One of the changes we are making for the outdoor courts this summer is that two courts will be set aside for Advanced Play (4.0+) during our open play time. We want to explain why we’re making this change.

What does Advanced / 4.0+ mean?

For those who are new to Pickleball, you may not be familiar with the rating system that is used. Here is an article that covers both self-rating and UTPR rating.

What is the thinking behind having designated courts?

In recent history, our courts have been mostly treated as Open Play courts — anyone who wants to can put their paddle up for next-on on any court. The drawback to this is that not everyone playing on a given day knows each other and is familiar with each others’ capabilities. This sometimes results in someone fairly new to pickleball (and of a ~2.5-3.0 rating) coming onto a court with someone of a 4.0+ rating. Often, this isn’t a good fit for anyone. The newbie gets demolished in a way that doesn’t serve to improve their game, and the advanced player doesn’t get the competitive matches they are looking for.

But wait, how am I going to get better if the really good players won’t play with me?

We all started out as beginners at some point, and improved by having people with more experience to play with and give us guidance. New players (typically 2.5/3.0 skill levels) will improve by playing amongst themselves and with 3.5 players in Open Play. But, recognize that 4.0 players also want to improve their games, and so they similarly will want opportunities to play among themselves and with people better than them.

Note that there is NOT a requirement that the 4.0+ players can ONLY play on the Advanced courts, and often we expect they will play on the Open Play courts as well. Within our club, many 3.5 and 4.0 players often play with/against each other and have fun, competitive matches. This isn’t meant to put an end to that. Those matches can still take place on the Open Play courts, or a group of any mix of ratings that wants to play together can reserve one of the two reservable courts.

Additionally, other opportunities such as lessons, drills, and ball machine use are available for those that want to improve their game.

How do I get rated?

Play in tournaments: With this system, you may have to self-rate before your first tournament in order to choose what events to enter. After that, your tournament results are used to update your rating based on how well you do and how good your opponents are over time. Here’s an example of what my Mixed Doubles rating looks like after a few tournaments. I’m a data geek, so I love this!

IPTPA Ratings and “Club” ratings: Certified Pickleball teaching professionals can administer a skills test to determine your rating. We are working on getting some opportunities for our members to get updated ratings from a teaching professional in the near future, so stay tuned if you are interested in that.

Are the Court Rules on the Advanced Play courts the same as Open Play?

In general, yes. We still want people to rotate off the court after 2 games if there are people waiting.

Do I sign up somewhere different for the Advanced Courts?

Sign up for the “Club Open Play/Advanced Courts” for the day you want to play in Court Reserve. The courts set aside for Advanced play will have signs on them, and you can “play in” on those courts — if you have a 4.0+ rating — by putting your paddle in the holder for next game.

Where do we go from here?

We’re trying something new and seeing how it goes, and we will adjust if needed. These change aren’t set in stone — we’ll see how it goes, see if this works well for the majority of our club, and look for ways to continue to improve.

What you can do to help is to honor that these courts are there for 4.0+ players and help communicate that to people who are new to our courts. We don’t want the players on these courts to have to be the police, and question people’s ratings before they come onto the court. If you want to play on these courts, use this as motivation to drill, take lessons, practice, and take your game to the next level.