So, to get an official NTRP level ranking...
- Thread starter sabala
- Start date
goober
Legend
If you play tournaments exclusively (ie meaning no leagues) your official ranking will not come out till the end of the year.
If you play leauges (not flex leagues, but regular adult teams) you have to self rate and your rating will be dynamic. You won't know what your dynamic rating is unless you get DQ'ed in which case you were too low. You may get an early start rating if your league has that in the mid year. Your official rating will be published at the end of the year.
Fuji
Legend
I'm not 100% sure that's how it works, otherwise you could just go enter an open and say you are 5.0....
I think the first step is getting actually rated by a pro/USTA certified person, and then play from there in a league and build your ranking.
I got rated at 3.5 by a pro, 3 years ago and after a season there I got moved up to 4.0 and it's where I am now.
-Fuji
I think the first step is getting actually rated by a pro/USTA certified person, and then play from there in a league and build your ranking.
I got rated at 3.5 by a pro, 3 years ago and after a season there I got moved up to 4.0 and it's where I am now.
-Fuji
Pros generally don't do sight ratings anymore. If you want to play USTA league tennis, you just have to self-rate yourself and sign up. If you self-rate too low, you should/will get DQ'd and moved up forcefully.
To the OP, there are many different types of ratings, so it depends on what you consider "official". I think the "official" computer rating is the C or B rating that you get from playing Adult (or Senior) league tennis. If you have a C or B rating, you can enter any NTRP tennis event that you want at that level (adult, tournament, mixed, combo, etc). If you just play tournaments, you will get a "tournament only" rating (T rating). However, if you have a T rating and you want to play league tennis, you still have to self-rate for league play since a T rating is not an "official" rating for adult leagues.
You also have to be careful whether you mean "rating" (like 3.5 or 4.0 or 4.5) or "ranking" (like 5th). If you play NTRP tournaments, you will get points and a ranking at that level as soon as you win a match in a tournament at that level. Rankings are either eligible or ineligible depending on how many tournaments you play and whether you play tournaments in your home section or elsewhere. Open rankings are published monthly, although I'm not sure if NTRP rankings are monthly or just at the end of the year.
I believe in some sections/districts, USTA tournament matches don't count into NTRP... only USTA leagues do.
As others said:
1) self-rate on tennislink, at which point you'll have a "tentative" "S"(elf-rate) rating. This will allow you to play NTRP leagues/tourneys.
2) play at least two (?) "qualified" matches during the year, meaning USTA league (and maybe but not certainly, tournaments - check with your USTA section/district)
Depending on how you do, you either a) get bumped up during the season and thus get an "official" rating early or b) get a "C" rating at the end of the year (end Nov - early Dec), which could end up being the same as your self-rating or could be higher/lower.
Any non-NTRP play (flex leagues, club leagues, ladders, etc.) doesn't count, and there are caveats having to do with "Early Start" (in some areas) and mixed USTA leagues... I won't go into that.
The best way to find out where you stand might be to play a few NTRP tournaments. If you happen to be competitive in 4.0 draws (as an example), who's to say you can't call yourself a 4.0 even if you don't have an "official" rating yet?
As others said:
1) self-rate on tennislink, at which point you'll have a "tentative" "S"(elf-rate) rating. This will allow you to play NTRP leagues/tourneys.
2) play at least two (?) "qualified" matches during the year, meaning USTA league (and maybe but not certainly, tournaments - check with your USTA section/district)
Depending on how you do, you either a) get bumped up during the season and thus get an "official" rating early or b) get a "C" rating at the end of the year (end Nov - early Dec), which could end up being the same as your self-rating or could be higher/lower.
Any non-NTRP play (flex leagues, club leagues, ladders, etc.) doesn't count, and there are caveats having to do with "Early Start" (in some areas) and mixed USTA leagues... I won't go into that.
The best way to find out where you stand might be to play a few NTRP tournaments. If you happen to be competitive in 4.0 draws (as an example), who's to say you can't call yourself a 4.0 even if you don't have an "official" rating yet?
