AU2002300286B2 - Method of Awarding Points in A Competition And System Therefor - Google Patents

Description

P100/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Address for service is: John Stallwood John Stallwood WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: Method Of Awarding Points In A Competition And System Therefor Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PR 6675 filed on 27 July 2001 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- "Method Of Awarding Points In A Competition And System Therefor" Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method of awarding points in a competition and a system therefor. The invention has particular, although not exclusive, utility in relation to tipping competitions of ladder-based sports events, such as Australian Rules football (football') and soccer.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Background Art The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge in Australia as at the priority date of the application.

Tipping is a game of chance in which participants predict the outcome of an event, typically a sports event, and are awarded a points reward based on the number of correctly predicted outcomes. The predicted outcome selected by a participant, i.e. the selection of a participant, is commonly referred to as a 'tip'.

Commonly, tipping is for team-based sports events, such as football. Football is a sports game of 16 teams conducted over a season of 22 rounds. Each round each team either has a bye or plays another team at their own ground (a 'home' game), or at the other team's ground (an 'away' game). There are typically 8 games played each round.

-3- Tipping is not limited to football, however, and may be for other team-based sports events such as soccer, rugby, basketball, or baseball and competitions such as the Olympic and Commonwealth games. When tipping for a team-based sports event other than football, the number of teams, the number of rounds in the season, and the number of games played each round varies according to the rules of the team-based sports event.

A home game is considered to be an advantage for a home team for reasons including the greater attendance of supporters for the home team, the home team's familiarity with the ground, and the home team not needing to travel to another ground.

Existing tipping competitions require participants to tip which team will win each game in a given round. When the round's results are known, each participant is awarded 1 point for each correct tip. The point totals of the participants for each round are usually tallied over the season to produce a ladder of participants.

At the end of the season, and sometimes mid-season, awards or prizes are given to the participant at the top and/or bottom of the ladder.

One problem with existing tipping systems is maintaining interest and excitement for participants that are not close to the top of the ladder. As a season progresses, the points difference between the participant at the top of the ladder and those below increases. Also, the form of each team becomes more evident as the season progresses, so it becomes easier to tip the most likely team to win in each game of a round. With each participant potentially receiving 1 point for each game in each round, there is little incentive for participants to choose any but those most likely to win according to form. Thus, it becomes increasingly difficult for participants to make up any points deficit. This leads to a feeling of inconsequence for those participants not close to the top of the ladder.

Some tipping systems attempt to address this problem by introducing a wildcard.

A wildcard may be played once by each participant each season or half-season and doubles the number of points awarded for a correct tip in that round.

Practice has revealed that wildcards do not satisfactorily address this problem, because the person at the top of the ladder also receives a wildcard, and because the points deficit may be greater than the number of extra points a participant may earn using a wildcard.

Disclosure of the Invention This invention seeks to provide a method of awarding points in a competition and a system therefor that provides more interest for participants, by providing rewards that are more commensurate with the risk taken.

Typically, for an event comprising a competitive game between a first team and a second team, there are three possible, or potential, outcomes for the event: the first team will win and the second team will lose; the second team will win and the first team will lose; or the first team will draw with the second team.

Theoretically, if each outcome is equally likely to occur, then the probability of a particular outcome occurring is equal to 1/3.

In reality, each outcome is not equally likely to occur as a consequence of a number of factors including differences in ability between the first team and the second team, whether a team is playing a home game or an away game, the weather conditions for the game and the umpire for the game. The likely occurrence of a particular outcome is therefore equal to a weighted probability determined by taking into account the effect of a number of the factors on the likelihood of a particular event occurring. Throughout the specification, the word "probability" will be understood to include this weighted probability.

Thus, outcomes with a higher probability are considered to be more-probable outcomes, whilst outcomes with a lower probability are considered to be less probable outcomes.

