Your tournament player rating is a number with the potential for significant impact on you as a competitive pickleball player. Your tournament rating may impact who you play with, and potentially how much fun you have. PickleballTournaments.com's World Pickleball Ratings (WPR) provides the most comprehensive pickleball player tournament rating system. If the tournament was run on PickleballTournaments.com since June 1st of 2020, your results are in your WPR. No manual entry of results required!

How It Works

WPR has been designed from the ground up to solve the following challenges:

• Create a player's initial rating based on actual tournament results.
• Eliminate self-rating for bracket qualification and seeding in non-sanctioned tournaments. Together with technology changes, this will play a big role in significantly reducing “sandbagging.”
• Incorporate the largest set of match results from all sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments run on PickleballTournaments.com.

WPR includes the following capabilities:

• Ratings calculated using a Glicko-2 ratings system (Learn more about Glicko-2 below).
• 4-digit ratings calculated for singles, doubles and mixed doubles across men and women.
• 2-digit ratings calculated at the end of each calendar quarter based on the level of a player's 4-digit ratings.
• Performance based ratings versus subjective ratings for tournament entry and bracket registration for non-sanctioned tournaments to ensure proper bracket placement, seeding and eliminating the sandbagging experienced at times in the self-rated process.
• A new tournament player's WPR will be calculated based on the results of that players first tournament taking into account match results and opposing players' ratings.

The WPR Glicko-2 rating system was developed by Professor Mark E. Glickman of Boston University as an enhanced chess rating system. Since its release, it has been utilized in many imaginative ways including now for Pickleball. The key enhancement of this ratings system was the recognition that the reliability and accuracy of a player's rating is impacted by the total number of match results and how frequently a player produces match results. In the Glicko-2 system, this is referred to as a player's “rating deviation” (RD). As you would expect, the accuracy of a rating for a player with a large match history and who produces match results more frequently will be much higher than the rating for a player with a small match history and/or a low frequency of results. This enhancement allows WPR to decide how aggressively to impact a player's rating based on their RD.

For Players

For tournament players, there is really nothing you need to do to receive a WPR. If you have match history for a tournament that has been run on PickleballTournaments.com since June of 2020, all your qualifying match results will be incorporated into your WPR. New tournament players without any previous match results, will register in the tournament using a self-rating and playing in a bracket with the self-rating deemed appropriate and will receive their initial rating upon the completion of tournament based on match results.

Player FAQs

What do I have to do to get my WPR?

All existing players on PickleballTournaments.com will have a WPR calculated based on their tournament history since June 1st, 2020, and is visible on your player profile.

If you are a new tournament player, you should use a skill rating system to determine the appropriate bracket to enter for your first tournament, such as the one provided by USA Pickleball which can be found here. Once you have results from this tournament, your WPR will be calculated and will be updated as you continue to play in tournaments based on your results.

Does my WPR include USA Pickleball sanctioned tourneys as well?

Yes. Your WPR will include qualifying tournaments you've played since June, 2020 and qualifying tournaments going forward.

Do all tournaments count 100% to my WPR?

Yes. It should be noted that TDs have the option to not include tournament results for WPR processing. TDs are asked to indicate on their PickleballTournaments.com tournament info page if they will be opting their tournament out of WPR. If you have any questions if a tournament will include their results in WPR, please contact the Tournament Director.

What tournaments will use WPRs?

WPRs will be used for seeding and entry into tournaments that choose to not be sanctioned by USA Pickleball. For USAP sanctioned tournaments, your UTPR will continue to be used.

Can a tournament opt-out of having tournament results included in my WPR?

Yes, this is a decision that a tournament director can make at their discretion.

How can I tell if a tournament is USAP sanctioned or not?

USAP sanctioned tournaments have the USAP logo in the tournament listing and will also be noted in the tournament details on Pickleballtournaments.com.

How will my WPR be set at the start?

Your WPR will use your qualifying past tournament results from between June 2020 and December 2021 on Pickleballtournaments.com to set your initial WPR.

I've played in tournaments before, why don't I have a WPR?

