Pickleball is a fun and exciting sport that has gained tremendous popularity in recent years. As more players enter the game, it’s become increasingly important to have a standardized rating system to ensure fair competition and help players improve their skills. That’s where the DUPR rating comes in.
In this article, we’ll explore what a DUPR rating is, how it differs from other rating systems, and why it’s important for pickleball players of all skill levels.
Whether you’re new to the game or an experienced player involved in the pickleball community, understanding the DUPR rating is an important element to pickleball.
So, let’s dive in and get this DUPR rating explained!
What Is a DUPR Rating?
The DUPR rating system is a skill-based rating system developed in 2021 by MLP founder Steve Kuhn. Jillian Braverman serves as the current CEO. Her background consists of being a professional pickleball player as well as former head of Universal Tennis Rating.
Now, you might be wondering, “what does DUPR stand for?”
Good question…DUPR stands for “Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating”
The DUPR was created to help solve a problem that was growing in pickleball of having an unfair rating system, or even no official rating system at all. It can get as bad as “self rating” where players would rate themselves and that could cause sandbagging to a lower rating than they actually were to give themselves an unfair advantage at a pickleball tournament.
DUPR has some forward thinking and saw that this problem would only get worse as the popularity of the sport grew and knew they needed an accurate rating system that everyone could use regardless of age or gender. Unfair play or not having a universal rating system could cause a lot of problems for the game and potentially ruin all the fun that this inclusive community brings.
The DUPR rating system uses a scale from 2.0 to 8.0, with higher numbers indicating greater skill levels. See our chart below, but for example, men’s world number one Ben Johns has a DUPR of 7.20 and women’s world number one Anna Leigh Waters has a DUPR of 6.30 at time of writing.
Each player has a singles DUPR and a doubles DUPR. The ratings are dynamic and can change over time as players compete in more matches and their skills improve. So yes, even Ben Johns DUPR rating is different for singles and doubles. Spoiler…they are both REALLY good!
One unique feature of the DUPR rating system that is different than other pickleball rating systems is that it takes into account the margin of victory in games, not just whether a player won or lost. This helps to provide a more accurate assessment of a player’s skill level by considering how well they performed in each game.
Overall, the DUPR rating system provides a fair and accurate way that is gender blind to assess pickleball players’ skill levels and promote competitive play at all levels.
How is the DUPR Calculated?
To calculate a DUPR, three things are taken into account.
- The first is how many points you won in your match. This is good because it incentives you even if you are way down in the match to keep pushing hard to help your DUPR. Players are assigned an Expected Value (EV) of points they should win so even if they lose and win more than their EV their DUPR can go up.
- The second factor in determining your DUPR is did you win or lose the match. Obviously, this is an important piece in determining how good you are, but it’s not the only piece which is why the DUPR is nice!
- The third and final component in how the DUPR is determined is the type of result that you post. Meaning, was it a self-posted result, league match or was it at a sanctioned tournament?
The DUPR looks at your last 60 doubles matches or last 30 singles matches of played pickleball and weighs your most recent matches higher.
What are the Benefits Of the DUPR System?
The DUPR Rating system offers several benefits:
- Higher Quality Tournaments (no sandbagging!)
- Every Match Means Something
- Find a Partner Easily with access to over 30,000 players in their database
- Play More matches
- Guaranteed Time Slots
- Ability to follow your club to stay up to date on events
- Find other DUPR-branded events near you
- Analyze your performance
- See everyone’s national pickleball rankings
- Shop DUPR Merch and show your pride!
What is The DUPR Collegiate Pickleball?
The DUPR Collegiate Pickleball Program is bringing the college pickleball experience to students across the country through 12 Regional Tournaments, the Collegiate Team National Championships, and the new Collegiate Individual National Championship. All of these events will take place at Life Time locations. Finally, the year will culminate with the 2023 Collegiate National Championship, which will showcase the top 36 teams in the country. Get ready for an incredible opportunity to compete in these exciting events and show off your pickleball skills!
Why Do We Need A Rating System In Pickleball?
A rating system in pickleball is essential for several reasons.
First, it helps players to compete against others at their skill level. This ensures fair competition and helps players improve their game by playing against similarly skilled opponents. Without a standardized rating system, it would be difficult for players to find an appropriate competition or track their progress over time. Ideally, what DUPR is looking for in setting up fair competition would be to have DUPR ratings within .250 of a point of each other. This is what they would call “DUPR Neutral”.
Secondly, a rating system makes it easier for organizations and tournaments to determine eligibility and seeding for events or a league match. By having a clear understanding of each player’s skill level, organizers can create more balanced brackets and ensure that everyone has a chance to compete on the same scale.
Finally, a rating system can help promote the growth of the sport by making it more accessible to newcomers. New players may feel intimidated playing against more experienced opponents but having a rating system allows them to find other players who are just starting out or at a similar skill level.
In short, the benefits of having a rating system in pickleball are numerous and essential for the continued growth and success of the sport.
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How Do You Get A DUPR Rating?
Getting a DUPR rating is super easy and it is free! First of all, you can sign up on DUPRs website. BUT, you may already have a DUPR if you have played in an event in the past so just go to the DUPR rating lookup and search your name first to see
Anyone can get a DUPR. Pros playing on the professional tours and recreational players alike! All you need to do is have one match with a rated player and your DUPR will calculate automatically. This is what DUPR likes to call “connectivity”.
You can add your match online or in the app. You just need your opponent’s name and the score! Done.
The DUPR App
The app is really nice and easy to use, which is important to get players to use it. It shows your DUPR rating, wins and losses, average points won, average opponent DUPR, match history, and much more! You can find your club in the system to keep track of your local events and look up players anywhere. Great resource! And again, its free!
Explain How It Differs From Other Rating Systems
The DUPR rating system in pickleball differs from other rating systems in a few key ways.
Firstly, it takes into account the level of competition when calculating a player’s rating. This means that players who perform well against tougher opponents will receive a higher rating than those who perform well against weaker opponents.
Next, the DUPR system uses a dynamic algorithm that adjusts player ratings after each match based on the outcome and the relative skill levels of the players involved. This helps to ensure that ratings remain accurate and up-to-date over time. The DUPR rating update after each match is awesome.
Last, the DUPR system allows for more granularity in ratings, with players being assigned a rating down to two decimal places rather than just one.
Overall, these features make the DUPR system a more nuanced and accurate way of measuring player skill in pickleball.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the DUPR rating system is a dynamic and accurate way of measuring player skill in pickleball. By taking into account the level of competition and using a sophisticated algorithm to adjust ratings after each match, the system ensures that players are accurately ranked in pickleball tournaments according to their abilities. This makes it easier for players to find fair and enjoyable games, as well as allows for more organized tournaments and leagues.
If you’re a pickleball player looking to improve your game and take on new challenges, getting your own DUPR rating is an excellent way to do just that. Not only will it give you a more accurate sense of where you stand in the rankings, but it will also help connect you with other players of similar skill levels for more competitive matches.
Plus, with the system’s dynamic algorithm constantly adjusting ratings based on performance and level of competition, there’s always room for improvement and growth. So why not take the plunge and get your own DUPR rating today? Who knows – you might just discover new strengths and abilities that you never knew existed!
