Announcing Changes to the introPOINT Scoring System

According to the introLEAGUE Rulebook (IV. 4.), we may periodically institute changes to the scoring system. The changes are based on the scores and performance of all Players at introPLAY. After looking at historic scoring, we evaluate any activities that are over- or under-scored.

The changes will take effect immediately, but will only affect workouts that are entered from this point on. In other words, the changes are not retroactive.

In this round, we are changing 11 of the most over-scored sports and activities. Those 11 activities are (updated minutes to score 10 introPOINTS in parentheses):

• Tae Kwon Do (90 minutes)
• Kung Fu (90)
• Judo/Jujitsu (90)
• Karate (90)
• Beach Volleyball (90)
• Ice Hockey (90)
• Basketball (85 min moderate)
• Water Polo (65)
• Treadmill Running (50 min moderate)
• Running (40 min moderate)
• Swimming (37.5 min moderate).

If you have any questions regarding the scoring system, check out our previous post discussing some details of the philosophy of the scoring system or please contact us.

Good luck in all your introLEAGUES!

The introPOINT Scoring System

We thought it would be helpful to explain the introPOINT scoring system used in introLEAGUES in more detail. The goal of the scoring system is to calibrate across all 90 sports and activities tracked at introPLAY. That way, each Player is competitive in an introLEAGUE, regardless of which activity he or she chooses to do. We accomplish this by awarding 10 introPOINTS for a typical length workout in each respective activity. Then we adjust the score up or down, depending on its intensity.There are a lot of different potential metrics, such as calories, time, results-based metrics (like weight lost) but each raises issues, especially when scoring takes place across a diversity of activities.This might be better explained by an example. Let’s say once a week that Nancy lifts weights for about an hour and Gina likes to run a little over three miles in a half hour. Now let’s see how different ways to score each workout in a competition pan out:

• introPOINTS. Both Gina and Nancy are rewarded for the effort of finishing a workout in their respective activities and score about 10 introPOINTS each (I say “about” because the exact score will depend on exact times and breakdowns in intensity). When they see they are in a close race they are both motivated to increase their performance–by increasing the vigorousness of the workout, by adding a bit more time and by increasing the number of workouts they do per week.
• Minutes of exercise. There is no way Gina could beat Nancy. Her 30 minute runs are half as long as Nancy’s workouts and she will only see herself fall farther behind Nancy each week of the minutes exercised competition. She would have to do something different in order to have a chance.
• Calories burned. Gina is guaranteed a victory since she will burn about 260 calories per run, versus Nancy who will only burn about 110 calories each session at the gym. Nancy would have to change to more calorie-intensive activities in this competition.
• Weight loss. This metric will not work, because it is altogether possible that Nancy doesn’t want to lose any weight! Her goals are to tone up a bit and keep her weight steady. So with different objectives in exercising, they cannot used a number like weight lost or percentage weight lost.

One complaint that we hear about the scoring system is “My hardcore bootcamp workout is SO much harder than Johnny’s walk, but we both scored about the same number of introPOINTS. That’s not fair!”But we see the fact that both Players scored similarly as an indication that the scoring system works! They both put forth the same amount of effort, regardless of which activities they chose. We admit that some 10 introPOINT workouts are more difficult or more rigorous or burn more calories than others. But both workouts are bona fide and both deserve the same value in terms of effort.