Where there is a plurality of events comprising competitive games between a plurality of teams, each team in the plurality of teams may be ranked in a ranking 11. Feb. 2009 12:43 No. 5279 P. 21 O ladder according to the number of games each team has won. Throughout the 0 0 specification, the term "relative standing" will be understood to refer to the position of a first team in the ranking ladder relative to the position of a second team in the ranking ladder.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, there is provided a system for IN playing a competition in which participants place tips on an outcome for each of a 0 plurality of events, the system comprising a computer means comprising a oprocessing unit and a memory and coupled to a user interface, the memory Chaving a software application stored therein and including a potential points database, whereby the computer means is operable, under control of the Cl application software, to: determine the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip for each outcome of the plurality of events, such that the potential points are higher for a less-probable outcome and lower for a more-probable outcome, and the potential points for each outcome being stored in the potential points database; present to the participants via the user interface a request for a set of tips on the events and to comprise at least one tip on each event; receive tips made by each participant in response to the request and input via the user interface; and award each participant points for each correct tip for each of said events in accordance with the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip of the outcome of each of said events.

Preferably, the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to display the awarded points to each participant via the user interface.

Preferably, the memory further includes a round database for storing data relating to each event of the plurality of events, and a probability database comprising data relating to the probability of the outcomes for each of the plurality of the events, whereby the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to process the data stored in the round database and COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 11. Feb. 2009 12:43 No. 5279 P. 22 6 01\ the probability database to determine the potential points to be awarded a correct 0 o tip for each event.

CPreferably, the plurality of events comprises games in one round from a season of multiple rounds of games between a plurality of teams, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate a cumulative total of points awarded to each participant throughout the season.

VO

00 SPreferably, the outcome comprises whether a team wins, and the probability of Sthe outcome relates to whether a team wins based on its relative standing within N the season against its opponent team, and the computer means is operable, 0 under control of the application software, to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to that probability.

Preferably, when the outcome comprises whether a team draws with its opponent team, both teams are considered to win and the probability of the outcome relates to whether a team wins, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome of whether a team wins based on its relative standing within the season against its opponent team, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to said probability.

Preferably, the outcome comprises whether a team draws with its opponent team and the probability of the outcome relates to whether a team draws, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome relating to whether a team will draw with its opponent team according to the relative standings within the season of each team, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to that probability.

Preferably, the outcome comprises a team's score and the probability of the outcome relates to a team's score, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome relating to a team achieving the score, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to that probability.

COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 11. Feb. 2009 12:44 No.5279 P. 23 7 Preferably, the outcome comprises a victory margin calculated by determining 0 o the difference between a winning team's score and a losing team's score, and the probability of the outcome relates to the victory margin, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome relating to the victory margin according to the winning team's relative standing within the season against the losing team, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to said 00 probability.

Preferably, the teams are ranked in a ladder, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of othe outcome of whether a team wins by dividing the position on the ladder of the other team by the sum of the first team's position and the other team's position.

Preferably, said points means is arranged to multiply the probability of the outcomes by at least one factor having a predetermined value that may affect said probability.

Preferably, the factor is one taken from the following set of factors: whether a team is playing a home game; whether a team is playing an away game; a distance travelled by the team to a game; a weather condition for a game; a past performance of a team; a physical condition of a player in a team; a number of spectators to a game; an umpire for a game.

Preferably, the probability of the outcome is a statistical probability calculated by a professional statistical agency.

Preferably, said plurality of tips comprises a number of tips equal to twice the number of events.

Preferably, said plurality of tips comprises a number of tips equal to the number of points accumulated by the participant plus a number of tips equal to the number of events.

Preferably, the requested set of tips exceeds the number of the events.

COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 11.Feb. 2009 12:44 No- 5279 P. 24 8 Brief Description of the Drawings.

0 Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a competition system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Best Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention NO 5 An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only.

00oO ci The embodiment is directed toward a method for awarding points in a competition and a system therefor, and is described with reference to use in o relation to games of a team sport played in rounds over a season. While the Sinvention has particular utility in this arrangement, it should be appreciated that the invention is applicable in other arrangements where participants predict outcomes of events.

In the embodiment, the outcome to be tipped is the winner of each game in a round. In other embodiments, other suitable outcomes concerning each game may be used such, for example, as the score or victory margin of the winning team.

(The next page is page COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 Prior to the commencement of a round of games in the season, the potential points that will be awarded for correctly tipping an outcome is calculated for every outcome in each game.

Any suitable method of calculating the potential points (otherwise referred to as an 'odd factor') may be adopted provided that the potential points for an improbable outcome are greater than those for a probable outcome. This provides participants in a tipping competition with an incentive to tip less probable outcomes in the hope of receiving a commensurate higher point reward. It also acts as a disincentive to participants that are leading the tipping competition merely tipping the most probable outcomes in each round, as this may not yield the most points.

