New Ratings Framework - Recommendations
As noted in our last two Newsletters, the Club is making changes to the way member players are rated. Specifically, the Club will be adopting a performance-based ratings system called the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR for short) to establish a Club rating for new members who want to be rated and existing members who wish to be re-rated.
As also noted previously, a Rating Committee was formed to learn more about DUPR and determine whether it may be a good fit for the Club.
Having conducted this research, the Rating Committee members unanimously recommended the adoption of the DUPR system in some form by virtue of the following resolution:
“The Rating Committee recommends that SAPC adopt a performance-based rating system called DUPR subject to the development of a suitable implementation plan and SAPC member feedback”
This resolution was approved by the SAPC Board on February 6th.
The Board then tasked the Rating Committee with the development of a detailed implementation plan for a new ratings process regime.
First of all, we would like to provide some background and context based upon the research conducted by the Club and, more recently, the Rating Committee over the last few months:
Background
During our research the Rating Committee has learned the following with respect to DUPR:
1. DUPR is a modified Elo algorithm that uses a player’s last 60 (doubles) eligible matches. While DUPR considers a player’s last 60 games (should they even have that many in the system), it takes considerably fewer matches for a DUPR Rating to be considered accurate and statistically meaningful.
2. DUPR game scores are weighted differently based upon the nature of the game play that generated those scores. Without getting too technical or detailed the game scores recorded are given progressively higher weight as follows:
a. Casual, player-organized games (lowest)
b. Club scheduled play sessions
c. Tournaments/Competitive play (highest)
3. If a player’s rating is not considered reliable (not enough match results) an asterisk will appear after the player’s score in DUPR and the Rating is considered “provisional”.
4. For game scores to be meaningful, at least one of the players involved in a DUPR game must already have an established DUPR Rating (this creates a benchmark).
The Rating Committee is now prepared to make the following recommendations in terms of the implementation plan and seeks your feedback before ratification by the Board:
1. Once the current freeze on ratings is lifted, the Club will modify its rating policy to accept the DUPR Rating of new members who have an established DUPR Rating that is based upon at least 20 matches of DUPR play. Please see the DUPR ranges in point #4 below to understand how DUPR Ratings will translate to Club Ratings.
2. Once the current freeze on ratings is lifted, the Club will modify its policy to accept the rating of new members who achieved a rating as evaluated by an IPTPA Certified Rating Specialist up to the 3.0 Rating Level (within the last 6 months). Note: The Club will continue to accept Canadian Tournament Player Ratings (CTPR) provided the member has played at least 10 sanctioned games.
3. The Club will offer DUPR Rating Clinics starting this spring to accommodate existing Club members who are unrated who want to be rated and members who want to be re-rated. These clinics will involve round robin play for approximately two hours with all game scores being recorded after game completion (games will be timed to end after an established number of minutes). Note: As long as one team has at least 6 points when the time period ends, the game score is considered valid for DUPR entry.
4. Members will need to (a) download the DUPR application to their smart phone to create their profile and then, (b) register for these Rating Clinic sessions (same process as before), which will be monitored by Club volunteers; each play session must have at least one player volunteer with an established DUPR Rating that is within .25 of the rating participants are trying to achieve in the clinic.
For example, for a 3.0 DUPR Rating Clinic for unrated and 2.5 rated players, there would need to be at least one volunteer player participant with a non-provisional DUPR Rating between 2.75 and 3.25.
It is important to note that whatever DUPR Rating level is achieved by virtue of this process, that will become that member’s Club Rating Level (provided their profile shows a non-provisional rating based upon a minimum of 20 matches). For further clarity, if by the end of a Rating Clinic (all results posted in DUPR) a member achieves a DUPR Rating
· lower than 2.5 - their Club Rating will be 2.0
· between 2.50 and 2.99 - their Club Rating will be 2.5
· between 3.00 and 3.49 - their Club Rating will be 3.0
· between 3.50 and 3.99 - their Club Rating will be 3.5
· between 4.0 and 4.49 - their Club Rating will be 4.0
· higher than 4.5 - their Club Rating will be 4.5+
5. Depending upon member demand and court availability, it is likely that the first DUPR Rating Clinic will be for unrated and 2.5 players who wish to be rated/re-rated respectively (essentially a 3.0 Clinic). It will likely take as many as 3 clinics for these players to establish a reliable DUPR Rating assuming they don’t already have DUPR recorded matches in their profile.
6. Another round of DUPR Rating Clinics will be for those members who wish to be re-rated to at least a 3.5 rating level and, finally, we will run Rating Clinics for those who wish to be re-rated to a 4.0 or 4.5+ level.
7. In addition to achieving Club ratings by virtue of this process, on a quarterly basis (dates to be established and published at a later date), the Club will move up members’ Club Rating Level under the following circumstances:
a. The member requests that their Club Rating be increased based upon their current DUPR Rating (which is not “provisional”).
b. The member has at least 20 matches recorded in their DUPR profile.
c. The Club has or is provided with evidence that the member’s current DUPR Rating is at least .50 higher than their current Club Rating. For example, a member with a current Club Rating of 3.0 has a current DUPR Rating of 3.62 during one of the pre-established, quarterly review periods; in that scenario, the Club would raise the member’s Club Rating to 3.5 (if so requested by that member).
8. If a member does not want to wait until one of the 4 quarterly time periods to be re-rated, they will need to participate in one of the aforementioned Club-scheduled DUPR Rating Clinics that is appropriate for the Rating Level they desire to achieve – their Club Rating will then depend on their DUPR Rating at the completion of that Clinic as noted above.
9. Please note that for the foreseeable future, the Club will not unilaterally lower the Club Rating Level of a member under any circumstances. Members may ask, however, that their Club Rating Level be lowered if they so desire for medical or other personal reasons.
We do not anticipate that in 2023 there will be a lot of DUPR play sessions beyond the DUPR Rating Clinics that the Club will be offering as noted above. That being said, if there is demand for additional DUPR sessions the Club may consider offering, for example, DUPR ladder sessions; as well, members may participate in tournaments which, eventually, will likely have their results reflected in DUPR (DUPR is currently working with Pickleball Brackets and developing their own tournament software capabilities to facilitate this process).
The Club appreciates your patience as we work through this process of integrating DUPR into our member ratings regime. We would appreciate your feedback recognizing that circumstances may change over time, and we may learn things that cause us to alter the rating framework laid out in this correspondence. Please send any questions, comments or concerns via e-mail to the Communications Director by February 28th. The feedback will be summarized, consolidated and put before the Rating Committee for consideration and potential changes before seeking approval for the implementation plan by the SAPC Board.
Until Next Time Keep Your Paddle up!