What I believe to be happening and hindering the lower level players in particular is that there are higher level players that intentionally or due to complete inactivity (due to the holidays or giving up on the game) is moving down the ranks and falling into a "bracket" where the teams below them struggle to beat them because of the strength of their team. This bracket becomes congested because all the similar rated players dont move down any longer. Eg all the inactive 100* level 20 players fall down to the ranking bracket where the 50* level 10's are battling it out and the top guys in this bracket only has the level 20 100* players on their map left for games. The example is very much simplified but I think its the core of the problem.

@Black Monks: I disagree again, it is not poorly thought out it is merely a copy of the same system that Sublinet uses in their American Football game so there was no thought involved whatsoever! I have 62,800 fans and I just checked the teams that I can once again currently play against, the lowest of which has 106,000 fans (team rating 101.45*) so I am nowhere near (a) their fan level or (b) their star ratings. Who bases a ranking system on number of fans vs team quality? This is stupid if you ask me, especially if as you say there are a lot of inactive players in that group. I am still going to get hammered by them as they are way above my team star rating!

@Coach qBaLL: I am not disagreeing with anything you said but we need a better and faster solution than merely waiting for "the dust to settle" or for "inactive" players to be kicked.

If it is inactive players causing the bracketing then removing them is a solution, if it is people chosing to drop then you can't prevent that without removing ability to play as you like, and using a system that was successful with another game by the developer does not mean no thought. It means they put thought into a system and it was successful so they moved it to another one of their games. That is intelligent game design.

And a problem with your better faster solution is that it is a better and faster solution for YOU. the developers have to look at the whole, and to be frank put the wants of those that spend money first (I'm not a coiner as discussed previously but I get the purpose of game development). And if we put those first then we don't want to make a massive fresh start as those players are already where they want to be, either highly ranked or intentionally lowly ranked.

Totally agree Allan Thompson

Black Monks: Putting thought into a system for one game where it works well is no guarantee that the same system will work well/at all in another that is similar in many but also vastly different in just as many areas. It is "lazy development" to copy and paste which to all intents and purposes they have done and is a method which too many software houses use today. "Why reinvent the wheel"? Why? The wheel was developed over 4500 years ago is why. It is time for something better is why. In this instance, it is time for something "more appropriate" to the game. As for your argument about the "paying players", good for them but they are going to be no worse off with my suggested solution. If they are at the top of the rankings just now with a 205* team, they will still be there! If they are lower ranked, say 100-175* by their own intentions, then they will stay there or at least be close to where they currently are which was their own choice! Where is the problem in this?

[EDIT]
Oh now I see....people intentionally playing in tournaments way below their actual level that they can win easily and get a big haul of cash and gold balls that they don't have to work hard for! That is what is called an "unfair game exploit" and the developers need to shut that down before anything else in my opinion.

Intentionally low ranked in the ranking system. Capable of being top 100 but chosing to be ranked 5000 so they never lose fans.

To tell them they can't do this is a bit to authoritarian for me and it only effects maps, not tournaments.

Capable of being top 100 but choosing to be 5000 in the ranking system is an even worse "unfair game exploit"!!!! It is because of these unadventurous, unambitious, greedy players that I am playing against teams like them instead of teams at or close to my level!!! They are FAR worse than the "inactive" players are as they are using "conscious choice" to inhibit my progress directly/indirectly while the "inactive" players have no idea what they are doing so they have some excuse. The players you are talking about have none!!! What a ridiculous, immature way to play a game and how to spoil it for players who want to play it properly!!!

I don't disagree, I'm in the top 100 every time I can be, but your solution doesn't solve the problem. If they chose to be down there your solution doesn't solve the problem. Some creative ways I like is to give training points to defender and not just attacker (the higher you are the more defenses you will have), scrapping the fan loss in challenges since they no longer matter, providing reward for being in top X to encourage people getting higher, etc etc. Reshuffle of ranks won't solve this problem, will upset a lot of people and is at best a bandaid on an infected wound.

hmm....I am coming around to your way of thinking. Ability to set individual stats on each individual player would be nice. 1 point on Lineout strength for your lineout target followed by 1 point on Acceleration for your No.8 and 9, 1 point on Tackle for your centres....etc., etc. hmm....back to the drawing board

You can do that, never do auto assign. Go to training or strat building and click on the player