How it Works ▼
Elo Ratings is a system famously used to rate chess players.
Here on FootballElo.com, an Elo Ratings System is a method to distinguish the best football team at a given time.
Elo Ratings can be calculated for NFL teams dating back to the beginning of the Super Bowl Era starting in 1966.
The basic idea is that when a team wins their rating increases, and when a team loses their rating decreases.
When two teams play each other, the amount of rating points exchanged depends on the relative ratings of the opposing teams as well as the K-factor.
If the opposing team has a higher rating, there are more points to be gained by winning.
Conversely, if the opposing team has a lower rating, there are more points to be lost by losing.
The K-factor represents the maximum number of points that can be gained/lost in a single game.
A higher K-factor implies a higher fluctuation in ratings from game to game whereas a lower K-factor implies a lower fluctuation from game to game.
The Initial Rating represents how many rating points teams start with.
On FootballElo.com, Elo Ratings Systems can be created by selecting different inputs for the Initial Rating and K-factor.
After selecting and clicking the "Calculate Elo Ratings" button, the resulting ratings of NFL teams are shown in the table on the right.
The week being displayed in the table can be altered in the Table Settings.
A history of teams' ratings dating back to the beginning of the Super Bowl Era can be observed in the plot with zoom and pan functionality.
Below the plot is a look ahead at upcoming matchups with win probability predictions based on the respective Elo Ratings.
Furthermore, in the Recent Games section, it can be seen how recently played games have affected teams' ratings in the specified system.
Enjoy!
Table Settings
Viewing Superbowl Era
Elo Settings
Advanced Settings ▼