Classification of the teams in the Brazilian Soccer Championship by probabilistic criteria composition

Abstract

The essay discusses alternative rules for the classification of the teams in the Brazilian Soccer Championship. Three explanatory variables for the final classification are explored: the total number of goals scored and taken by each team and the results of their matches against each opponent. Two teams are placed in different classes only if their relative ranks according to a combination of these three criteria do not contradict the official ranks. The essay studies the rules for building the joint classification based on the probabilities of dominance according to these three criteria. Finally, it presents the results of the application of different rules to the data of 2006 and 2007.

Notes

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