You're the head coach scouting players for a world tournament. Read the story inside the numbers — the middle, the average, and how consistent a player really is.
Mean is the average (sensitive to outliers). Median is the middle value (resists outliers). MAD (mean absolute deviation) measures consistency — how far, on average, the scores sit from the mean. Lower MAD = more reliable.
Each dot is a match score (0–20). Drag the outlier toward the pack — see the mean move a lot while the median barely budges.
Tip: drag the dot at 14 down to 7 and watch the mean fall toward the median.
Two players to sign, last 5 matches each. Both average 8 — so the tiebreaker is consistency (lower MAD). Compute and choose.
Player A: 7, 8, 8, 9, 8 · Player B: 4, 12, 8, 5, 11
Grounded in CA CCSS-M, Grade 6 · 6.SP (measures of center: mean & median; variability: mean absolute deviation). Part of the 4-D series.