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Player Ratings Guide

Players are ranked from level 1.0 (Beginner) through to 5.0 (Professional). The guide can be used as a way to help improve your game, from focussing on new skills to develop and learning how to adapt your play to your opponents.

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View the USA Pickleball ratings guide here.​

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1.0 Beginner

  • Player is new to Pickleball, learning scoring and rules

  • Can hit number of balls with a forehand

  • Have a hard time playing games as a rally is not sustainable yet

1.5 Beginner

  • Players keep short rallies going but fail to return balls frequently, and occasionally miss the ball entirely.

  • Have played a few games and knows how to score and knows some of the basic rules of the game

  • Learning how to serve and be accurate

  • Developing a forehand

2.0 Beginner

  • Players start to learn to judge where the ball is going and can sustain a short rally with players of equal ability

  • They have obvious weaknesses in their strokes, but are working on improving them

  • Able to keep score and are familiar with the court positions for doubles play

  • Still reluctant to come to the net

2.5 Advanced Beginner

  • Players are able to sustain longer rallies

  • Many make easier volleys and use the backhand more often but need to work on stroke development

  • They think more about coming to the Non Volley Zone (NVZ) and start to become more aggressive in their play

  • Begin to use dinks and lobs, but don't fully understand when and where to they should be used

  • Serve becomes more reliable

  • Knowledge of the rules improve

  • Court coverage may still be weak but improves consistently

3.0 Intermediate

  • Players are fairly consistent on the serve and serve return when hitting medium paced shots

  • Players demonstrate improved skills with all the basic shots strokes and placement, but lack control when trying for direction depth or power on these shots

  • They are using dinks and lobs on a regular basis as part of their game

3.5 Advanced Intermediate

  • Players have achieved stroke dependability with directional control on most medium paced and some harder hit shots

  • They still need to develop more depth and variety with their shots but are exhibiting more aggressive net play

  • They anticipate their opponent's shots are developing team work in doubles

  • They start to use the "third shot drop" and mix play with dinks, soft shots, more pace, angles and lobs

4.0 Advanced

  • Players have dependable strokes, directional control and depth on forehand and backhand strokes

  • Use lobs, overheads, approach shots, and volleys with success and occasionally force errors when serving

  • Successful third shots drops, dinks, pace mixture, angles, and lobs are now regular parts of their game

  • They fully understand the rules, and can play by them

  • They understand the importance of "keeping the ball in play" and the effect of making errors 

  • Rallies may only be lost due to impatience

  • Teamwork in doubles is evident

4.5 Advanced Tournament Level

  • They have mastered all the skills, shot types, touch, spin, serves and can control the depth of their shots, and handle pace

  • They have excellent shot anticipation, extremely accurate shot placement and regularly hit winning shots

  • They force opponents to make errors by keeping the ball in play

  • Anticipate opponents shots resulting in good court positioning

  • Mastered shots choices and strategies, varying these and their style of play according to the opponents strengths and weaknesses, and court position

  • Excellent shot mix, soft dinks, pace, angles and lobs. All to set up offensive situations.

  • Unforced errors are kept to a minimum to take advantage of opponent's errors

5.0 Champion Level

  • ​All the skills have been mastered all shots types, with touch spin serves all controlled to use as weapons

  • Excellent shot anticipation extremely accurate shot placement and winning shots

  • Force opponent's error by keeping the ball in play

  • Mastered the dink and drop shot

  • Mastered the 3rd shot choice and also strategies

  • Use soft shots, dinks and lobs to set up offensive situations

  • Mastered the strategies and can vary them and their style of play to compete

  • Dependable in stressful situations as in tournament or match play

  • Athletic ability, quickness, agility and raw athleticism are also qualities that separate the top players from those near the top 

Presented by June Walker; From The Villages, Florida, USA

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