Methods for calculating the probability of an outcome for an event are well known to persons skilled in the art, and as such need not be described in any further detail herein, except as is relevant to the embodiment of invention. For example, the probability of an outcome for an event may be determined by methodology used by a professional statistical agency, such as a betting agency.

In relation to a team sport played in rounds of games over a season, the probability of a particular outcome in a particular game may depend on a number of factors including the location of the game whether it is a home or an away game), the distance travelled by each team to the game, the weather conditions under which the game is played, the past performance of the teams playing the game, the physical condition of players in the teams playing the game, the number of spectators to the game, and the particular umpires controlling the game.

In the embodiment, in a game between a Team A and a Team B, there are three potential outcomes for the event: Team A will win and Team B will lose; Team B will win and Team A will lose; or Team A will draw with Team B. In the embodiment, where the potential outcome is Team A draws with Team B, both Team A and Team B are considered to win.

11 For each potential outcome, there is a corresponding number of potential points to be awarded for correctly tipping the potential outcome.

In the embodiment, the method of calculating potential points awarded for tipping team A to win, is firstly to calculate the probability of team A winning, by Rank,Rank where: PwinA is the calculated probability of team A winning the game; RankTeamA is team A's position on the sport's season ladder; RankTeamB is team B's position on the sport's season ladder; and ScaleHome/Away is a scaling factor according to whether team A is or away.

playing at home For example, suppose team B was positioned 4 th on the sport's season ladder and team A was positioned 2 nd Assuming that the home game advantage was so that ScaleHome/Away was 1.1 for a home game and 1/1.1 for an away game. If team A was at home, then 4 PwinA xl 1 (2 4) S73% and 2 1 1.1 -12- It is noted that PwinA P 8 ns do not sum to 1. However, this is not critical as these values are used to allocate points to the outcomes in this game. Since team A is more probable to win than team B, more potential points are allocated to the outcome of team B winning than the outcome of team A winning.

One simple way of allocating potential points to the outcome of team A winning is by Outconme]., x B xTrotalP where: OutcomePwinA is the points allocated to the outcome of team A winning the game; Pw~nA is the calculated probability of team A winning the game; PwinB is the calculated probability of team B winning the game; and TotalP is the total number of tips placed by the participant on the outcome of Team A winning the game, so that the greater the probability that team A wins, the less points are awarded for correctly tipping that outcome. In the above example, if each game has potential points, then a participant would be allocated 3 points for correctly tipping team A to win, and 7 points for correctly tipping team B to win.

Participants are offered more points for correctly tipping Team B to win as an incentive to tip less probable outcomes.

Once the potential points that may be awarded for each outcome in the round are determined, participants place their tips. Each participant is provided with more tips than there are events each round. Typically, each participant is provided with twice as many tips as there are events each round. Participants -13must place at least one tip for each event, however participants may freely distribute the remaining tips as they choose. For example, participants may place additional tips on an outcome, or may place tips on another outcome.

When the results of the round are known, each participant is awarded points for each correct tip they placed. Where a participant placed multiple tips on an event, they receive correspondingly more points. The points for each participant are totalled to provide a round total for each participant. These round totals are added to a respective season points tally for each participant to produce a rank ladder of the season points tallies of the participants.

To illustrate this, table 1 below shows a sample event list and participant's tipping.

a possible Home Points Away Points For Away Tips Tips Team Team Victory Home Away For Home Victory Team A 3 Team B 7 1 1 Team C 4 Team D 6 1 Team E 5 Team F 5 1 Team G 8 Team H 2 2 In this example, the participant has six tips to allocate between four events or games. At least one tip has been placed for each game, with the additional two tips placed to cover both outcomes in the first game, and to reinforce the existing tip in the last game.

If all of the home teams won, the participant would receive 1x3 1 x4 1x5 2x8 28 points.

-14- In the embodiment, participants may allocate tips to all possible outcomes for an event. In an alternative embodiment, participants may allocate tips to cover only one possible outcome for an event.

