A parametric family of Massey-type methods: inference, prediction, and sensitivity

We study the stability of a time-aware version of the popular Massey method, previously introduced by Franceschet, M., E. Bozzo, and P. Vidoni. 2017. “The Temporalized Massey’s Method.” Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports 13: 37–48, for rating teams in sport competitions. To this end,we embed the tempora lMassey method in the theory of time-varying averaging algorithms, which are dynamic systems mainly used in control theory for multi-agent coordination. We also introduce a parametric family of Massey-type methods and show that the original and time-aware Massey versions are, in some sense, particular instances of it. Finally, we discuss the key features of this general family of rating procedures, focusing on inferential and predictive issues and on sensitivity to upsets and modifications of the schedule.