Player self rated too high - what now?

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by omega4

But since most tennis leagues are about fun and pride, why should player returning back to tennis have to delay getting in on the fun just because they're game is in flux? Shouldn't the league and USTA be more responsive in adjudicating a new player's rating as he improves and gets back to a proficiency level that he used to enjoy a long time ago?

Well, one can have a lot of fun playing tennis without jumping right into league, but I hear what you're saying.

It would be great if the USTA were able to adjust players' rating more frequently. Especially in the case of new or returning players, their level of play can change very rapidly in the beginning.

I imagine there are logistical issues with releasing ratings more than once a year, but don't really have any insight into that.

USTA does try to address it by mentioning on the self-rating guidelines that players should take into consideration their likely improvement over the season when self-rating. I guess some do that, some don't. Those that self-rate too low may enjoy immediate success, which is motivating, but then their rate of improvement is slowed because they are not challenged enough. And of course once they have improved but are still rated at the lower level, they get black looks from others. Those that self rate on the high side may suffer some early defeats, but then are able to improve more quickly IMO.

So from a practical standpoint, given how things are, I still think it's best to wait a few months before self-rating.

[omega4]

Originally Posted by OrangePower

Well, one can have a lot of fun playing tennis without jumping right into league, but I hear what you're saying.

It would be great if the USTA were able to adjust players' rating more frequently. Especially in the case of new or returning players, their level of play can change very rapidly in the beginning.

I imagine there are logistical issues with releasing ratings more than once a year, but don't really have any insight into that.

USTA does try to address it by mentioning on the self-rating guidelines that players should take into consideration their likely improvement over the season when self-rating. I guess some do that, some don't. Those that self-rate too low may enjoy immediate success, which is motivating, but then their rate of improvement is slowed because they are not challenged enough. And of course once they have improved but are still rated at the lower level, they get black looks from others. Those that self rate on the high side may suffer some early defeats, but then are able to improve more quickly IMO.

So from a practical standpoint, given how things are, I still think it's best to wait a few months before self-rating.

Given how we're in the Age of the Internet and the 21st Century, it's a shame that USTA ratings can't be computed and disseminated more frequently.

For example, USGA golf handicap indexes are recomputed as soon as you turn in your latest golf round score.

[schmke]

Originally Posted by omega4

Given how we're in the Age of the Internet and the 21st Century, it's a shame that USTA ratings can't be computed and disseminated more frequently.

For example, USGA golf handicap indexes are recomputed as soon as you turn in your latest golf round score.

The USTA calculates updated dynamic NTRP ratings nightly, they just choose not to make them public, presumably because doing so would give the system gamers even more information.

But regarding ratings be adjusted, it is a bit complicated. Self rated players (and a few other categories) are subject to being DQ'd and bumped up at any point in the year when they reach too many strikes. It is at a sections discretion I believe, but a DQ can result in all the matches the player has played also becoming DQs, so these can end up hurting a team, not just the individual being bumped up. And even if prior results aren't reversed, the player is now no longer available for future matches so that still hurts the team.

So, if this similar mid-year bumping was done for all players including C rated, would you reverse prior results or just bump them up? But even if just bumped up, it still hurts the team as they lose a key player for future matches. So there would be even more incentive to game the system and try to make sure key players don't get bumped up. And, in the USTA's mind, is more reason to not publish detailed ratings to enable this gaming.