Players without any match history between June 1, 2020, and December of 2021 will not have a WPR and will need to skill rate to select the bracket they would like to participate in. USA Pickleball's skill rating guide is a good resource for determine your skill level and helping you to decide what bracket skill level to enter at your first tournament. You can find this rating guide here on the USA Pickleball website.

Once you have determined your skill rating, you'll need to update your profile on PickleballTournaments.com and set your Singles and Doubles rating. Note: you won’t be able to add a separate mixed rating. Your doubles rating and mixed rating will be the same. If you don’t have a WPR and will self-skill rate, put your lowest skill rate in your player profile on pickleballtournaments.com and then do a skill override at registration. When you register for your next tournament, you'll be asked to verify the skill level of the bracket you want to participate in.

What if I have never played a tournament and I am soon entering my first tournament?

USA Pickleball's skill rating guide is a good resource for determining your skill level and helping you to decide what bracket skill level to enter at your first tournament. You can find this rating guide here on the USA Pickleball website.

Once you have determined your skill rating, you'll need to update your profile on PickleballTournaments.com and set your Singles and Doubles rating. When you register for your next tournament, you'll be asked to verify the skill level of the bracket you want to participate in.

What if I don't agree with my initial WPR?

A rating appeals process will be available for requesting a rating adjustment. See WPR Ratings Appeal process down further in this document.

How will my WPR be different from my UTPR?

Your WPR will be different in the following ways: 1) It will include your qualifying past tournament results for both sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments starting from June 2020 on Pickleballtournaments.com and your qualifying results for sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments going forward; 2) It will use the WPR Glicko-2 rating system for calculating your rating.

Why do I even need a WPR?

The WPR eliminates the "Self-Skill Rating" model currently used at non-USAP sanctioned tournaments for players with an existing qualifying past tournament results starting from June 2020 on Pickleballtournaments.com. The WPR will ensure that participants within a specific bracket match the specified ratings. This enables a fair and competitive bracket for all players by removing the opportunity for higher skilled players to “play down” against lesser skilled players.

Upon completion of the tournament, do I need to do anything to submit my match results?

No. Your match results on PickleballTournaments.com will be included in your WPR automatically.

Where can I see my match history and how it impacts my WPR?

Your match history and how it impacts your WPR can be found in your player profile on PickleballTournaments.com.

I registered for a tournament prior to January 2022. Can I request that my WPR be added to my registration?

Yes. The TD can make changes to your registration.

Can my results be included in WPR if the TD opts out?

No. The tournament is either included or excluded. Individual results cannot be included or excluded.

If I appeal my WPR and my WPR is changed, will the tournaments that I’m registered for be updated automatically?

No, not automatically but the TD can make changes to your registration.

If my quarterly WPR is updated, will my existing registration be updated to reflect my most recent WPR?

No. Existing registrations will reflect the WPR at the time of registration.

How do I know if a tournament I’m registered for will count towards my WPR?

You may email the tournament to ask.

Is a TD able to opt out of WPR at any time?

A TD can opt out of submitting the tournament’s results up to the point where the tournament is completed. A tournament is typically submitted for ratings processing in the week following the tournament completion date. Once a tournament has been submitted for processing it can no longer opt out.

I played in a tournament but it’s not included in my WPR. Why?

Verify the tournament occurred after June, 2020. If so, email wprappeal@pickleballtournaments.com to inquire.

WPR Player Rating Appeal Process

If you feel that your WPR is not representative of your level of play, then please review the following appeal guidelines and if you still feel an appeal is appropriate, follow the appeal process outlined below.

Appeal Guidelines

• Starting on December 31st, 2021, until December 31st, 2022, if your WPR is +/- 0.75 of your UTPR, you may appeal.
• If you do not have a UTPR and feel that your WPR does not accurately reflect your skill level, please provide details on why you feel your WPR should be adjusted (e.g.: you set your skill level for your first tournament too high or low, etc.) and what you believe your appropriate rating should be.

