The Richardson Corporate Challenge separates the various competing companies into different divisions based on company size and skill, and then each division competes in 20 or more sports.

All sports are equal

The first guiding principle in our point system is that every sport is equal in terms of points, whether it is a 20‐person soccer team, a four‐person golf team, or three pairs of people throwing horseshoes. Every sport contributes the same number of points towards the grand total that determines the top company in each division.

Sport Points

Since the 2013 Challenge, the basic point system for each individual sport has been the following.

Rank	Points
1st	37
2nd	29
3rd	22
4th	16
5th	11
6th	7
7th	4
8th	2
9th	1
10th	1

Shared Points

If two or more teams tie with the same rank in a sport, they share the points. For example, suppose two teams tie for the third best rank. Normally 3rd place earns 22 points and 4th place earns 16 points. If two teams tie for 3rd, both teams earn (22+16)/2 = 19 points. If calculating a shared value has a fraction, the number is rounded up. For example, if two teams tie for 2nd, each team earns (29+22)/2 = 25.5, which rounds up to 26 points.

Participation Points

In addition to earning points for each of the sports, each team earns additional points based on their participation. Each company earns Participation Points for each sport in which they compete. In those sports, like table tennis or badminton, where there are three pairs competing, a company earns maximum participation points by having six different people competing. In mass participation events like the Opening Ceremony Great Walk or the 5K Run or 15K Bike, a company earns additional Participation Points, even if the individual is a recreational participant and not truly competing for a medal.

Participation Points can be earned during each of the sports. At the end of the challenge, the total Participation Points earned by each company are ranked by division and an additional set of "sport points" are awarded. On the main standings, you can see that the Participation Points column is added to the Medals Points to reach the Total Points earned.

More Details

If you are a glutton for detail and perhaps wonder why the point system has a top value of 37, rather than a more natural max of 10 or 100, then you need to understand how the Challenge’s point system has evolved since the beginning.

See page 2 of History of the Point System (PDF)