How do pickleball rankings work? If you’re aspiring to become a professional pickleball player, you must know how the rankings work.

The skill level is another term for pickleball rankings. Pickleball players are ranked according to their ability. A pickleball ranking is a numerical representation of a player's skill level. Pickleball players are ranked from beginner to expert using a ranking system. Levels may range from 1.0 (beginner) to 5.0 (advanced) players.

Generally, the rankings range from 1.0 to 6.0+, with 1.0 being the lowest skill level and 6.0+ being the highest skill level designated to top professional pickleball players. However, there may be different ranking systems for different players.

In pickleball, players are primarily matched using ratings in league or tournament play. Even if you don't participate in tournaments, knowing your ranking is useful. Knowing your rating allows you to speak intelligently about your game, discover players with whom you are on an equal footing, and enhance your game by identifying the skills you need to work on.

After speaking with various experts and conducting research, we have put together this guide to help you understand how pickleball rankings work.

How Do Pickleball Rankings Work?

Pickleball skill levels or rankings are usually divided into the following categories:  

• Self-Ratings
• Player Ratings for the USA Pickleball Tournament
• Ratings for Dreamland Universal Pickleball

Self-Ratings

Pickleball players can rate themselves in a self-rating. Self-rating requires any two digits, such as 3.0, 3.5, etc. Any pickleball player, whether they compete in tournaments or not, and whether they are a member of the USA Pickleball, can have a two-digit self-rating since each pickleball player can rate themselves.

1.0: If you’re a newbie and just getting started with pickleball, you should allot yourself a 1.0 to 2.0 self-rating.

2.5: If you have some experience playing pickleball, you can keep a small rally on the pickleball field, and you have a rudimentary comprehension of the rules of pickleball, you can give yourself a 2.5.

3.0: Assign yourself a 3.0 pickleball self-rating if you can hit forehand drives, serves, and returns at a medium speed, as well as dinks, but lack consistency and control (for example, returns and serves lack depth and are inconsistent). A 3.0 rating can also be given if you understand the basic strategy and rules of pickleball, including how to keep track of the score.

3.5: If you can hit returns, serves, and drives with pace, such as building backhand shots, as well as drop shots and dinks, and are building some control and consistency (including consistently hitting returns and serves in play), allot yourself a self-rating of 3.5. A 3.5 ranking can also be given if you understand the basic strategy and rules of pickleball.

4.0: Give yourself a 4.0 pickleball self-rating if you can consistently control volleys of various speeds (including block volleys), drop shots, dinks, returns, serves, and both forehand and backhand drives. A 4.0 ranking can also be given if you understand the rules and strategy of pickleball (such as stacking), have a reasonable number of unprompted errors, and know how to attack the weaknesses of your opponents on the pickleball court.

4.5: If you can hit both backhand and forehand drives, control, consistency, direction, depth, spin, drop shots, dinks, returns, serves and volleys with pace; and you understand the rule and strategy of pickleball (including stacking), you have a partial number of unprompted errors, and you change your game play to attack the weaknesses of your opponents on the pickleball court, allot yourself a self-rating of 4.5.

5.0: If you have mastered returns, serves, and both backhand and forehand drives with pace, as well as volleys of various speeds, drop shots, and dinks, and have control and consistency; and  you have learned the strategy and rules of pickleball, allot yourself a pickleball self-rating of 5.0.

5.5-6.0+: If you have mastered all strokes and strategies on the pickleball field; and you are consistently winning at the top level, meaning you are winning against the greatest qualified pickleball players at the competition level, give yourself a 5.5-6.0+ pickleball self-rating.

Player Ratings for the USA Pickleball Tournament

The UTPR, also known as the USA Pickleball Tournament Player Ranking, is a ranking system designed by USA Pickleball to identify the skill level of a pickleball player. It was previously known as the USAPA Pickleball competition Player Rating. The UTPR's main goal is to stop pickleball players from sandbagging, or playing at a lower skill level in order to earn a medal.

For pickleball players, the UTPR is regarded to be more accurate than a self-rating. However, because it is only available to competitive pickleball players, many recreational pickleball players may not have a UTPR and will have to rely on their own judgment.

How is the player rating for the USA Pickleball Tournament determined?

The UTPR is only available to USA Pickleball members and is based only on performance in pickleball competitions. To put it another way, to get a UTPR, you must compete in pickleball competitions and be a member of USA Pickleball. Also, since the UTPR does not take age into consideration, there may be some age bias in the results.

The UTPR ranking varies from 0.000 to 6.999 and may be two or four digits long. A four-digit UTPR is visible to the pickleball players who are eligible for challenging competitions. The public can see the two-digit UTPR, which is based on the appropriate four-digit UTPR.

The two-digit UTPR is calculated by dividing the four-digit UTPR by two. For example, if your four-digit UTPR is 5.213, your two-digit UTPR will be 5.0. It's also worth noting that you'll get a separate rating for gender doubles, mixed doubles, and singles.

