WWPB Ratings in detail

WWPB Ratings Principles in Detail!

WWPB provides opportunities for both social and competitive play.
Members can play in any event in the Calendar that includes their Club Level.
Existing members maintain their Club Level from one season to the next.
New social play members self-rate for their Club Level,
Members can request to move up a Club Level, but must meet the conditions outlined below under Existing members.
Members will NOT be moved down a Club Level unless they request it.
WWPB Competitive play is using a performance based system via league play to initially validate a new member’s Club Level and to approve any member’s request to move up a Club Level. There is no Ratings Committee, as with some clubs.
The performance based system in 2022 will be based on League Play in pickleballbrackets.com

Existing Members:

1. Play League and meet the following criteria:

Only League results in Men's Doubles or Women's Doubles in pickleballbrackets.com will be considered for the Club skill Level. Mixed Doubles (Co-ED) and Singles results will not be considered at this time.

When your Men's Doubles or Women's Doubles rating moves up to the next level (e.g. from 3.0 to 3.5) in pickleballbrackets.com and stays there for a minimum of 4 games, you may request to be moved up one Club Level, and that request will be granted.

When you first begin playing League, you must initially create your account in pickleballbrackets.com. One of our system managers will ensure that your level on that site matches your Club Level. If you already have an account in pickleballbrackets.com then this step will not be necessary.

2. Play Tournaments and meet the following criteria:

Only tournament results in pickleballbrackets.com or pickleballtournaments.com will be considered.
The results from any tournament that is a "members-only" tournament or a “fun” tournament that is not intended to be competitive, will be excluded. All other tournament results will be included for club skill rating.

NOTE: Your rating and level may go down in pickleballbrackets.com, based on your game results (the Club has no control over that). However, you will NOT have your Club Social Level changed to a lower level unless you request it. This is so that members are not discouraged from playing League.

New Members:

When you join WWPB as a new member, you will be asked to self-rate. Use the high-level ratings descriptions as a guide to help you select the Club Level that most accurately describes your skill level. Alternatively, you can ask someone who you think knows your skill level. Once you join and have selected your Club Level, you will then be subject to the following:

If you choose Levels 2.0 to 3.5, you will be placed at that level with no further requirements.

If you choose level higher than 3.5, then:

i) If you have a tournament rating in pickleballbrackets.com or pickleballtournaments.com or USAPA that matches your selected level, then you will be placed at that level with no further requirements. You will not be allowed to self-rate higher than your tournament rating, instead you will be required to play League games to move your rating higher.

RATINGS Q&A

What are ratings and why do we use them ?

Ratings are a way of ensuring that members get to play with other members at or near their own skill level. For example, if you are rated at a 3.0 Club Level, you will play in the 3.0 events with other 3.0 players. There are different ways to rate players, such as a ladder system, tournament play, skills assessment, etc. In 2022, WWPB will be using a Performance Based Ratings System, Leagues in pickleballbrackets.com.

What is the difference between Level and Rating?

Each current member has a 2 digit Club Level (e.g. 3.5). This Level determines which Events you can register for in the Weekly Schedule in the Calendar. If you choose to register for "League" Events, you will then be asked to Sign Up on pickleballbrackets.com (first time only). You will also be assigned an 8 digit rating after your first game and that becomes your Club/League Rating in pickleballbrackets.com. Your self assessed tournament rating (2 digit) will not change.

Why can’t I register for League Events in Hold My Court ?

League games, game scores, and ratings are all entered, calculated, and stored in pickleballbrackets.com. Therefore, you must register for League Events on that website.

How do the League results affect my Club Level ?

Each time you play in a "League" Event in the Calendar. Your game results will be entered into pickleballbrackets.com, and your rating will be adjusted based on a number of factors including scores, partner's rating, opponents' ratings, total # of games you played, etc. If your 8 digit rating moves high enough (e.g. from 3.99999999 to 4.01000000) to be in another 2 digit Level (in this case from 3.5 to 4.0) in pickleballbrackets and you maintain that higher level for a minimum of 4 games, you can request to be moved up a Club Level and it will be granted. You will then be able to sign up for Events in the higher Level in the Calendar.

