pacific Games Baseball at the 2007 South Pacific Games Baseball at the 2007 South Pacific Games was contested by five teams. Palau won the gold medal, New Caledonia won the silver, American Samoa won the bronze... |
Continental (0.25x points) | 5 teams | ||
| European Baseball Championship 2007 European Baseball Championship The 2007 European Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament held from September 7 to 16, between national baseball teams of the Confederation of European Baseball. The tournament was held in Barcelona, Spain and served as the qualifying competition for the 2008 Summer Olympic... |
Continental (0.50x points) | 12 teams | ||
| Baseball World Cup 2007 Baseball World Cup The XXXVII International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup was held in the Republic of China from November 6 through November 18, 2007. Four stadiums hosted... |
Major World (4x points) | 16 teams | ||
| Qualifier 2007 Asian Baseball Championship | Continental (0.25x points) | 4 teams | ||
| Asian Baseball Championship 2007 Asian Baseball Championship The 24th Asian Baseball Championship was contested in Taichung, Taiwan in November and December 2007. The tournament is sanctioned by the Asian Baseball Federation. The winner of the tournament will gain automatic entry into the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing... |
Continental (1x points) | 7 teams | ||
| Southeast Asian Games Baseball at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games Baseball is currently being played at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games. The Philippines national baseball team are the defending gold medalists.The games are held at the Queen Sirikit Sports Center, Pathum Thani Province; the tournament format is a single round-robin, the team with the best record... |
Continental (0.25x points) | 6 teams | ||
| Olympics Final Qualifying Tournament | World Qualifier (1x points) | 8 teams | ||
| Haarlem Baseball Week 2008 Haarlem Baseball Week The 2008 Haarlem Baseball Week was an international baseball competition held at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, the Netherlands from July 4–13, 2008... |
Minor World (1x points) | 6 teams | ||
| Qualifier 2010 European Baseball Championship 2010 European Baseball Championship - Qualification The qualification for the 2010 European Baseball Championship was held from July 7–12, 2008 in Croatia, Czech Republic and Slovakia, and July 9–12, 2008 in Belgium and Portugal. 23 nations contested to qualify for 5 spots available among the 7 other sides already qualified... |
N/A | Continental (0.25x points) | 23 teams | |
| World University Baseball Championship 2008 World University Baseball Championship -Semi finals:-5th place game:-Bronze medal game:-Final:-Final standings:-External links:*... |
Minor World (1x points) | 7 teams | ||
| World Junior Baseball Championship 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship The 2008 World Junior AAA Championship was held in Edmonton, Canada from July 25 through August 3, 2008.-Knockout stage:-Fifth through eighth place:-Final standings:-External links:**... |
Minor World (1x points) | 12 teams | ||
| Summer Olympics Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center... |
Major World (4x points) | 16 teams | ||
| Americas Baseball Cup 2008 Americas Baseball Cup The 2008 America Baseball Cup is being held in the Venezuelan cities of Puerto Ordaz and El Tigre, from September 26 to October 7. The tournament acts as a qualifier for the 2009 World Cup.... |
Continental (0.75x points) | 10 teams | ||
| World Baseball Classic 2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the... |
Major World (4x points) | 16 teams | ||
| Qualifier 2009 Asian Baseball Championship | Continental (0.25x points) | 8 teams | ||
| World Port Tournament 2009 World Port Tournament The 2009 World Port Tournament is an international baseball competition held at the DOOR Neptunus Familiestadion in Rotterdam, The Netherlands from July 2–12, 2009... |
Minor World (1x points) | 4 teams | ||
| Asian Baseball Championship 2009 Asian Baseball Championship The 2009 Asian Baseball Championship is an international baseball competition that was held in Sapporo, Japan from July 27 to August 3, 2009. It was the 25th edition of the tournament and featured teams from China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and... |
Continental (1x points) | 7 teams | ||
| World Youth Baseball Championship 2009 World Youth Baseball Championship The 2009 World Youth Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament scheduled to start on 15 August 2009. It was the 14th time the World Youth Cup has taken place... |
Minor World (1x points) | 12 teams | ||
| Baseball World Cup 2009 Baseball World Cup The 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country... |
Major World (4x points) | 22 teams | ||
| South American Games Baseball at the 2010 South American Games Baseball at the 2010 South American Games in Medellín, Colombia, was held from March 22 to March 27. All games were played at Estadio Atanasio Girardot.-Medalists:-First round:---------Standings:-Final Round:-----See also:... |
Continental (0.5x points) | 4 teams | ||
| Asia Baseball Cup | Continental (0.25x points) | 4 teams | ||