Ratings 2024

 All participants in a sanctioned tournament must have a Canadian Tournament Player Rating (CTPR).

  • PCO policy on the use of CTPR must be followed for all Sanctioned Tournaments. Should both players choose to, they may play up ONLY a 0.5 rating level from their current CTPR. The only exception is for 4.5+ or Open events, where all players must have a minimum 4.5 CTPR rating to play in that event. Tournament Directors will ensure this policy is adhered to.
    • If a tournament has a 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0(Open) event, a 4.0 player can play up into the 4.5 event but not into the 5.0/Open event. 5.0/Open events are for 4.5 and above skill level players only.
    • If a tournament has a 4.0 and 4.5+ event without a 5.0/Open event, a 4.0 player cannot play up into the 4.5+ event as it is for 4.5 and higher skill players only. In this case, the 4.5+ event acts in the same way as the Open.
    • Open Category – is only open to advanced players with a minimum skill level of 4.5. It is acceptable to substitute “5.0” terminology instead of “Open” if tournament directors choose to

Why have Ratings?

Ratings provide a means to compare the skill levels of competitors.  They may be used to determine a player’s skill level for tournament entry, specific club play (leagues, ladders, skill level brackets) where, for example, there are separate courts for different skill levels. See Terminology and definitions.

There are three common  methods to provide players with a skill level rating

  1. Tournament Ratings
  2. Performance-Based Ratings Engine
  3. Skill-Based Assessment

Tournament Ratings

In January, 2022, Pickleball Canada (PCO) introduced a “made in Canada” Canadian Tournament Player Rating (CTPR), which applies to all sanctioned Tier 1, 2, 3, and Tier 4 tournament play. CTPRs for players will be recorded under the PCO ‘club’ at Pickleball Brackets (PB), the recognized ratings, tournament, and League/Ladder software provider for PCO.

Initial ratings for all players for the CTPR will only start when a player registers for their first sanctioned tournament post Jan 1, 2022, and will be pulled from their then current Pickleball Brackets Rating.  If there is no previous tournament history in either Doubles, Mixed Doubles, or Singles the starting rating will be the players self-selected skill rating.  If there is tournament history that current rating will be used.

In order to register for a Canadian-sanctioned tournament, all players must be current paid-up members of PCO. 

New tournament players will first need to complete a personal player profile with pickleballbrackets.com  and select their initial skill levels for each category.  It is helpful for the player to complete and submit the online form provided which helps to guide the player in determining their proper self-assessment.  Only sanctioned tournaments will affect a player’s CTPR but both sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments will see results uploaded to a player’s Pickleball Brackets Rating (PBR).

For new tournament players, the starting point in their first tournament will be the mid-point of the selected skill level. (Example 3.750).

Until such time as players have recorded sanctioned tournament games, they are not considered to have a formal CTPR.

Players with concerns or questions regarding their starting CTPR may contact ratings@pickleballcanada.org prior to any new tournament results being recorded to their CTPR.

Be sure to read and understand the Implications of Self-Assessment Skill Levels choices. Once the first game is recorded the player’s initial number is “locked and loaded”.

After tournament results are processed, each player will be able to review a complete breakdown of all the matches that they have played by going to pickleballbrackets.com selecting their name from the player menu, then ‘player stats’ which then provides a drop-down menu from which to choose various information.