How we calculate player ratings in GolDraft
Every GolDraft card has a big number in the corner: the overall rating, or OVR. It's the figure that sparks the most debate, so we want to explain transparently where it comes from and how we keep it up to date.
The scale
Ratings range roughly from 40 to 92. As a reference:
- 88 to 92: the best players in the world in their position.
- 82 to 87: starters at Europe's top clubs and stars of their national teams.
- 75 to 81: regular starters in the big five leagues.
- 65 to 74: players in mid-level leagues, substitutes at big clubs and stars of South American leagues.
- Below 65: young players or players in lower-level leagues.
An assessment, not a measurement
GolDraft's ratings are our own estimates. They don't come from any video game or official source. We build them by combining the player's recent performance, his minutes, the level of his league and club and his role in the national team. That's why they can differ from what you see elsewhere, and why we review them regularly.
Position weights
In Legend Mode, where you create a player from scratch, the rating is calculated directly from the six attributes with these weights:
| Position | PAC | SHO | PAS | DRI | DEF | PHY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST | 15% | 35% | 8% | 20% | 2% | 20% |
| RW / LW | 30% | 20% | 15% | 30% | 0% | 5% |
| CAM | 10% | 20% | 30% | 30% | 0% | 10% |
| CM | 10% | 10% | 35% | 20% | 10% | 15% |
| CDM | 8% | 5% | 25% | 10% | 32% | 20% |
| RB / LB | 30% | 0% | 20% | 15% | 25% | 10% |
| CB | 15% | 0% | 10% | 5% | 45% | 25% |
This explains why a striker with 95 shooting can have a very high rating even if he barely defends, and why a centre-back's rating hardly moves even if his dribbling improves.
How we update the database
The database has more than 4,600 real players from the main leagues in Europe, South America, North America and Asia, plus the national teams. After each transfer window we check:
- Players who changed clubs, went out on loan or retired.
- Major signings that need to appear at their new team.
- Ratings that are clearly out of date after a great season or a drop in form. We only adjust by 1 to 4 points in clear cases; a long injury doesn't change the rating.
Found a mistake?
With thousands of players, something always slips through: a last-minute transfer, a misspelled name or a rating you don't agree with. If you spot something like that, write to us from the contact page. User corrections are one of the best ways to keep the database up to date.
Everything you read here you can put to the test for free, with no sign-up, right in your browser.
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