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3.5.2 Estimating freshmen

A completely different task is adding freshmen (well, this includes all fencers who come new into the group of course). If the freshman already has a current Felo rating, this is used for his or her initial value. However, if he has not, it must be estimated. Bootstrapping is impossible since not all fencers must get a new initial value.

This works this way: The fencer is included into the fencer list as “freshman”, which means that his initial value is set to a symbolic `0'. After approx. ten 5 point bouts (or, e.g., four 15 point bouts), the Felo program can estimate an initial value. Just click on the menu “Calculate” – “Estimate freshmen”:

Estimate freshmen

In this case, Obi Wan hasn't had a Felo rating yet. After the “Estimate freshmen”, his estimate is inserted into the file.1 If the number of bouts of Obi Wan is not yet enough for estimating a reliable initial value, his initial value remains `0'. In this case, he simply has to fence a little bit more, and you must try again a couple of training days later.


Footnotes

[1] This needn't be the same number which is calculated as the current Felo rating after calculating all bouts but it should be very close to it.