Dual-Track Skill Adjustment and Lockout System

This system automatically adjusts a player's skill level when peer ratings indicate a mismatch, locks the UI to prevent ego-driven readjustments, and provides fair, un-gameable pathways for the user to earn their rank back.

Phase 1: The Trigger (Demotion & Lockout)

When a player self-selects a skill level (e.g., "Advanced") but receives consistent peer ratings indicating they are playing below that level, the system intervenes.

• Action: The system automatically drops the player's profile to the appropriate lower level (e.g., "Intermediate").
• UI Lock: The dropdown or selection tool to choose "Advanced" or higher is disabled for that user.
• Initialization: The Decaying Lockout Algorithm begins.

Phase 2: Track 1 - The Decaying Lockout Algorithm (Time + Effort)

This is the baseline safety net. It forces a realistic cooldown period but allows the user to reduce that time by putting in honest court hours.

Variables

Variable	Name	Value	Description
T_base	Base Lockout	60 Days	Maximum penalty if they do not play any matches
T_min	Hard Floor	21 Days	Absolute biological minimum time required to improve — lockout cannot drop below this
R	Reduction Rate	1 Day / 1 Hour	Days removed per hour of valid gameplay
H_valid	Valid Hours	—	Hours played that successfully pass the Anti-Grind checks

Formula

L_current = max(T_base - (H_valid × R), T_min)

Anti-Grind Mechanics (Calculating H_valid)

• Weekly Eligible Cap: A maximum of 4 hours of gameplay can be counted toward reduction within any rolling 7-day period. Hours played beyond this cap yield a reduction value of 0.
• The Quality Gate: A session's hours are only added to H_valid if the user receives neutral or positive peer feedback during that specific session. If they are downvoted for poor skill again, the session hours are discarded.

Phase 3: Track 2 - The Fast Track Override (Peer Validation)

Since badminton is entirely about on-court performance, the community can override the algorithm. If a demoted player genuinely improves faster than the timer allows, their peers can promote them.

Fast Track Mechanic

• After every game, peers submit a skill rating for the user.
• If the user accumulates a specific threshold of "Plays Above Current Level" ratings (e.g., 5 positive votes), the Lockout Timer (L_current) is immediately set to 0.
• The system automatically upgrades their profile back to the higher tier and removes the UI lock.

Phase 4: Anti-Collusion System (Protecting Track 2)

To prevent a user from booking a private session with friends to spam positive ratings and trigger the Fast Track Override, the peer rating system enforces strict validation rules.

Collusion Filters

Filter	Rule
Unique Rater Rule	Multiple positive ratings from the exact same User ID only count as 1 vote toward the Fast Track threshold. The user must impress 5 different people, not 1 person 5 times.
Familiarity Penalty	If two users have shared more than 30% of their total bookings, the rater's vote is flagged as "Familiar" and holds zero weight for promotion purposes. Only ratings from independent or infrequent opponents trigger the Fast Track.

Example User Journey

Day	Event	Timer
1	User is demoted to Intermediate. Lockout initialized.	60 days
1–7	User plays 6 hours. Weekly cap allows only 4 valid hours.	56 days
8–14	User plays 4 hours (all valid).	52 days
15	User plays a 2-hour session. Three independent strangers rate them "Plays Above Current Level." Combined with two strangers from a previous week, the user hits the 5-vote threshold.	0 days

Result: Track 2 activates. The 52-day timer is instantly canceled. The user is promoted back to Advanced, and the UI lock is lifted.