Skill Levels

Match hosts may decide to configure a skill level range. This feature is meant to help players at all different levels of play find fun and challenging matches.

The skill levels range from 1.0 - 6.0. You might be a skill level 1.0 if you've never tried the sport before. You may not even know the rules! Players at the 6.0 level are professionals who win tournaments at the highest levels of play.

Find more details and skill level milestones for your sport below so you can find and host balanced matches!

Level	Description
<2.0	General: Match hosts may decide to configure a skill level range. This feature is meant to help players at all different levels of play find fun and challenging matches.
2.5	General: This player has limited experience. Can sustain a short rally with players of equal ability. Basic ability to keep score.
3.0	Forehand: Ability to hit a medium paced shot. Lacks directional intent and consistency. Backhand: Avoids using a backhand. Lacks directional intent and consistency. Serve/Return: Able to hit a medium paced shot. Lacks depth, direction, and consistency. Dink: Not able to consistently sustain a dink rally. Not yet developed the ability to control this shot. 3rd Shot: Generally hits a medium paced ball with little direction. Volley: Able to hit a medium paced shot. Lacks direction/inconsistent. Strategy: Understands fundamentals. Is learning proper court positioning. Knows the fundamental rules and can keep score and is now playing tournaments.
3.5	Forehand: Improved stroke development with moderate level of shot control. Backhand: Learning stroke form and starting to develop consistency but will avoid if possible. Serve/Return: Consistently gets serve/return in play with limited ability to control depth. Dink: Increased consistency, with limited ability to control height/depth. Sustains medium length rallies. Starting to understand variations of pace. 3rd Shot: Developing the drop shot in a way to get to the net. Volley: Is able to volley medium paced shots thereby developing control. Strategy: Moves quickly towards the non-volley zone (NVZ) when opportunity is there. Acknowledges difference between hard game and soft game and is starting to vary own game during recreation and tournament play. Can sustain short rallies. Is learning proper court positioning. Basic knowledge of stacking and understands situations where it can be effective.
4.0	Forehand: Consistently hits with depth and control. Is still perfecting shot selection and timing. Backhand: Has improved stroke mechanics and has moderate success at hitting a backhand consistently. Serve/Return: Places a high majority of serves/returns with varying depth and speed. Dink: Increased consistency with moderate ability to control height/depth. May end dink rally too soon due to lack of patience. Is beginning to understand difference between attackable balls and those that are not. 3rd Shot: Selectively mixing up soft shots with power shots to create an advantage with inconsistent results. Volley: Able to volley a variety of shots at different speeds. Is developing consistency and control. Starting to understand the block/re-set volley. Strategy: Aware of partner’s position on the court and is able to move as a team. Demonstrates ability to change direction in an offensive manner. Demonstrates a broad knowledge of the rules of the game. Has a moderate number of unforced errors per game. Solid understanding of stacking and when and how it could be used in match play. Beginning to identify opponents weaknesses and attempts to formulate game plan to attack weaknesses. Beginning to seek out more competitive play.
4.5	Forehand: High level of consistency. Uses pace and depth to generate opponents' error or set up next shot.s Backhand: Can effectively direct the ball with varying depth and paces with good consistency. Serve/Return: Serves with power, accuracy, and depth and can also vary the speed and spin of the serve. Dink: Ability to place ball with high success at changing shot types while playing both consistently and with offensive intent. Recognizes and attempts to hit attackable dinks. 3rd Shot: Consistently executes effective 3rd shot strategies that are not easily returned for advantage. Able to intentionally and consistently place the ball. Volley: Able to block hard volleys directed at them and can consistently drop them into the NVZ. Comfortable hitting swinging volleys. Hits overhead shots consistently, often as putaways. Strategy: Has good footwork and moves laterally, backward, and forward well. Uses weight transfer for more efficient footwork. Able to change direction with ease. Very comfortable playing at the non-volley zone. Communicates and moves well with partner — easily “stacks" court positions. Understands strategy and can adjust style of play and game plan according to the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and court position. Limited number of unforced errors.
5.0	Forehand/Backhand/Serve/Return: Hits all shot types at a high level of ability from both the forehand and backhand sides including: touch, spin, and pace with control to set up offensive situations. Has developed good touch from all court positions. Has developed a very high level of variety, depth, and pace of serves. Dink: Mastered the dink and drop shots. Ability to move opponents with shot placements. Exhibits patience during rallies with the ability to create an opportunity to attack utilizing the dink. Increased ability to change the pace of dinks strategically. 3rd Shot: Mastered the 3rd shot choices and strategies to create opportunities for winning points. Able to drop and drive ball from both the forehand and backhand side with high level of consistency. Volley: Able to block hard volleys directed at them and consistently drop them into the NVZ. Places overheads with ease for winners. Able to volley shots toward opponents feet consistently. Comfortable with swinging volley in both initiating and ability to attack back or neutralize return. Strategy: Mastered pickleball strategies and can vary strategies and styles of play in competitive or tournament matches. Is successful at turning defensive shots into offensive shots. Has efficient footwork and effective use of weight transfer for improved quickness on the court. Easily and quickly adjusts style of play and game plan according to the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and court position. Rarely makes unforced errors.
5.5+	General: This player is a top caliber player. Performance and tournament wins speak for this player's ability to consistently perform at a high level.