In a yet further alternative embodiment, participants are awarded a set number of points for the first round, the number of points exceeding the number of games to be played. These points can then be allocated as described above. Thereafter, for each subsequent round, each participant is given a number of points equal to the number of games to be played. The participant must allocate one of these points to each of the games to be played. However, the participant may also allocate some of the points they have already accumulated to any match they desire. To illustrate, if, after the first round of the competition, participant A has 4 points accumulated, in the second round participant A may allocate all, part or none of those 4 points to any game he or she chooses in the next round. If participant A then manages to accumulate 12 points from his/her tips in the second round, participant A then has 12 points to distribute as seen fit in the third round, and so on.

As each of these embodiments demonstrate, the invention provides a wider range of possible ways that a participant may be awarded points, and provides the participant with some flexibility in deciding where to allocate their tips.

It should be appreciated that the scope of this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described above. For example, the numerical values used in the embodiment are for illustrative purposes only and other values may be adopted as desired.

Additionally, for example, other methods of determining the distribution of points for each outcome may be adopted, such as using each team's win-loss ratio.

Scaling of the points distribution may also be adopted as desired.

An embodiment of a competition system of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.

This embodiment is directed toward a competition system 11 in which participants place tips on an outcome for each of a plurality of events. This embodiment is described with reference to use in relation to games of a team sport played in rounds over a season. While the invention has particular utility in this arrangement, it should be appreciated that the invention is applicable in other arrangements where participants predict outcomes of events.

In this embodiment, the outcome to be tipped is the winner of each game in a round. In other embodiments, other suitable outcomes concerning each game may be used such as, for example, the score or victory margin of the winning team.

With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, the competition system 11 of this embodiment comprises a computer system 13 having application software stored in a memory 15. The memory 15 may be a hard drive or a Random Access Memory or other device capable of storing information.

A round database comprising data relating to every game, i.e. event, to be played during a round of the season is stored in memory 15. A probability database comprising data relating to the probability of each team winning a game in the round of the season, (as calculated, for example, by a professional statistical agency), is also stored in memory 15. The professional statistical agency may be the TAB.

The computer system 13, is a standard personal computer comprising a processing unit 17, coupled to the memory 15, as well as user interfaces such as a keyboard 21, a screen 23 and a mouse 25. The use and operation of computers is well known to persons skilled in the art, and as such need not be described in any further detail herein, except as is relevant to the present invention.

The competition system 11 is initiated by a user activating the application software stored in memory -16- When the competition system 11 is initiated, the application software determines the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip of a winner of each game to be played in the round of the season by processing the data contained in the round database and the probability database to generate a set of potential points to be awarded. Each item in the set of potential points to be awarded corresponds to the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip of a winner of a particular game to be played in the round. The set of potential points is stored in a potential point database in memory 15. The potential points are determined by the application software such that the potential points are higher for correctly tipping a team having a low probability of winning a game to win, and lower for correctly tipping a team having a high probability of winning a game to win. The application software then loads a set of requests for tips from memory 15 and the set of requests for tips is presented to a participant on the screen 23. The number of requests in the set of requests for tips is equal to twice the number of games in the round.

The information entered by the first participant in response to the set of requests for tips comprises a first set of tips. This first set of tips is the tips placed by the first participant for the winner of each game in the round. The application software is programmed to require that the first participant place at least one tip on each game in the round before it will accept the information entered by the first participant.

After the first participant has responded to the set of request for tips, the application software accepts the first set of tips and stores the first set of tips in a tip database in memory This process for accepting the first set of tips from the first participant is then repeated for each of the participants in the competition until a set of tips for each of the participants has been accepted by the application software and stored in the tip database.

-17- The application software then loads a set of requests for game outcomes from memory 15 and the set of requests for game outcomes is presented to a competition organiser on the screen 23.

The games in the round are then played and the outcome for each game noted by the competition organiser.

The competition organiser then enters the outcome for each game into the computer system 13 in response to the set of requests for game outcomes.

The outcome entered by the competition organiser in response to the set of requests for game outcomes comprises a set of game outcomes. This set of game outcomes is the winner of each game in the round.

After the competition organiser has responded to the set of requests for game outcomes, the application software accepts the set of game outcomes and stores the set of game outcomes in a game outcome database in the memory The application software then analyses and processes the set of tips for each of the participants, the set of game outcomes and the set of potential points to award participants points for each correct tip for each game in accordance with the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip of the game for each game in the round.

