Glicko vs Elo Rating in Padel — Which is Better?
Rating systems for padel vary across apps. Here's how Glicko-2 (used by Smash.) compares to traditional Elo.
Feature
Glicko
Elo Padel
Rating deviation (RD)
Yes — tracks confidence interval; new players have high RD
No — single number only
Volatility
Yes — accounts for inconsistent performance
No
Accuracy for new players
Faster convergence — high RD means larger updates
Slow — same K-factor regardless of match history
Doubles support
Can model team contributions
Typically applied to individuals in singles
Complexity
More complex to compute but more accurate
Simple — easier to explain
Used by Smash.
Yes — Glicko-2
No
Player transparency
Rating shown with confidence band
Single clean number
The verdict
Glicko-2 is more accurate than Elo for padel because it accounts for rating uncertainty (you haven't played in 3 months = less reliable rating) and volatility (inconsistent performance). Elo is simpler to communicate. Smash. uses Glicko-2 internally and surfaces the rating as a single number for ease of use.
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