If I do poorly in League, will I be moved down a Club Level ?

NO. We will not be moving anyone down a Club Level unless the member requests it. We want to encourage, not discourage, members to play League.

In my member profile, there are three ratings origin choices (S = Self Rated, C = Club Rated, and T = Tournament Rated). What’s the difference between these and why have three?

When you first join, you are Self Rated. Then when you play League games, your performance based rating will move higher or lower which will determine which group of players you will be with for the next league games.

Tournament Rated is an elective field where you can enter your tournament rating if you have one.

I’m renewing my membership. At what level do I play?

If you are a renewing member, you have a Club Rating from last year that defined your Club Level. You will continue to play at that Level until you successfully move to a higher Level by playing in "League" Events.

How do the "League" Events work and are they run much differently that the "Social" Events" ?

There are “Social” events in the calendar, and there are “League” events in the calendar. The League events are more competitive play, and the Social events are more for fun and social mixing.

The 'Social" Events are similar to the Events of past years. You register in Hold My Court, you show up, and the Captain runs the event.

The "League" Events run a little differently:

· You register at pickleballbrackets.com

· You show up to the Event

· The registrants are ranked according to their rating

· The Captain divides you into groups of 4 or 5 per court, gives you a scoresheet

· You play a round robin of games, record your results, and return them to the Captain

· The results are entered in Pickleball Brackets and your rating is changed, depending on your game results.

RATINGS BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS

High Level Rating/Player Level Descriptions/Characteristics

If you're interested in your approximate skill level rating, you can use the following high-level descriptions to self-assess:

1.0 New and have only minimal knowledge of the game and the rules. Need to work most on developing their hand/eye coordination. 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 Keep some short rallies going with their forehand, but still fail to return easy balls frequently and occasionally miss the ball entirely. They have played a few games and know the basic rules of the game, including scoring.

2.0 Learning to judge where the ball is going, and can sustain a short rally with players of equal ability. They have obvious weaknesses in most of their strokes. Familiar with court positioning in doubles play.

2.5 Able to keep quite a few balls going with their forehands, make most easy volleys, and are beginning to make some backhands but need to work more on developing their strokes. They are beginning to approach the non-volley zone to hit volleys and are making an effort to be more aggressive, including trying dinks and lobs. Familiar with the rules.

3.0 More consistent on the serve and service return, and 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 using lobs and dinks with limited success 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.

3.5 Have achieved improved stroke dependability with directional control on most medium-paced 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 opponent’s shots better, use lobs and dinks on a regular basis with more success, and are developing teamwork in doubles. Need to develop variety with their shots.

4.0 Have consistent and dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand sides. They can reliably serve, use lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys, and can use spin shots with some success. Occasionally can force errors when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Teamwork in doubles is evident. Dinks and lobs are used as a major part of their game. They know the rules of the game and play by them.

4.5 Beginning to master the 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 opponent’s 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. Dinks and lobs are weapons, and they have had success in tournaments.

5.0 Have mastered all the skills – all the shot types, touch, and spin. Serves are used as weapons. Excellent shot anticipation, extremely accurate shot placement and regularly hit winning shots. Can force opponents into making errors by “keeping the ball in play.” Have mastered the dink and drop shots. Have mastered the shot choices and strategies for drop shots, lobs, and fast-paced ground strokes. Uses soft shots, dinks and lobs to set up offensive situations. Have mastered Pickleball strategies and can vary strategies and styles of play in competitive or tournament matches. Are dependable in stressful situations such as tournament match play. They have athletic ability, quickness, agility and raw athleticism that separate top players from those near the top. Are able to keep unforced errors to a minimum. They can take advantage of opponents errors. Have had successful experience with Provincial, State, Regional, or National 5.0 competition.

Thanks to Surrey, B.C. Pickleball Club for much of this information.