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How Match Ratings Work

Where our player ratings come from and what they mean

Data Source

Player match ratings on Rivl are sourced from API-Football, a leading football data provider covering over 1,000 leagues and competitions worldwide. API-Football compiles ratings from a combination of algorithmic match performance analysis and editorial inputs, updated after each fixture.

What the Rating Measures

Each match rating is a per-game performance score on a 1–10 scale, reflecting how a player performed in that specific match. It takes into account a combination of:

  • Goals and assists
  • Shots on target
  • Key passes and chance creation
  • Defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, blocks)
  • Dribbles completed
  • Duels won/lost
  • Minutes played
  • Cards received

The rating is not a simple average of those stats — it is weighted by position (a goalkeeper saving a penalty contributes differently than a striker scoring one) and by the match context.

Rating Scale

9.0 +Exceptional performance8.0 – 8.9Excellent7.0 – 7.9Good6.0 – 6.9Average to decent5.9 and belowBelow par

How Rivl Uses Ratings

On H2H pages, the Key Players section shows only current squad members who have appeared in this specific head-to-head fixture. The rating shown is their average match rating across all their appearances in this matchup — not their season average. This means it reflects how a player specifically performs against this opponent.

Players are ranked by average rating (minimum of 1 appearance, 45+ minutes played).

Data Coverage

Match rating data on Rivl currently covers Premier League fixtures from the 2019/20 season onwards. Older fixtures (pre-2019) do not have per-match rating data and will not appear in the Key Players section.

Player match ratings are provided by API-Football. Rivl is not affiliated with API-Football. Ratings are for informational purposes only and reflect API-Football's proprietary scoring methodology.