The Cooper Ranking Index: A Simpler, Fairer Formula to the GHSA Playoffs
- Will Cooper
- Nov 19
- 6 min read
The GHSA’s proposed Power Strength Rating (PSR) system has caused plenty of debate, and now our friends in Thomaston will be considering a second model (the Maxwell rating). The problem is clear: the more complex and opaque these systems become, the more frustrating they are for fans, coaches, and even some administrators.
So instead of more complication, The Cooper Ranking Index (CRI) ranking aims for clarity, and fairness. The goal is to reward the best teams with the best resumes.
The PSRF Formula
Our rating is built to balance three things: wins, strength of schedule, and fairness across classifications.
PSRF = (Modified_WP × 0.35) + (Class_Adjusted_OWP × 0.35) + (OOWP × 0.30)
Each term carries specific meaning:
Modified_WP (Winning Percentage): Adjusted for home/away, classification gap, game type, and margin.
Class_Adjusted_OWP (Opponent Win %): Weighs opponents’ success, scaled by their classification relative to yours.
OOWP (Opponents’ Opponent Win %): A measure of strength-of-schedule depth. Win Credit Formula
Win_Credit = Location × Classification × Margin × Game_Type
Factor | Description | Values |
Location | Road wins are worth more. | Home = 0.90, Away = 1.10, Neutral = 1.00 |
Classification | Playing smaller schools counts less; playing bigger schools counts more. | Down = Max(0.40, 1.00 − Gap×0.12), Up = Min(1.30, 1.00 + Gap×0.10) |
Margin | Rewarded, but capped at 21 points to prevent score running. | 1.00 + (Min(21, Margin) × 0.005) |
Game Type | Region games mean more and scale with region strength. | Non-region = 1.00, Region = 1.10 × (0.70 + RSI×0.60) |
The Problems we've fixed: 1. Regions Don’t Matter…But They Should
Under the GHSA’s current PSR model, regions are irrelevant except for scheduling. While I don't believe regions are necessary, our model works to fix that problem.
This system fixes that with a Region Strength Multiplier (RSI).
Region games count more: Weighted 1.25× compared to 1.00 for non-region.
Regions earn their RSI: Based on each region’s non-region record, adjusted for classification of opponents.
Example: If a 5A region wins 15 of 24 non-region games (.625) but many came against lower classifications, their RSI might fall closer to .590, producing a smaller multiplier. Here's a look at the real RSI from this season in 5A
REGION (5A) | Non-Region Wins | Games | RSI | Strength Multiplier |
6 | 15 | 24 | .616 | 1.069 |
7 | 16 | 28 | .598 | 1.059 |
3 | 15 | 24 | .591 | 1.054 |
2 | 18 | 30 | .536 | 1.022 |
5 | 9 | 23 | .340 | .904 |
1 | 5 | 17 | .265 | .859 |
8 | 8 | 28 | .259 | .855 |
4 | 5 | 24 | .197 | .818 |
Regions that perform better out of region naturally boost the value of those in-region wins.
2. Classification Should Always Matter
One major flaw in the GHSA’s PSR is that it treats all classifications equally; a 6A team beating a 2A team counts the same as 2A beating 6A. This is an open invitation for bigger schools to schedule smaller schools that still have a solid winning percentage.
Our system fixes that in three ways:
(a) Win Credits
If a 7A team beats a 6A, the win is worth 88% of a same-class victory. Playing far below your classification can drop that as low as 40%. Smaller schools get rewarded for playing up, gaining +10% per classification (max +30%).
(b) Class-Adjusted OWP
Your opponents’ records scale by their class relative to yours.
Playing smaller teams lowers their value: 0.50–1.00×.
Playing bigger teams raises it: 1.00–1.25×.
Example: A 6A team playing a 3A team that’s 8–2 (0.800) only gets 0.800 × 0.70 = 0.560 credit. But a 4A team playing a 6A team at 8–2 gets 0.800 × 1.16 = 0.928.
(c) Region Strength Index
Regions with lower-class non-region opponents are weighted down accordingly, keeping their RSI realistic.
An Important Exception
Schools can submit rivalry games to the CRI database for review to avoid the penalty of playing down in classification (the lower classification team would still receive the boost to the elements mentioned above)
3. Head-to-Head Matters — But Isn’t King
If two teams are within 0.050 PSRF points of each other and played head-to-head, the winner ranks higher.
That threshold roughly represents a 5% rating difference, which is enough to say, “They’re equal on paper; so the result on the field decides it.”
here's a real example from this season:
Metric | Lowndes | Valdosta |
Record | 9-1 | 9-1 |
Modified WP | 0.9925 | 0.9874 |
Class-Adjusted OWP | 0.6167 | 0.5189 |
OOWP | 0.5528 | 0.5974 |
PSRF | 0.7291 | 0.7064 |
Despite a slightly higher PSRF, Lowndes would rank below Valdosta due to the head-to-head loss (difference 0.0226 < 0.050).
In rare three-way ties (A beats B, B beats C, C beats A), the PSRF rating itself breaks the tie.
