This is the first time FIH has launched rankings.
FIH Launches First Official Hockey World Ranking System
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) launched its first official World Ranking System today.
**The ranking system determines the pool composition of major FIH and Continental Federation events and their qualifiers. In future further comparisons of relative strengths of international active countries will be published at regular intervals, at the end of each set of related events (e.g. Olympic Games; World Cups; Champions Trophies and Challenges; Continental championships).
The methodology for the calculation of world rankings is based upon final rankings of countries’ teams at Olympic Games, FIH world level events, Continental Championships, and all qualifying events for these tournaments.** Separate rankings are made for men and women and the points for Continental Federation events will be weighted to reflect the varying standards/participation that currently exist between the five Continental Federations.
The ranking system reflects both current and past performances. However, results from the past will be progressively less weighted year by year (25% discount per year over a 4-year cycle) until they are deleted from the calculations.
The system ensures that, as far as rankings are concerned, success at a single tournament, even the Olympic Games or World Cup, will not be sufficient to make up for poor form in the preceding 3-4 years, and vice versa. It is intended that the ranking system will truly reflect a team’s performance over a 4-year cycle.
MEN’S World Hockey Rankings
Rank Team Points
1st Germany 1928
2nd Netherlands 1805
3rd Australia 1800
4th Korea 1448
5th Pakistan 1390
6th India 1224
7th Argentina 1068
8th England 1008
9th Spain 851
10th Malaysia 793
11th New Zealand 690
12th Japan 525
13th South Africa 478
14th Belgium 455
15th Canada 450
16th Egypt 431
17th Poland 413
18th Cuba 375
19th France 375
20th Scotland 300
WOMEN’S World Hockey Rankings
Rank Team Points
1st Argentina 1854
2nd Netherlands 1778
3rd Australia 1691
4th China 1635
5th England 1183
6th Korea 1073
7th Spain 1058
8th Germany 1025
9th New Zealand 946
10th United States 738
11th Japan 730
12th South Africa 649
13th India 493
14th Ireland 410
15th Ukraine 405
16th Scotland 400
17th Russia 330
18th Uruguay 304
19th France 293
20th Canada 223
FIH Hon Secretary General, Peter Cohen, commented, “The introduction of the FIH World Ranking System is a positive step to contribute to hockey’s profile and a credit to the FIH Events and Competitions Committee. The FIH World Ranking is not as complex as some systems used by other sports, because it was decided, when specifically applied to hockey, the rankings would be more accurate if focussed on performances at major tournaments. Our sport will undoubtedly benefit from the addition of these statistics, plus the qualification for major tournaments will be more logical, transparent and therefore easier to understand.”
A full explanation of the FIH World Rankings can be found in the Events/Results section on www.FIHockey.org and further discussion of the system will appear in the November issue of World Hockey Online magazine.