FIVB Senior World Rankings

Ranking Procedure

It is based on the zero-sum system, like CONCACAF Ranking Index or FIFA World ranking, where, after each game, points will be added to or subtracted from a team's rating according to the formula:^[8]

${\displaystyle S_{\text{after}}=S_{\text{before}}+{K(R-E) \over 8}}$

where:

• ${\displaystyle S_{\text{after}}}$ – the team's number of World Ranking scores after the game
• ${\displaystyle S_{\text{before}}}$ – the team's number of World Ranking scores before the game
• ${\displaystyle K}$ – the match weight factor; see below
• ${\displaystyle R}$ – the result of the game depended on match and sets won (3–0, 3–1, 3–2, 2–3, 1–3 or 0–3); see below
• ${\displaystyle E}$ – the expected result of the game has the value between -2 and +2. If the match is completely balanced, the expected result is 0. The bigger the surprise, the more points are transferred; see below for calculation details.

A key principle of the world ranking is that a team winning a match cannot lose ranking points and a team losing a match cannot gain ranking points.^[9] Hence, if a team wins a match but the result is lower than expected, with ${\displaystyle R<E}$, the team will be rewarded with the minimum ranking points (0.01), i.e.

${\displaystyle S_{\text{after}}=S_{\text{before}}+0.01}$

The team that lost the match will instead lose the minimum ranking points (0.01), i.e.

${\displaystyle S_{\text{after}}=S_{\text{before}}-0.01}$

Match weight factor

The match weight factor is set to reflect the prestige of the tournament. In 2025, FIVB changed the match weight factors for some events and introduced ranking points for events organized by zonal associations.^[10] In 2026, the match weight factor for zonal events was reduced.^[11]

More information Match weight factor ...

Event	Match weight factor ${\displaystyle (K)}$
	2019–2024[6]	2025[7]	2026–[12]
Annual Official Zonal Events	–	30.0	20.0
Annual Official Continental Events	10.0	30.0	30.0
Continental Championship qualifying	17.5	–	–
FIVB Challenger Cup	20.0	–	–
Olympic Games qualifying / FIVB World Cup[B]	35.0	–	–
Continental Championship	35.0	40.0	40.0
FIVB Nations League	40.0	40.0	40.0
FIVB World Championship/Cup[A]	45.0	50.0	50.0
Olympic Games	50.0	50.0	50.0

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Match result

More information We set the result ...

We set the result ${\displaystyle R=R_{n}}$, where ${\displaystyle n}$ is the index of the actual result (set score) ${\displaystyle n=1}$ – A win 3–0 ${\displaystyle n=2}$ – A win 3–1 ${\displaystyle n=3}$ – A win 3–2 ${\displaystyle n=4}$ – A lose 2–3 ${\displaystyle n=5}$ – A lose 1–3 ${\displaystyle n=6}$ – A lose 0–3

Match Result ${\displaystyle R_{n}}$ ${\displaystyle P_{n}}$ A win 3–0 +2 ${\displaystyle P{\text{1}}}$ A win 3–1 +1.5 ${\displaystyle P{\text{2}}}$ A win 3–2 +1 ${\displaystyle P{\text{3}}}$ A lose 2–3 -1 ${\displaystyle P{\text{4}}}$ A lose 1–3 -1.5 ${\displaystyle P{\text{5}}}$ A lose 0–3 -2 ${\displaystyle P{\text{6}}}$

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Expected match result

The expected results is then calculated as ${\displaystyle E=R_{1}P_{1}+R_{2}P_{2}+R_{3}P_{3}+R_{4}P_{4}+R_{5}P_{5}+R_{6}P_{6}}$ where ${\displaystyle P_{n}}$ is the probability of the outcome ${\displaystyle R_{n}}$ obtained using the following model (known as Ordered probit):

