How the ice hockey world ranking works
The IIHF ranks national teams, not players, men and women separately. Points come from where a team finishes at the World Championships (every year, in all divisions) and the Olympic Winter Games (including the Olympic qualifying tournaments).
- The world champion gets 1,600 points. Each place below gets 20 points less, with a bigger 40-point gap at the steps that matter: winning gold, reaching the final, reaching the semi-finals and reaching the quarter-finals.
- Results lose value with time: 100% this year, 75% last year, 50% two years ago, 25% three years ago, then they drop out.
Every team that plays in any division gets ranked, so the ranking covers all IIHF members that take part, not only the top 16.
Points by final place
| Place | Points | Gap to the place above |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1600 | |
| 2 | 1560 | 40 (gold bonus) |
| 3 | 1520 | 40 (final bonus) |
| 4 | 1500 | 20 |
| 5 | 1460 | 40 (semi-final bonus) |
| 6 | 1440 | 20 |
| 7 | 1420 | 20 |
| 8 | 1400 | 20 |
| 9 | 1360 | 40 (quarter-final bonus) |
| 10 | 1340 | 20 |
| 20 | 1140 | 20 a place |
The IIHF gives points to every final position in the category, so the places run on through the lower divisions. There are no ties; teams are separated by the IIHF's seeding rules.
At Olympic qualifying tournaments with two or three groups, teams on the same stage are separated by: group position, then points, then goal difference, then goals scored, then their seeding number coming into the qualification.
How old results lose value
| Season | Value | Gold medal worth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (most recent) | 100% | 1600 |
| 2 | 75% | 1200 |
| 3 | 50% | 800 |
| 4 | 25% | 400 |
| 5 | 0% | 0 |
World Championship and Olympic points from the same season lose value at the same rate. The ranking at the end of a season adds up: four World Championships and the one Olympic tournament in that window.
No-shows
A team that does not turn up or is disqualified gets no points for that tournament. If it misses because of force majeure, it gets the points for its seeding number. If a whole tournament is cancelled (from 2021), every team gets the points for its position in the pre-championship report.
When it is published
The men's and women's rankings come out straight after each World Championships. Before each World Championships the IIHF publishes a pre-championship report with the older results already reduced, so only the new tournament needs adding. If two teams finish level, the more recent final placing decides.
A worked example
Made up to show the arithmetic. A men's team finished 9th at the World Championships this year (1360), 6th last year (1440), 10th two years ago (1340) and 12th three years ago (1300). It also finished 10th at the Olympics three years ago (1340).
1360 × 100% + 1440 × 75% + 1340 × 50% + 1300 × 25% + 1340 × 25% = 1360 + 1080 + 670 + 325 + 335 = 3,770.
Variations
| Ranking | Covered here |
|---|---|
| Senior men and women | Yes |
| Junior (under-20, under-18) seeding | No |
| Para ice hockey | No (World Para Ice Hockey, separate) |