The International Hockey Federation will launch its first official world ranking system next month. It will be used to determine the pool composition for major FIH and Continental federation events and their qualifiers, a statement from the FIH said.

Comparisons of relative strengths of active countries will be published at regular intervals, at the end of each cycle of events, like Champions Trophies and Challenges or Continental championships.

The methodology for the calculation of world rankings is based upon final rankings of countries' senior teams at Olympic Games, FIH world level events, Continental championships, and all qualifying events for these tournaments. Separate rankings made for men and women and the points for Continental federation events will be weighted to reflect the varying standards/participation that currently exist between the five Continental federations.

The ranking system will reflect both current and past performances. However, results from the past will be progressively less weighted year by year (25% discount per year over a 4-year cycle) until they are deleted from the calculations.

The system will ensure that, as far as rankings are concerned, success at a single tournament, even the Olympic Games or World Cup, will not be sufficient to make up for poor form in the preceding 3-4 years, and vice versa.  It is intended that the ranking system will truly reflect a team's performance over a four-year cycle.

FIH Hon secretary-general Peter Cohen said: "A lot of work has gone into establishing the system. It has been extensively and successfully tested over the last year.  The FIH World Rankings bring to the hockey world an objective, open and transparent system to determine pool compositions at major events as well as adding considerable statistical interest to the results of those events."

The first FIH official world ranking will be published in late October, at the conclusion of the All-Africa Games, the final event of the current cycle of Continental championships.