Player ratings are used to group players by ability levels so that players can compete in tournaments or leagues with other players of similar ability. Keep in mind, that this will never be a perfect system, but it should improve most players chances of having a fun match. Player rankings are used to determine the position a player is at relative to other players in that age group or rating group.
A rated event is defined as any event in which you need a USAPA rating to participate. Senior tournaments and Junior tournaments where the events are defined by age rather than ability do not require a rating and are not considered to be rated events. Examples of some rated events that we currently sanction are Men's 4.0 Doubles, Mixed 3.5 Doubles, and Senior 4.5+ Men's Doubles.
Anyone who is planning on entering a USAPA sanctioned tournament rated event as defined under "What is a rated event?" will need a USAPA rating to participate. Presently, we consider that when players enter a rated tournament without a USAPA rating, they are self rating themselves. Tournament directors have the final decision on what rating level unrated players will play. Rated players must be allowed to play at their rating level if they wish, although they may always choose to play in a higher rating group.
Some players have already been given tentative ratings based on previous tournament results, recommendations by tournament directors, and other player opinions that we have sought. More players will be given ratings as we get more tournament results and time permits.
You may find out if you have already been assigned a rating by entering http://usapa.org/rankings/ratings/ratings_inquiry.php in your web browser and then choosing the alphabetical listing option.
If you don't have a USAPA rating yet, then you may self rate yourself when you enter a rated tournament for the first time. Your initial self rating must be approved by the tournament director. Your tournament results will be reviewed, and your self rating could be immediately changed if it appears to be obviously wrong.
All ratings will be stored in our database for review by the Ratings Committee, and self rating players will be entered into the ratings database with a "s" to indicate self-rating.
| s | Self Rating | Indicates the rating is a player's self rating. Player self ratings will initially be picked when they enter their first rated tournament. A Self Rating may be changed at any time to a Tournament Rating if sufficient tournament play indicates strongly that the self rating was correct. |
| y | Year End Rating | Starting near the end of 2008, we will publish a Year End Rating List of all rated players which will include any rating changes made by the USAPA to player's ratings based on tournament play during the ranking year. (See Year End Rating Changes!) |
| t | Tournament Rating | Indicates that a player's rating was assigned to a player based on the results of tournament play. All Year End Ratings will become Tournament Ratings 30 days after they are published unless there is a player rating appeal filed. |
| i | Initial Rating | These are initial ratings made sometime in 2007 that may be based on opinions of Tournament Directors and / or other players. Players with Initial Ratings may file an appeal of their rating anytime before the end of 2007 or before playing in their first rated event of 2008. |
Rated Events Approved For 2007 & 2008 Tournament Play |
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The following rating categories of play will be eligible for ranking points. Events not on this list such as 2.5 or 5.0 will not be eligible for points in 2007 or 2008. This does not mean a tournament should not have a lower or higher rated event if the demand is there. It simply means that we don't feel we can accurately rate more divisions until such time as the present divisions are in place and appear to be working. We will add the lower and higher rated events in the future when it seems appropriate and if we have enough volunteers to perform the necessary work. |
The 4.5+ rating indicates that 5.0 or higher rated players may play in 4.5+ events in tournaments. Senior rated tournaments are normally restricted to 50+ years, although some senior tournaments allow doubles entries where the combined age is 100 or over which is permitted. Players under 50 playing in these events will be awarded their prizes, but will not receive any ranking points for their efforts. Non senior rated tournaments currently have no restrictions on age. |
Starting near the end of 2008, and every year thereafter, we will publish a Year End Rating List of all rated players which should include all rating changes made by the USAPA to player's ratings based on sanctioned tournament results during that rating year. Depending on the information available to the Ratings Committee and the number of rated events held, these rating changes may be based on results from sanctioned non rated events as well as results from sanctioned rated events.
For 2008, your self rating is the rating level you entered your first sanctioned rated tournament at. If the tournament director made you play in a higher rating group than you thought correct, or you had to play in a higher rating category because of your higher rated partner, then we might have entered an incorrect self rating for you after receiving the tournament results. You may appeal this rating by sending an email to us at the email address appearing on the usapa.org ratings page.
Only a player may appeal his or her End of Year Tournament rating. To file an appeal, you must fill out and submit a Rating Appeal form on the USAPA web site within 30 days of when the Year End Ratings were first published. See the Ratings page on the USAPA web site for the official deadline. We will add a regular mailing address to which you can send appeals sometime in 2008.
We do not currently have enough volunteer help to reply to these complaints which could be quite numerous, however we will read all of them as they come in. We will only investigate them if you provide sufficient facts to make us think the player in question might be significantly better than all other players in his rating group, and we will not count results from non sanctioned tournaments.
You may look at the currently proposed descriptions for the different rating groups at the end of this document to help determine your rating. You may also use the following statements in helping to select your self-rating.
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These descriptions were derived from current rating descriptions used in Florida's Winter Senior Pickleball Leagues. They have been modified in an attempt to better meet the differences in the various age groups that the USAPA represents. |
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| Rating | |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | These players need to work most on developing their hand/eye coordination. They frequently miss the ball entirely, but can hit some of the slower balls with their forehand. They have a hard time playing games because they can't keep a rally going. |
| 1.5 | These players keep some short rallies going with their forehand, but still fail to return easy balls frequently and occasionally still miss the ball entirely. They have played a few games and know the basic rules of the game. |
| 2.0 | These players are learning to judge where the ball is going, but can sustain a short rally with players of equal ability. They have obvious weaknesses in most of their strokes. |
| 2.5 | These players are able to keep quite a few balls going with their forehands, make most easier volleys, and are beginning to make some backhands but need to work more on developing their strokes. They are thinking more about coming up to the no-volley zone to hit volleys and are making an effort to be more aggressive. |
| 3.0 | These players are fairly consistent when hitting medium-paced shots, but are not comfortable with all strokes and lack control when trying for direction, depth, or power on their shots. They are beginning to attempt lobs and dinks but don't fully understand when and why they should use them and don't have a lot of success with them.This player could be thought of as a "C" player in most clubs. |
| 3.5 | These players have achieved improved stroke dependability with directional control on most medium speed balls and some harder hit balls. They still need to develop more depth and variety with their shots, but are exhibiting more aggressive net play, are anticipating their opponents shots better, and are developing teamwork in doubles. |
| 4.0 | These players have dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand sides with most shots. You can use lobs, overhands, approach shots and volleys with some success and occasionally force errors when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Teamwork in doubles is evident. You know the rules of the game and you play by them. |
| 4.5 | These players have developed their use of power and spin, can successfully execute all shots, can control the depth of their shots, and can handle pace. They have sound footwork and they move well enough to get to the non-volley zone whenever required. They understand strategy and can adjust their style of play according to their opponents strengths and weaknesses and their position on the court. They can hit serves with power and accuracy and can also vary the speed and spin of the serve if desired. |
| 5.0 | These players have all the skills of the 4.5 players, but have either developed these same skills to a higher level or are simply quicker and/or stronger than the 4.5 group of players. |
| 5.5 | Future Rating Category |