Effort of rugby teams according to the bonus point system: a theoretical and empirical analysis

TL;DR

This paper compares the effort levels of rugby teams under three different scoring systems using game theory and empirical data, revealing that the 3+ system encourages the most effort, followed by +4 and NB.

Contribution

It introduces a combined theoretical and empirical analysis of how different rugby scoring systems influence team effort, highlighting the 3+ system's effectiveness.

Findings

The 3+ system leads to the highest team effort.

Empirical data confirms theoretical predictions.

Different scoring systems significantly affect team effort levels.

Abstract

Using a simple game-theoretical model of contests, we compare the effort exerted by rugby teams under three different point systems used in tournaments around the world. The scoring systems under consideration are NB, +4 and 3+. We state models of the games under the three point systems, both static and dynamic. In all those models we find that the 3+ system ranks first, +4 second and NB third. We run empirical analyses using data from matches under the three scoring systems. The results of those statistical analyses confirm our theoretical conclusions.