Even in sections where tournament matches count towards your year-end computer rating, you can't get a C rating by just playing tournaments. You still have to play league matches to get C rated. Playing tournaments only will get you T rated.
dennis10is
Banned
First you get a Computer rating from the USTA NTRP Adult League. Second you ask the HOLY STD here on the TW board to certified it. Only then, is your NTRP rating "OFFICIAL".
Fuji
Legend
Oh really? It's been a while since I've seen them done now that you mention it! Thanks for the heads up!
-Fuji
Haha! The only reason I ask is in case I accidentally call myself a 4.0 on the boards here and the TW level experts mock me and demand evidence, hehe!
I used to play tournaments, (not a lot) back in the early 90's but my friends and I never cared about whatever level we really were - we just played. We didn't even worry about a ranking either...that was way before computers decided that stuff. I don't even know how they did ranking stuff back then? Maybe they had a lot more rating clinics in those days...
Just seems to be important 'round here to have evidence if you claim more than 3.5, (not like anyone should care)! Anyway, one day I'll get a vid up here for the level ranking gods to make me "official"!
Anyway, I've been curious how they do indeed find your ranking and I have a better idea now so, thanks for the info!
dizzlmcwizzl
Hall of Fame
Essentially the rating you recieve is a computer calculation based on results reported to the USTA. Tight matches or wins against good opponents you get a higher rating, poor results against weak opponents, the opposite is true .......
Generally the only area where a rating is important is if you play league tennis. In league tennis you play against players that have estalished themselves at a particular level and the comparisons actually mean something. If you play in leagues you can get ratings of C or B depending on the teams performance. These have different actual meanings to league players but these essentially mean the same thing .... you have an established rating against a pool of established players.
If you play play tournaments or mixed doubles exclusively you can also get ratings but because of the nature of these events the USTA does not feel they provide as accurate a comparison as if you played in leagues. If you play tourneys or mixed exclusively you will get ratings of T or M ... which will indicate that the USTA has an idea about what your rating should be but should you choose to play league tennis they will not guarantee your level.
This means that if you play tourneys this year .. get a rating of 3.5 T for tournament only and chose to play in league tennis next year ... the USTA reserves the right to change your rating and overturn any wins you earned ... if it turns out that you are much better than the 3.5 C players in the area.
So the bottom line is: if the goal is to have bragging rights on TT who cares, just make it up. However, if you want a legitimate USTA rating then really adult league tennis is the best place to get that.
Generally the only area where a rating is important is if you play league tennis. In league tennis you play against players that have estalished themselves at a particular level and the comparisons actually mean something. If you play in leagues you can get ratings of C or B depending on the teams performance. These have different actual meanings to league players but these essentially mean the same thing .... you have an established rating against a pool of established players.
If you play play tournaments or mixed doubles exclusively you can also get ratings but because of the nature of these events the USTA does not feel they provide as accurate a comparison as if you played in leagues. If you play tourneys or mixed exclusively you will get ratings of T or M ... which will indicate that the USTA has an idea about what your rating should be but should you choose to play league tennis they will not guarantee your level.
This means that if you play tourneys this year .. get a rating of 3.5 T for tournament only and chose to play in league tennis next year ... the USTA reserves the right to change your rating and overturn any wins you earned ... if it turns out that you are much better than the 3.5 C players in the area.
So the bottom line is: if the goal is to have bragging rights on TT who cares, just make it up. However, if you want a legitimate USTA rating then really adult league tennis is the best place to get that.
goober
Legend
Yes we demand video evidence. That way we watch the video and can say -
"You look like a 2.5 in my area"
"If you are a 4.0 I guess that makes me 6.0"
"I have a 3.0 sandbagger on my team that looks better than you"
Thank you for the clarification. You are absolutely correct. What I really meant was "you get computer-generated rating as opposed to self-rating".
