Doubles action at the UTR Sports Denver Golden Ticket tournament as players improve their UTR Pickleball Ratings. Pickleball rating systems play big part in pickleball

Pickleball Rating Systems: UTR Pickleball Rating vs. DUPR Pickleball Rating

Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating, or DUPR, recently announced a Reliability Score feature.

At UTR Sports, where we have created world-class ratings in tennis and pickleball for years, we’ve received questions from players about the DUPR Reliability Score and how it compares to the UTR Pickleball Rating and its Verification and Rating Reliability features.

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In this article, we explain the difference between the UTR Pickleball Rating Verification and Reliability features, how they differ from the DUPR pickleball rating and its Reliability Score, what all three are, and how the two pickleball rating systems – the UTR Pickleball Rating (UTR-P Rating) and the DUPR rating, aka DUPR pickleball rating – compare overall.

Pickleball Rating Systems: UTR Pickleball Rating Verification, Reliability vs. DUPR Reliability Score

The UTR Pickleball Rating Verification feature involves the source of the result. It answers the question, is this result coming from a reliable source?

For instance, only matches run by a third-party provider, such as USA Pickleball or the Association of Pickleball Players (APP), can be Verified. Matches that you and a friend play at a local park are not Verified.

WATCH: How UTR Sports, APP, USA Pickleball are United for Pickleball's Future

The UTR-P Reliability percentage has to do with the confidence that we have in your UTR Pickleball Rating. If you have played many matches, then we are more confident in your rating, thus your Rating Reliability will be high.

But if you have played only two or three matches, we don't have as much information about your level of play. Therefore, we are less confident in your rating, and you’ll have a lower Rating Reliability.

Picklabll UTR-P Rating Journey for UTR Sports

UTR Sports has had a Rating Reliability percentage for years with its world-class tennis rating, the UTR Rating, and since the start of its pickleball rating, the UTR Pickleball Rating (UTR-P).

WATCH: What is the UTR-P Rating?

Last month, DUPR announced the creation of the DUPR Reliability Score. According to the DUPR website, the Reliability Score is “a percentage that indicates your progress towards achieving a reliable rating.”

On the surface, the UTR-P Rating Reliability and the DUPR Rating Reliability seem similar. But how each rating gets calculated is vastly different.

Pickleball Rating Systems: UTR Pickleball Rating Verification System Explained

One of the biggest differences between the UTR-P Rating and the DUPR rating is the UTR Verification system, which centers around the source of a result.

If a result comes from a reliable source of organized and sanctioned play, then it is deemed to be a Verified result. If a result comes from a pick-up game or more casual, unorganized play, then it is deemed to be an unverified result.

Chart explaining Verified UTR Pickleball Ratings and UTR Pickleball Ratings

UTR Sports provides a Verified and Unverified rating for both singles and doubles, and, as mentioned, has for years with its gold-standard UTR Rating in tennis.

In pickleball, the Verified UTR-P Rating classifies players only based on those Verified results (third-party organizer), and the Unverified UTR-P Rating takes into account only those unverified results (for instance, a casual match at your local park).

Advantage of the UTR Pickleball Rating Verification System vs. the DUPR Pickleball Rating

The advantages of the UTR Pickleball Rating’s Verification system are many. First off, tournament players are encouraged to post scores with their peers as it will get their peers an Unverified UTR-P Rating, and the tournament player will not incur any risk to their own Verified UTR-P Rating.

This allows for more players to become UTR-P Rated and does not discourage casual play amongst players of all levels.

UTR Pickleball Rating Prevents Sandbagging

Secondly, the verification system ensures that the Verified UTR-P Rating is immune to sandbagging and gaming of the system for tournament entry.

How does the UTR Pickleball Rating Verification System Prevent Sandbagging?

  1. Players cannot simply post scores against one another in order to boost one or many players' ratings.
  2. Conversely, players who play at a higher level cannot post scores in order to lower their rating, allowing them to sandbag in sanctioned-tournament play.

Consistent Accuracy with UTR Pickleball Rating

Finally, another advantage of the Verified UTR-P Rating is that it maintains strong, consistent accuracy while being extremely stable. In other words, the UTR Pickleball Rating Systemis not susceptible to results coming from unreliable sources.

Chart explaining UTR Pickleball Verified vs Unverified Results and how UTR Pickleball Rating prevents sandbagging

The Unverified UTR-P Rating has its advantages as well, including the fact that it provides a fantastic opportunity for the broader pickleball player community to engage with the UTR Pickleball Rating in a much more casual setting.

Three medalists smile at the UTR Sports Denver Open Golden Ticket

Disadvantages of DUPR Pickleball Rating Not Having a Verification System

DUPR does not have a Verification system. DUPR provides a single rating that takes into account all results, regardless of the source.

This has been one of the biggest critiques of the DUPR rating from the pickleball community. The lack of a Verification system discourages tournament players to post scores with their friends as it puts their DUPR rating at risk.

DUPR Pickleball Rating

DUPR Pickleball Rating More Susceptible to Sandbagging

Another problem with the DUPR pickleball rating system, as widely noted by the pickleball community, is that the lack of a Verification system leaves the DUPR rating more susceptible to sandbagging and the gaming of its rating system.

With DUPR, players can post fake scores in order to manipulate their DUPR rating leading up to tournaments. This has led to negative experiences at events that use the DUPR rating for division placement.

Finally, the mixing of posted score results with sanctioned tournament results leaves the DUPR rating more vulnerable to accuracy and stability issues.

Now you know some of the differences between the UTR Pickleball Rating and the DUPR rating and more details about UTR’s Verification system and the lack of a Verification rating for DUPR.

Read and watch more about the UTR Pickleball Rating below:

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