New Seeding Algorithms for USA Events

[nutman]

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/April/05/Performance-Index-announcement

USA wrestling (and USA Wrestling sanctioned organizations such as WWF) use a new formula to determine "separation."  In the past for freestyle and Greco accomplishments at different events earned leveled separation on the bracket.  For example, two world team qualifiers would earn level 1 and be on opposite sides of the bracket... All Americans were level 2 and opposite, etc.  Higher placing would essentially provide higher seeds if you will.  It was a way to make sure athletes with accomplishments didn't meet until later rounds as many would not have met common opponents or head to head

Now USA wrestling is using a number ranking system to separate or basically seed athletes.  It has a base number of 1000 called a Performance Index Number (PIN). As athletes beat other athletes in big tournaments or events that are recorded by USA wrestling their number increases or decreases based on opponents number.  Head to head is not factored.  It is the entire body of work over time.  Style is not considered either. 

See the link above.  This was how world team trials tournament was seeded as well as wwf.    In some cases an athlete beat multiple people in the bracket but had a lower PIN number so was seeded lower.  In other events an athlete went to different tournaments that wasn't credited so they didn't earn PIN points.

IMO the PIN should be style specific.  For example, if an athlete beats someone in Greco it should stay within that style. Or Folk Or freestyle. 

USA has always used separation for Fargo and WTT, but the criteria considered style and out of style.

The link explains how it's being used but doesn't provide the algorithm for how it's calculated.