Pickleball Player Rating Systems

If you play competitive pickleball, you've likely heard about different rating systems used to measure player skill levels. Until recently, PlayTime Scheduler has only used Self-Ratings as a means of categorizing players and sessions on a scale of 2.0-5.0. These numeric ratings were based on USA Pickleball's Skill Definitions, which linked closely with the official tournament rating system used for many years, UTPR (USA Pickleball Tournament Player Rating).

As of 2024, USA Pickleball has phased out UTPR in favor of UTR-P (UTR Pickleball Rating) for their sanctioned tournaments. Look closely, those two acronyms are really similar, but not the same!

Despite the official change made by USA Pickleball, many players, clubs, rec leagues, and local tournaments are still using the legacy system that ranks players from 2.0-5.0.

In addition, DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) has become widely adopted by many players and organizations, including the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association).

To provide PlayTime Scheduler users with the widest range of options, we have integrated all three types of ratings into our platform. Separate ratings are used for singles and doubles. Users can sync their official UTR-P and DUPR ratings to their profiles, and set up play sessions using their preferred system. Note that if you choose to use UTR-P or DUPR for your session, players will be required to have their official rating saved in their profile before they may sign up.

Here is a brief summary of each rating system and links to more information:

Self Ratings — Based on legacy UTPR

  • UTPR was previously used as the official rating system for USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments.
  • Assigns players a rating between 2.0 and 5.0 based on observable skills and/or tournament match performance.
  • UTPR was calculated on a win/loss system, and did not factor in point differentials, which some argued made it less precise than the newer rating systems.
  • Recreational players or first-time tournament entrants were instructed to self-rate based on these Skill Definitions. However, comparing your skill level to those around you is typically more accurate.

UTR-P (UTR Pickleball Rating)

  • Developed by Universal Tennis (now UTR Sports), UTR-P is a rating system designed to provide a global, data-driven pickleball rating based on a player's match history.
  • Assigns players a rating between 1.0 and 10.0 based on match performance.
  • Considers all types of play — recreational, league, and tournament results.
  • The algorithm factors in the opponent's skill level, match results, and point differentials.
  • As of 2024, became the official rating system of USA Pickleball and the APP Tour.

DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating)

  • One of the most well-known and widely adopted global rating systems, promoted by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).
  • Assigns players a rating between 2.0 and 8.0 based on match performance.
  • Considers all types of play— recreational, club, and tournament results.
  • The algorithm factors in the opponent's skill level, match results, and point differentials.