What is a padel rating?
A padel rating is a number that describes how well a player plays, so players of a similar level can find each other, clubs can build fair matches, and tournaments can seed draws. Here is how padel ratings work, and what the Universal Padel Rating (UPR) adds.
Why padel players need a rating
Padel is a doubles game. A match is only fun, and only useful for improving, when all four players are close in level. A reliable padel rating answers the question every player gets asked at a new club: “What's your level?” It also lets clubs build balanced Americanos and leagues, lets coaches group players properly, and lets tournaments seed draws fairly.
How most padel ratings are calculated
Most padel rating systems are built from match results. After each match, a player's rating moves up or down depending on whether the team won, the score, and the strength of the opponents. Beating a higher-rated pair moves your rating more than beating a lower-rated one. Over many matches, the rating settles where your results say it should be.
This approach works, and it is the foundation of UPR as well. But a match result belongs to the team. In doubles, it can't show on its own which player hit the winners, which player made the errors, or how a player's shots are improving between results.
What a shot-level padel rating adds
Camera systems and player apps can now record every shot in a padel match: the stroke, its quality, where it landed, and where the player was standing. A shot-level padel rating keeps match results and opponent strength as its foundation, then adds this individual performance data. The result is a rating that reflects how you play, not only who won.
How the Universal Padel Rating works
- One scale: every player is rated from 1.00 to 13.00, with named tiers from Beginner to World Class. See the full padel rating scale.
- Two layers: match results and opponent ratings form the foundation; shot-level performance data from any compatible capture platform adds individual detail.
- Any platform: data from court cameras and smartphone apps such as AI Ball, Clutch, Padelytics, PlaySight, Raydel and SwingVision can feed the same rating through the UPR Converter.
- Player-owned: your UPR follows you to any club, country or tournament.
The full methodology is published in The Standard.
Frequently asked questions
What is a padel rating?
A padel rating is a number that measures a player's level of play. It is used to match players of similar ability, build balanced club games and leagues, and seed tournaments.
How is a padel rating calculated?
Most padel ratings are calculated from match results: whether your team won, the score, and how strong your opponents were. The Universal Padel Rating uses those same inputs as its foundation and adds shot-level performance data from compatible capture platforms.
What is a good padel rating?
On the UPR scale of 1.00 to 13.00, the true midpoint is 6.25. Players from 4.50 to 6.25 are Intermediate, 6.25 to 7.75 is Upper Intermediate, and Advanced starts at 7.75. Tournament, Professional and World Class players are rated above 10.50.
How do I get a padel rating?
Your UPR is established over your first five competitive matches. During that window the system calibrates your starting rating from your results, your opponents' ratings and the match scores. After the fifth rated match, your rating and tier are assigned.
What is a shot-level padel rating?
A shot-level padel rating adds individual performance data — the quality of each stroke, court positioning, serve and return, and decision-making — to match results. In doubles, it shows what each player contributed, not only the team result.
Which apps and cameras can feed my UPR?
UPR is capture-agnostic. Court cameras and player apps such as AI Ball, Clutch, Padelytics, PlaySight, Raydel and SwingVision can contribute compatible shot data through the UPR Converter, with player consent.
Is UPR the same as a padel ranking?
No. A ranking orders players by points earned in a competition or circuit. A rating measures playing level, so it can compare any two players, whether or not they play the same events.