Know your level … get in the right ‘school’
What are my pickleball skills?
Where do I fit in with other players?
How do I improve my skills?
What level player am I?
Use this tool to self-evaluate.
The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) provides guidelines for different levels of play ranging from 1.0 to 5.0. It is very important to know where you fit into this scale. Knowing your skill rating will add to your enjoyment of the game, get you set for tournaments and allow you to connect with pickleball players on any court.
All of the below ratings and descriptions are used to establish a rating that aids in getting you involved in singles, doubles and tournament play. Often, courts are divided for recreational play based on skill. If you know your skill, you are likely to be more comfortable and have a much better time.
Playing in games with highly skilled players when you’re just a beginner isn’t a lot of fun for any of the participants, but finding a game where players are of like skill is rewarding, provides better exercise, and can be competitively fun.
Knowing your skill level will add to your fun and connect you with like-skilled players!
The Minnow: USAPA rating 1.0-1.5
1.0: You have no sports background, have never played sports.
1.5: You have an athletic background, but no pickleball knowledge.
The Haddock: USAPA rating 2.0-2.5
2.0: You understand rules, know how to keep score, can demonstrate a forehand, backhand, volley and serve accurately. Know where to stand when serving and returning.
2.5: You know basic rules, including 2 bounce rule, can hit forehand/backhand with direction, has an accurate serve, is able to sustain a dink rally and can volley with direction. Can understand fundamentals and keep score accurately.
The Bluefish: USAPA rating 3.0-3.5
3.0: You can hit a medium-paced forehand and backhand, can serve with depth and accuracy, can control a dink rally, can hit a medium-paced third shot drop, and can hit a medium-paced volley with direction as well as understanding game fundamentals, positioning and has played in tournaments.
3.5: You can use a forehand and backhand with moderate level of control, can consistently get the serve in, return the serve in, can serve deep and can return the serve deep. This player can also sustain medium-length dink rallies, can control the height and depth of dink shots, and understands the variation of pace for dink shots.
The Striper: USAPA 4.0-4.5
4.0: you have all the skills above and are accurate on overhead shots, can sustain a dink rally with control, height and pace, consistently executes third-shot drops from baseline and is able to change soft shots to power shots and then back to soft. Can block and return fast, hard volleys and is always aware of their partner’s position on the court.
4.5: You can do all the above and can set up shots to generate errors from the other team, recognize and attempts to hit attackable dinks, poaches effectively, has effective lobs, good footwork, and is comfortable playing at the non-volley zone line as well as understanding strategy and can adjust during the game.
The Whale: USAPA 5.0
5.0: You have mastered all the skills, can serve in a variety of ways with power and accuracy, mastered the dink shot and exhibit patience during a rally.