Level	Description
1.0	General: This player is just starting to play tennis
1.5	General: This player has been introduced to the game, however has difficulty playing the game due to a lack of consistency rallying and serving.
2.0	Ground-Strokes: Can get the ball in play but lacks control, resulting in inconsistent rallies. Often chooses to hit forehands instead of backhands. Return: Tends to position in a manner to protect weaknesses. Inconsistent return. Net Play: In singles, reluctant to come to the net. In doubles, understands the basic positioning; comfortable only with the forehand volley; avoids backhand volley and overhead. Serve: In complete service motion. Toss is inconsistent. Double faults are common.
2.5	Ground-Strokes: Can rally consistenly 10 balls in a row, especially on the forehand, with an arched trajectory over the net when the objective is to hit to a partner at moderate speed. Return: In singles, consistent when returning towards the middle of the court. In doubles, difficulty returning crosscourt to start the point. Net Play: Becoming at ease at the net in practice but uncomfortable in a game situation. Serve: Attempting a full service motion on the first serve. First serve in inconsistent (less than 50%). Uses an incomplete motion to ensure a steady second serve.
3.0	Ground-Strokes: Able to rally consistently 10 balls in a row on forehands and backhands. Able to maintain the rally when receiving high, short or wide balls, assuming the ball is received at a moderate pace, especially on the forehand stroke. Return: Can control the direction of the ball in both singles and doubles, when receiving a serve of moderate pace Net Play: Very consistent on forehand volley with easy balls, inconsistent on backhand volley. Overall has difficulty with low and wide balls. Can smash easy lobs. Serve: Full motion on both serves. Able to achieve more than 50% success on first serve. Second serve much slower than first serve.
3.5	Ground-Strokes: Able to move the opponent around the court or hit harder when receiving easier balls. Can execute approach shots with some consistency (more than 50%). Return: Can return fast serves or wellplaced serves with defensive actions. On easy second serve, can return with pace or directional control; can approach the net in doubles. Net Play: Becoming confident at net play; can direct FH volleys; controls BH volley but with little offense; general difficulty in putting volleys away. Can handle volleys and overheads that require moderate movement. Serve: Can vary the speed or direction of first serve. Can direct the second serve to the opponent’s weakness without double-faulting on a regular basis.
4.0	Ground-Strokes: Able to develop points with some consistency by using a reliable combination of shots. Erratic when attempting a quality shot, when receiving fast or wide balls, and when attempting passing shots. Return: Difficulty in returning spin serves and very fast serves. On moderately paced serves, can construct the point through hitting a good shot or exploiting an opponent’s weakness. In doubles, can vary returns effectively on moderatelypaced serves. Net Play: In singles, comfortable at following an approach shot to the net. In doubles, comfortable receiving a variety of balls and converting to offensive positioning; can poach on weak returns of serve. Able to put away easy overheads. Serve: Can vary the speed and direction of the first serve. Uses spin.
4.5	Ground-Strokes: Can use a variety of spins. Beginning to develop a dominant shot or good steadiness. Erratic when attempting a quality shot in two of the following situations: receiving fast balls, wide balls, and in passing shot situations. Return: Off first serves, can defend consistently but very inconsistent (less then 30%) when attempting an aggressive return. In doubles, has difficulty (less than 50%) returning a first serve at the feet of the incoming serve and volleyer. Net Play: When coming to the net after serving, consistently able to put the first volley in play but without pace or depth; however, inconsistent when trying to volley powerful or angled returns. Close to the net, can finish a point using various options including drop volley, angle volley, punch volley. Serve: Aggressive first serve with power and spin. On second serve frequently hits with good depth and placement without double faults. Can serve and volley off first serves in doubles, but experiences some inconsistency.
5.0	Ground-Strokes: Able to maintain a consistent rally, 10 balls in a row on faster balls. Very steady strokes or has a dominant shot. Periodically succeeds (50%) when attempting a quality shot when receiving fast or wide balls, and in passing shot situations. Return: Periodically succeeds (50%) at aggressive return off fast first serves using dominant shot (forehand or backhand). In doubles can return at the feet of serve and volleyer. Net Play: In doubles, after the serve, has a good, deep crosscourt volley. Overhead can be hit from almost any position. Serve: First serve can win points outright, or force a weak return. Second serve can prevent the opponent from attacking. Serve and volleys on first serves in doubles with consistency.
5.5	General: This player has developed a gamestyle which is recognizable as either an all court player, an aggressive baseliner, a serve and volleyer, or a retriever. Has developed good anticipation either technically (can read toss on serve, body position…) or tactically (can read opponents tendencies in specific situations). Has no major weaknesses and can counterattack effectively against a hard ball, wide ball or in passing shot situations. Capable of competing in “open” category provincial level tournaments. Ability to use specific shots in order to exploit opponent’s weakness: drop-shot, lob, angle, moonball…
6.0+	General: These players will generally not need a rating. Rankings or past rankings will speak for themselves. The 6.0 player typically has had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior level and collegiate levels and has obtained a provincial and/or national “open” ranking. The 6.5 player has extensive international “open” level tournament experience at the entry professional level (challenger or satellite experience). The 7.0 is a world class professional tennis player.