In support of the announced partnership between USA Pickleball — the sport’s national governing body — and UTR Sports — the global market-leading racket sports technology, events company and official ratings partner of the APP — we sat down with our founder, Ken Herrmann, for the inside scoop.
APP: UTR Sports’ pickleball rating system, the UTR-P, is now set to become the official rating system of USA Pickleball. For those who don’t know, what is a UTR-P, and how does the rating system work?
Ken Herrmann: UTR-P, otherwise known as UTR Pickleball Rating, is a complete game changer for pickleball ratings. It’s designed to rate every kind of player whether you're swinging your paddle for the first time or smashing your way through tournaments. UTR-P ratings are one of two categories – one is for experienced players backed by match history, and the other is a provisional rating if you're new to UTR-P. If you do not have a UTR-P initially you will get a provisional rating (P1-P5) based on your skill set or questionnaire result. After a few matches, this converts to a number rating (1-10). The rating algorithm counts singles and doubles, and verified and unverified separately, and changes dynamically to keep your rating as accurate as possible. At the APP (USAP sanctioned events), we will only have verified ratings for competition play. Unverified ratings are for recreational play and not included in competition events such as leagues and tournaments.
The UTR-P Levels, Explained:
P1 - Beginner
Just getting started.
- No racquet sports experience
- Learning rules and basic swings
- Short rallies with similar-level players are possible
P2 - Social/Casual
Playing for the fun of it.
- Knows how to keep score
- Can maintain rallies but inconsistent
- Main focus: fun and socializing
P3 - Intermediate
Mastering basics, eyeing strategy.
- Understand strategy and shot selection
- Working on 3rd shot drops and dinks
- Ready for tournament play
P4 - Advanced
Strategic and competitive.
- Consistent and solid shots
- Effective strategies like stacking
- Wins advanced-level tournaments
P5 - Expert/Pro
The best of the best.
- Exceptional in all gameplay aspects
- Rarely makes unforced errors
- Consistently plays at the highest level
APP: For those new to UTR Sports, what are the steps to get their own UTR-P rating?
Herrmann: It’s an easy process. First, head to UTRSports.net. If you are a new player, create your UTR Sports account and make a new profile. From there, a short questionnaire will begin to help get you started. You’ll be able to self-rate by selecting the pickleball sport type and following the registration flow.
If you have an existing player profile on UTR Sports, go to your player profile page or home feed and select “Get Rated” underneath the “UTR-P” rating section. This will take you through the UTR-P Rating self-rating questionnaire.
APP: How important is the UTR-P for the sport of pickleball overall?
Herrmann: An objective rating system determined by match play is absolutely essential to the quality of competition in league and tournament play. With UTR-P, player ratings will be more accurate and representative of their true skill and features a key distinction between competitive and non-competitive results to ensure fairness. The UTR-P is pickleball’s answer to an accurate rating and sets a new standard for the sport with a rating and innovation that is truly second to none. As stewards for the sport of pickleball, the APP fully endorses the UTR-P rating and has been working with UTR Sports for nearly a year to develop and optimize this next gen rating, software platform and events to support the pickleball community.
APP: How excited is the APP to continue to partner with UTR Sports and USA Pickleball to support the future of pickleball?
Herrmann: We couldn't be more thrilled to grow the game with UTR Sports, who is a worldwide leader in the ratings space, and to be the only officially sanctioned tour of USA Pickleball. The APP is already using UTR Sports’ software for events and leagues with plans to expand soon to USA Pickleball sanctioned and major events. With UTR Sports’ proven rating system along with the continued support from USA Pickleball, the bar continues to be raised on the quality of competition across leagues and tournaments and we aren’t stopping any time soon. We look forward to our continued partnerships with USA Pickleball and UTR Sports and providing a world-class experience for all our players, regardless of skill, age, or background.
For more information on UTR Sports and to get your UTR-P rating, visit UTRSports.net. Registration and ticket information for upcoming 2024 APP Tour events are available on theapp.global.