Appeal Process

• Send an email to wprappeal@pickleballtournaments.com and include the following information:
  • PickleballTournaments.com Account ID number
  • The reason you are appealing your WPR
  • If you are appealing due to your WPR is +/- 0.75 of your UTPR, please provide your UTPR rating(s) as well.
• Your appeal will be reviewed by a WPR administrator.
• A decision will be made, and you will be notified of that decision within 15 business days.
• If the appeal is approved, your WPR will be adjusted accordingly.

For Tournament Directors

Non-sanctioned tournaments created on Pickleballtournaments.com with registration opening on or after January 1st, 2022, will utilize WPR for player registration, event bracket creation and seeding. WPR will operate in the same way that UTPR does for sanctioned tournaments. Note, though WPR will be used to ensure proper skill level entry in the tournament, the TD may opt out of having results loaded to WPR.

Tournament Director FAQs

Do I have to follow USAP rules or guidelines for my tournament results to count towards WPR?

No.

Are there any formats not approved for inclusion into the WPR?

The following are the only two reasons that a tournament will not be processed for WPR:

• It is an AAU sanctioned tournament
• The tournament has a Singles or Doubles bracket without a gender designation

Do I need to do anything to use WPR in my tournament?

For tournaments starting registration on or after January 1st, 2022, if you are not sanctioning your tournament with USA Pickleball, then your tournament will default to using WPR. All existing players on PickleballTournaments.com will have a WPR and will be used as part of the registration process. New players to PickleballTournaments.com will be asked to skill rate as part of their account setup and first tournament registration.

Do all players have a WPR?

Players without any match history between June 1, 2020, and December 31st of 2021 will not have a WPR and will need to skill rate to select the bracket they would like to participate in.

New non-rated tournament players will be asked to skill rate as part of their account setup and will indicate their skill to select the appropriate bracket to enter for your tournament.

Can I allow a player to participate in a bracket with a skill level below or above their WPR?

Yes. This is supported in the same manner that it is with UTPR. However, playing at a lower level is not encouraged.

How does player seeding work for WPR?

Bracket seeding works exactly as it does for UTPR. A bracket is seeded automatically from highest WPR rating to lowest WPR rating. In the case of doubles bracket seeding is based on the teams highest and lowest WPR rating. You can manually adjust the seeding at your discretion.

Do all my brackets count 100% to my players' WPR?

Yes. The only reasons that a tournament will not be processed for WPR are:

• It is an AAU sanctioned tournament
• The tournament has a Singles or Doubles bracket without a gender designation

What if I am running a tournament and I don't want my results to impact my players' WPR?

You can opt-out your tournament's results out of the WPR ratings update at your discretion. Please note that you should communicate this clearly to your players so that they understand that their results will not show up in their WPR player history. You have until the tournament end date listed within General Information of your tournament to opt out.

Upon completion of the tournament, do I need to do anything to submit my tournament for WPR rating processing?

No. Your tournament on PickleballTournaments.com will be processed for WPR ratings within the week following the completion of your tournament.

How do I opt out of having my tournaments results included in WPR?

To opt out of having your tournament results include in WPR, please send an email to info@pickleballtournaments.com requesting that your tournament not be processed for WPR. Only persons listed as the owner on the tournament, and make the request from the email address associated with this owner, may request that their tournament be opted out of WPR. Once results are imported and WPR processing competes, you cannot go back to opt out.

Until when do I have to exclude my tournament results from being included in WPR?

You should exclude the tournament from WPR rating processing before the end of your tournament. A tournament is typically submitted for ratings processing in the week following the tournament completion date. Once a tournament has been submitted for processing it can no longer opt out.

Is there a cost for using WPR?

No. WPR is provided as part of the PickleballTournaments.com system use fee.

My tournament opened registration prior to January 2022 so I don’t have access to WPR. How can I use WPR for my tournament?

At this time, only tournaments that opened registrations on January 1, 2022 or later will have access to WPR.

My tournament is displaying three skills, doubles, mixed and singles. Does this mean my tournament is using WPR?

Not necessarily. The WPR will display in red/green font and will be denoted by WPR as the column heading.

How do I know if my tournament is using WPR?

WPR will display in red/green font and will be denoted by WPR as the column heading.