The UTPR is calculated on a weekly basis and is determined by the ELO classification, which means that your rating rises with wins and falls with losses. The magnitude of a gain or drop in a rating is determined by the following factors:

• Your score
• The opinion of your partner (if you are playing doubles)
• Rankings of your opponents

The type of tournament you're participating in

Pickleball tournaments have traditionally been divided into three groups for the purposes of UTPR weighting:

• Tournaments sanctioned by USA Pickleball were given a 100 percent weightage.
• Medal Match Plus sanctioned tournaments in the USA Pickleball Association (in other words, where referees only officiate medal games, in addition to the match before the bronze medal) were given an 80 percent weightage.
• Unsanctioned tournaments were given a 60% weightage.

Pickleball tournaments, on the other hand, will either receive a 100 percent weightage or a 0 percent weightage and will not be utilized in the computation of the UTPR at all. USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments will be given a 100 percent weightage (whether standard or MMP sanctioned). All tournaments that are not sanctioned will not be weighted and will; therefore, be 0.

It's vital to realize that no single match will change your UTPR by more than 0.1. Additionally, the more pickleball tournaments you play, the more accurate your UTPR will become. It's worth noting that USA Pickleball has formed a committee to look into how the algorithm might be improved to better reflect and capture a player's skill level.

In Pickleball Tournaments, How Is the UTPR Used?

You can always play up in pickleball skill level if you're in a pickleball event. This means that if your UTPR is 4.5, you may select to play in the 5.0 skill level bracket.

In a pickleball event, you can also compete against people your own age. If you're 52 years old, for example, you could select to play in the 19+ age group. The one exception to this regulation is that pickleball players under the age of 19 are allowed to participate in the 19+ divisions.

You cannot; however, play at a lower skill level or at a younger age. For example, if your UTPR is 4.5, you are not allowed to participate in the 4.0 skill level bracket, and if you are 52, you are not allowed to compete in the 65+ age bracket.

Ratings for Dreamland Universal Pickleball

The third rating system is newer and less widely used than self-ratings or UTPRs. Dreamland Universal Pickleball Ratings, or DUPR (which is the official rating system of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA)), is the name of this new system. There are considerable differences between the DUPR and the UTPR.

To begin, DUPR includes all matches, including leisure games (as opposed to the UTPR, which only includes tournament matches).

Second, DUPR considers the number of points scored in each encounter, therefore every point matters (even in recreational play).

Third, in doubles pickleball, DUPR applies a higher weighting to the weaker partner's skill level, based on the assumption that the weaker player will get more balls or shots.

Finally, unlike the UTPR, which has both mixed and a gender doubles rankings, the DUPR only has one ranking.

Pickleball Skill Levels in General

Despite the fact that the USA Pickleball Tournament Player Ranking and self-rating are more specific and precise, certain recreational pickleball leagues and clubs may use more general pickleball skill levels. Pickleball clubs and leagues, for example, may divide players into the following categories:

New Pickleball Players

New or beginner pickleball players are defined as those who have a rating of 3.0 or lower. In other terms, these pickleball players have a rudimentary comprehension of pickleball's rules and tactics, as well as some basic shots (such as dinks, medium-paced drives, returns, and serves), but their consistency and control are limited.

Intermediate Pickleball Players

Pickleball players with a rating of 3.5 to 4.0 are considered intermediate pickleball players. In other terms, these pickleball players have a solid grasp of the game's rules and tactics, as well as consistent forehand and backhand shots (including volleys, backhand shots, and drop shots) and a modest frequency of unforced errors.

Skilled Pickleball Players

Skilled or advanced pickleball players are defined as those who have a rating of 4.5 or higher. In other words, these pickleball players are well-versed in the game's rules and tactics, and they have excellent control over all shots on the pickleball court, with few unforced errors.

Some pickleball clubs and leagues employ these broader skill level categories to make the social aspect of the sport more accessible. To put it another way, larger groups allow for more socialization! These basic pickleball skill level grouping is also useful for enabling lower-level pickleball players to practice alongside and against higher-level pickleball players.

Rankings for Pickleball

When it comes to pickleball rankings, a few organizations are competing for the title of best pickleball ranking system, including the following:

• Pickleball World Rankings (powered by Pickleball Tournaments)
• Pickleball Rankings Around the World
• Rankings of Apps
• Rankings of the PPA
• Rankings for the United States of America

Pickleball World Rankings

Pickleball Tournaments introduced the World Pickleball Rankings in 2021. The World Pickleball Rankings claim to be the "gold standard" for professional pickleball rankings.

The World Pickleball Rankings place pickleball players in order based on their results at important tournaments across the country, such as the US Open Pickleball Championships, US Pickleball National Championships, Tournament of Champions, and numerous events on the APP and PPA trips (which are the two major tours in the sport of pickleball).

The Global Pickleball Rankings are determined by a pickleball the 12 best events of the players over the previous 12 months. These rankings are unique in that they are based on age and only provide points for wins in matches (this means that pickleball contestants are not sanctioned for poor match results).

If you compete in a pickleball tournament, you most likely keep track of your rating (including your UTPR), skill level, and ranking, with the goal of developing a professional player as much as possible. If you're a casual pickleball player, though, you might merely have a notion of your general pickleball skill level or self-rating.

For recreational players, it's a good idea to at least know your rating or ability level so you can participate in pickleball games with similar skill levels, as these are usually the most enjoyable. Having said that, it's still great to switch things up and play with people of all skill levels.