4. Wins Matter Most But Margins Count Too
Winning is everything, but how you win matters slightly. Margins up to 21 points earn incremental credit:
Bonus = 1.00 + (Min(21, Margin) × 0.005)
Win by 7 → +3.5%
Win by 14 → +7%
Win by 21 or more → +10.5% (maxed)
This rewards dominant teams without incentivizing blowouts. (This number would be adjusted based on sport)
5. No First-Round Region Rematches
Playoffs should be fresh matchups, not games we saw within the past few weeks. If first-round matchups accidentally pair two teams from the same region, a simple rule applies:
“Higher seed stays, lower seed moves down.”
How It Would Look
Here's how the CRI would rank this season and the playoffs.
6A
Home Team (Rank) | Away Team (Rank) |
Grayson (1) | North Atlanta (H2H over Paulding Co) (32) |
McEachern (2) | Dacula (31) |
Buford (3) | Wheeler (30) (H2H over N Atlanta) |
North Gwinnett (4) | North Forsyth (29) (H2H over N Atlanta) |
Valdosta (5) (H2H over Lowndes) | Lambert (28) (H2H over N Atlanta) |
Harrison (6) | South Gwinnett (27) (H2H loss v Archer) |
Carrollton (7) | Archer (26) (H2H loss v Mill Creek) |
Colquitt Co (8) | Mill Creek (H2H loss v Norcross) |
Lowndes (9) (H2H loss vs Valdosta) | Collins Hill (24) |
Brookwood (10) | Norcross (H2H over Mill Creek) (23) |
Hillgrove (11) | Denmark (22) |
North Cobb (H2H over N Paulding) (12) | Camden Co (H2H loss vs Richmond Hill) (21) |
Peachtree Ridge (H2H over Norcross) (13) | Walton (H2H over Norcross) (20) |
Douglas Co (14) | Richmond Hill (H2H over Camden Co) (19) |
Newton (15) | Marietta (H2H over Walton) (18) |
North Paulding (H2H loss v N Cobb) (16) | West Forsyth (H2H over Marietta) (17) |
First 5 out: Paulding Co (H2H loss v N Atlanta), Parkview, Rockdale Co, Central Gwinnett, Duluth
Rest of the Rankings:
38 Campbell ↓H2H to Paulding County
39 East Coweta ↑H2H over Westlake
40 Westlake ↓H2H to East Coweta
41 Tift County
42 Pebblebrook
43 Grovetown
44 Etowah
45 Alpharetta
46 Mountain View
47 Cherokee
48 Forsyth Central ↑H2H over South Forsyth
49 Chapel Hill ↑H2H over Osborne
50 Meadowcreek
51 South Forsyth ↑H2H over South Cobb
52 Heritage, Conyers
53 Osborne ↑H2H over South Cobb
54 South Cobb ↓H2H to South Forsyth
55 Berkmar
56 Discovery
5A
Home Team (Rank) | Away Team (Rank) |
Hughes (1) | Dutchtown (32) |
Roswell (2) | Clarke Central (31) |
Sequoyah (3) | Effingham Co (29) (Region swap) (H2H loss v Brunswick) |
Gainesville (4) | Lassiter (30) (Region swap) |
Thomas Co Cent (5) (H2H over Houston Co) | Shiloh (28) |
Houston Co (6) (H2H loss TCC) | Habersham Cent (27) |
Sprayberry (7) | Brunswick (H2H over Effingham Co) (26) |
Lovejoy (8) (H2H over Newnan) | East Paulding (H2H loss to Villa Rica) (25) |
Newnan (9) | Lanier (24) |
Milton (10) | Woodstock (23) |
Northgate (11) | Villa Rica (H2H over East Paulding) (22) |
Jackson Co (12) | Seckinger (21) |
Rome (13) | Statesboro (H2H over Brunswick) (20) |
River Ridge (14) | Glynn Academy (H2H over Statesboro) (Region Swap) (18) |
Lee County (15) | Creekview (Region swap) (19) |
Woodward Academy (16) | New Manchester (17) |
First 5 out: Coffee, Mcintosh, South Paulding, Dunwoody, Decatur Rest of the rankings:
38 Chamblee
39 Winder-Barrow
40 South Effingham
41 Lithia Springs
42 Evans
43 Kennesaw Mountain
44 Banneker
45 Arabia Mountain
46 Northside, Warner Robins ↑H2H over Veterans
47 Alexander
48 Bradwell Institute
49 Veterans ↓H2H to Northside, Warner Robins
50 Greenbrier
51 Pope
52 Lakeside, DeKalb
53 Riverwood ↑H2H over Chattahoochee
54 Morrow
55 Apalachee
56 Chattahoochee ↓H2H to Riverwood
57 Alcovy
58 Loganville
59 Lakeside, Evans
60 Johns Creek
61 Tri-Cities
The Result: Simple, Fair, and Transparent
This PSRF model does what GHSA’s PSR struggles to do:
Reward strong schedules and fair classifications
Value region performance
Keep rules transparent and easy to explain
Fans can follow it, coaches can verify it, and the best teams still rise to the top.
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