PER Sports Home

New Sports Analysis Approach

§ What is the Performance Efficiency Rating (PER) System?

The PER methodology assesses players overall performance relative to each opportunity that player has to produce. It is a very composite analysis, transcending the traditional performance yardsticks of Base-ball's batting average or Basketball's points per game, for example. In baseball, for example, this concept measures the player's performance relative to each plate appearance. This acknowledges the fact that a player who drives in over 100 Runs Batted In (RBIs) or hits 50 home runs may not necessarily be a better player than one who drives in say 70 RBIs or only hits 30 home runs. The first player may have had twice as many at-bats or plate appearances in which to accumulate these stats. Similarly, a basketball player may average 20 points a game but plays twice as many minutes as another who aver-ages only 15. Can we therefore surmise that the '20-points-a-game' player is a better basketball player, or even a more prolific 'points producer'? We think not.

Therefore, in order to resolve some of these issues we introduce the PER Sports Analysis (initially for the sports baseball, basketball and football) but eventually expected to expand to all professional and college sports.

§ Why is it so important?

Performance Review: For the first time this methodology allows one to wade through the myriad of sports statistics and evaluate the performance of all players within one com-posite format. General Managers Head Coaches, Player Agents and even the players themselves can now compare the relative contributions in baseball of an "efficient run-producer with a low batting average" versus a player who "hits for a high average but with little power" or even against an "exceptional fielder but poor batsman." Basketball too, is able to benefit from this methodology since we can now compare a great scorer against a primarily rebounding and defensive player, or against a "floor general" with a great all-round game. The PER methodology is therefore the single most efficient MVP-indicator that exists in sports today.

Its analytical powers has also be extended to evaluate the NBA's greatest players, as well as review the performance of baseball great-est players.

Forecasting Tool: The PER methodology is also a great prognosticating tool. It can fairly accurately predict a player's performance for the next sporting season by feeding his past performance into a database which includes all the greats to have ever played that particular sport. Barring injuries and other unforeseeable circumstances it allows all relevant parties to better negotiate salaries and incentives knowing just how a player is expected to perform the next season. Most
contracts are negotiated following a player's performance in a particular season. But since the contract intends to reward them in the future (not the past) then a better system needs to be developed whereby their expected performance can be evaluated and their relative worth assessed.