Team A win 3–0

${\displaystyle P_{\text{1}}=\Phi (C_{\text{1}}+\Delta )}$

Team A win 3–1

${\displaystyle P_{\text{2}}=\Phi (C_{\text{2}}+\Delta )-\Phi (C_{\text{1}}+\Delta )}$

Team A win 3–2

${\displaystyle P_{\text{3}}=\Phi (C_{\text{3}}+\Delta )-\Phi (C_{\text{2}}+\Delta )}$

Team A lose 2–3

${\displaystyle P_{\text{4}}=\Phi (C_{\text{4}}+\Delta )-\Phi (C_{\text{3}}+\Delta )}$

Team A lose 1–3

${\displaystyle P_{\text{5}}=\Phi (C_{\text{5}}+\Delta )-\Phi (C_{\text{4}}+\Delta )}$

Team A lose 0–3

${\displaystyle P_{\text{6}}=1-\Phi (C_{\text{5}}+\Delta )}$

where ${\displaystyle \Phi (z)}$ is the Cumulative distribution function of the Normal distribution, and ${\displaystyle C_{1},\ldots ,C_{5}}$ are the cut-points

• ${\displaystyle C_{1}=-1.06}$
• ${\displaystyle C_{2}=-0.394}$
• ${\displaystyle C_{3}=0}$
• ${\displaystyle C_{4}=0.394}$
• ${\displaystyle C_{5}=1.06}$

set so that ${\displaystyle P_{n}}$ is the probability of the outcome ${\displaystyle n}$ between two equal strength opponents (that is when ${\displaystyle \Delta =0}$), which is derived from the actual match results of the past decade.

The parameter ${\displaystyle \Delta }$ represents the scaled difference of the teams rankings

${\displaystyle \Delta ={8(S_{\text{teamA}}-S_{\text{teamB}}) \over 1000}}$

where:

• ${\displaystyle S_{\text{teamA}}}$ – the team A's number of World Ranking scores before the game
• ${\displaystyle S_{\text{teamB}}}$ – the team B's number of World Ranking scores before the game

Examples

Before the match at the FIVB Volleyball World Championship (K = 50), Brazil (Team A) is ranked number 1 with a 415 WR score and Japan (Team B) is ranked number 11 with a 192 WR score.^[9]

Strength difference between Brazil and Japan

${\displaystyle \Delta ={8(415-192) \over 1000}=1.784}$

Expected match result

• ${\displaystyle P_{1}=\Phi (-1.060+1.784)}$
• ${\displaystyle P_{2}=\Phi (-0.364+1.784)-\Phi (-1.060+1.784)}$
• ${\displaystyle P_{3}=\Phi (0.000+1.784)-\Phi (-0.364+1.784)}$
• ${\displaystyle P_{4}=\Phi (0.364+1.784)-\Phi (0.000+1.784)}$
• ${\displaystyle P_{5}=\Phi (1.060+1.784)-\Phi (0.364+1.784)}$
• ${\displaystyle P_{6}=1-\Phi (1.060+1.784)}$

Expected match result for Brazil:

${\displaystyle E=76.5\%(+2)+15.2\%(+1.5)+4.5\%(+1)+2.2\%(-1)+1.2\%(-1.5)+0.2\%(-2)=+1.76}$

Expected match result for Japan:

${\displaystyle E=0.2\%(+2)+1.2\%(+1.5)+2.2\%(+1)+4.5\%(-1)+15.2\%(-1.5)+76.5\%(-2)=-1.76}$

Inactive teams

Previously, inactive teams would lose 50 ranking points, but the inactivity sanction was removed in February 2026.^[11] Until 2025, teams were considered inactive after one year without participating in competitions eligible for ranking points. In April 2025, this was extended to two years.^[10]

Between 2020 and 2025, new teams with no match history entered the official ranking list with 50 ranking points when they played their first match eligible for ranking points (the original 100 points all teams received in 2019 minus the 50 points inactivity penalty).^[7] From 2026, new teams with no match history enter the ranking list with 0 ranking points.^[12]