By Beth Carpenter, GAMMA Brand Ambassador |
If you’ve gotten comfortable with your pickleball game and have decided to enter tournaments, you’ve likely had to sign up to play based on your skill rating- a rating typically from 1.0 to 5.0, with 1.0 being weakest and 5.0 being strongest. Note: ratings for 5.5 and 6.0 are being gradually introduced at this time. For most local tournaments, this is based on your “self-rating”, in which you rate yourself based of your skill set. Definitions of these skill levels for self-rating can be found on the USA Pickleball website.
To make ratings more universal and accurate, USA Pickleball (formerly known as the USAPA) has created a national rating system. This is called a player’s UTPR (USAPA Tournament Player Rating). This rating is separate from your self-rating, in that it is solely computer based. The UTPR is calculated based on tournament wins and losses, and the doubles rating, mixed rating, and singles rating may be different. 
UTPR ratings are designed to provide more accurate ratings for tournament players and eliminate “sandbaggers” and “over-raters”. For example, in a sanctioned tournament, you can not play at a level that is below your UTPR.
UTPR ratings are designed to provide more accurate ratings for tournament players and eliminate “sandbaggers” and “over-raters”. For example, in a sanctioned tournament, you can not play at a level that is below your UTPR.Your UTPR is calculated from all tournaments that are run through pickleballtournaments.com whether they are sanctioned or non-sanctioned. However, only fully sanctioned events are weighted 100% in your UTPR calculation, with Medal Match Only sanctioned events at 80%, and non-sanctioned events at 60%. The four-digit UTPR is calculated on a weekly basis, while the two-digit UTPR (used to register for tournaments) is updated quarterly. More information on the UTPR can be found by clicking here.
To receive a UTPR and play in USAPA sanctioned events, you must have a USA Pickleball membership, which runs at $20 per year. Additional benefits for becoming a member include secondary medical insurance at all sanctioned events, the ability to compete in Regionals, National Qualifiers, and Nationals Championships, member e-newsletters, Pickleball Magazine digital subscription, discounts from USAPA partners, and a $20 USAPA portable net discount. USAPA currently has over 40,000 members and continues to rapidly grow. To become a member and/or view your UTPR, visit USA Pickleball.