The analysing and processing performed by the application software may comprise the formula hereinbefore described encoded as an algorithm.

The application software then totals the points awarded to each participant to provide a round total for each participant. The round total for each participant is displayed on the screen 23.

The competition organiser than adds these round totals to a respective season points tally for each participant to produce a rank ladder of the season point tallies of the participants.

-18- Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (4)

11. Feb. 2009 12:44 No. 5279 P. C19 0 The Claims Defining the Invention are as Follows S1. A system for playing a competition in which participants place tips on an outcome for each of a plurality of events, the system comprising a computer means comprising a processing unit and a memory and coupled to a user N interface, the memory having a software application stored therein and c oincluding a potential points database, whereby the computer means is 0 operable, under control of the application software, to: o determine the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip for each 0 outcome of the plurality of events, such that the potential points are higher for a less-probable outcome and lower for a more-probable outcome, and the potential points for each outcome being stored in the potential points database; present to the participants via the user interface a request for a set of tips on the events and to comprise at least one tip on each event; receive tips made by each participant in response to the request and input via the user interface; and award each participant points for each correct tip for each of said events in accordance with the potential points to be awarded for a correct tip of the outcome of each of said events. 2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to display the awarded points to each participant via the user interface 3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the memory further includes a round database for storing data relating to each event of the plurality of events, and a probability database comprising data relating to the probability of the outcomes for each of the plurality of the events, whereby the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 11. Feb. 2009 12:44 No. 5279 P. 26 o process the data stored in the round database and the probability database to determine the potential points to be awarded a correct tip for each event. 4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of events comprises games in one round from a season of multiple rounds of games between a IN plurality of teams, and the computer means is operable, under control of the O 00 application software, to calculate a cumulative total of points awarded to o each participant throughout the season. A system according to claim 4, wherein the outcome comprises whether a Oteam wins, and the probability of the outcome relates to whether a team wins based on its relative standing within the season against its opponent team, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to that probability. 6. A system according to claim 4, wherein, when the outcome comprises whether a team draws with its opponent team, both teams are considered to win and the probability of the outcome relates to whether a team wins, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome of whether a team wins based on its relative standing within the season against its opponent team, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to said probability. 7. A system according to claim 4, wherein the outcome comprises whether a team draws with its opponent team and the probability of the outcome relates to whether a team draws, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome relating to whether a team will draw with its opponent team according to the relative standings within the season of each team, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to that probability. COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 11. Feb. 2009 12:44 No. 5279 P. 27 O 21 0 8. A system according to claim 4, wherein the outcome comprises a team's score and the probability of the outcome relates to a team's score, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome relating to a team achieving the score, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip 00 corresponding to that probability. 9. A system according to claim 4, wherein the outcome comprises a victory margin calculated by determining the difference between a winning team's score and a losing team's score, and the probability of the outcome relates to the victory margin, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome relating to the victory margin according to the winning team's relative standing within the season against the losing team, and to determine the potential points awarded for a correct tip corresponding to said probability. A system according to claim 4, wherein the teams are ranked in a ladder, and the computer means is operable, under control of the application software, to calculate the probability of the outcome of whether a team wins by dividing the position on the ladder of the other team by the sum of the first team's position and the other team's position. 11. A system according to claim 3, wherein said points means is arranged to multiply the probability of the outcomes by at least one factor having a predetermined value that may affect said probability.

12. A system as according to claim 11, wherein the factor is one taken from the following set of factors: whether a team is playing a home game; whether a team is playing an away game; a distance travelled by the team to a game; a weather condition for a game; a past performance of a team; a physical condition of a player in a team; a number of spectators to a game; an umpire for a game. COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11 11. Feb. 2009 12:44 No. 5279 P. 28 22 ci eC 13. A system according to any one of claims 3 to 12, wherein the probability of C) the outcome is a statistical probability calculated by a professional statistical agency.

14. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of tips comprises a number of tips equal to twice the number of events. 00 8 15. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said plurality of tips 0 comprises a number of tips equal to the number of points accumulated by the Cparticipant plus a number of tips equal to the number of events. Ci 16. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the requested set of tips exceeds the number of the events.

17. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. COMS ID No: ARCS-223188 Received by IP Australia: Time 14:45 Date 2009-02-11