With over 5 million players, exploding growth and constantly increasing places to play, pickleball has continued to be the number one growing sport in the United States. The dink, soft game, bangers, concentration, exercise, competition, and most of all fun, are all part of the pickleball world. Basically the sport is a blend of badminton, ping pong, and tennis. Pickleball has a relatively short learning curve, thereby giving even a newbie beginner the chance to start having fun right from the start. Played with light-weight paddles and a plastic wiffle ball, games are played on a court the approximate size of a badminton court. The net is set slightly lower than a standard tennis net. Play format includes both singles (two players) or doubles teams (four players, two per team). Bottom line is the sport is addictive and a blast to play!

Pickleball players are among the most diverse of any sport, including folks within a wide range of age and skill. Many tournaments see the largest number of players in the 50+ brackets. However, pickleball is far from being a seniors-only sport. Top players of all ages are well conditioned athletes, with competition demanding excellent skill levels, conditioning and training. For a taste of pro-level action, check out some women's and men's matches on YouTube. Names like Ben Johns, JW Johnson, Kyle Yates, Dekel Bar, Tyson McGuffin, and Riley Newman are a few of the top men's group. While, Anna Leigh Waters, Parris Todd, Anna Bright, and Catherine Parenteau are a few of the amazingly talented women pros.  In pro competition, as in rec play, we find players of all ages. For the majority of players, pickleball represents a fun, challenging and competitive means of providing great exercise and socializing. As skills and conditioning improve, often the competitive drive emerges in many players as they strive for higher rankings and a tournament medal or two. The satisfaction of such accomplishment, especially at the higher age levels, is something not often available in most other sports. It's an awesome feeling at any age.

Pickleball's organizing body is USA Pickleball. As such, USAP has established official rules for playing the sport. These rules have been and continue to be revised and amended each year. The USAP Rules Committee is responsible for considering adaptation of new rules. Use this link to review a copy of the 2024 Official Pickleball Rule Book.

As new players improve and begin thinking about competing in tournaments, the next step is determining a skill rating. Ratings are a means of determining a player's abilities, attempting to make the game more fun and competitive for everyone. Rating systems ensure that players of similar skill levels are matched against each other in tournaments and other competitions.

Rating systems consist of skill levels ranging from 1.0 to 8.0. These numeric ratings provide a more accurate determination of a player's skill level and even better matches. While none of the rating systems are perfect, the player experience derived from them helps to enhance the game, benefiting us all. 

Until 2021, there was basically only one player rating system, the United Tournament Players Rating (UTPR). USA Pickleball supports and has been in contract with the system. A player's UTPR is based on tournament results. Ratings include a four-digit numerical skill level, although levels are commonly referenced using a two-digit interpretation, such as 3.5 or 4.0.

The DUPR system has become the become the player's choice for accurate skill rating. DUPR is endorsed by most of the world's best players and increasingly most serious amateurs. DUPR claims itself as "the most accurate global rating system." It uses algorithms based on match results in determining both an amateur and pro rating system. Check out DUPR Info for answers to questions regarding this system.

Finally, Pickleball Brackets, the primary tournament registration and event operations software platform, also has a rating system known as the Pickleball Brackets Rating (PBR). These ratings are derived from tournament results provided by operations teams from individual tournaments.

Pending the establishment and agreement of a single rating system, the current situation, including multiple platforms, will continue confusing players and tournaments. We're hoping 2024 will introduce a suitable solution.