Ratings

Coloured Ball Ratings (CBR) FAQs

Coloured Ball Ratings (CBR) allows players and coaches to provide level based paying opportunities, track a players progress and assist in their transition through to yellow ball competitions when they are ready.

The Coloured Ball Ratings (CBR) have been designed to encourage participation and allow all players to be included in the Australian competitive play environment, with more levels available as a player progresses through the different coloured balls.

Please see below the most frequently asked questions to learn more.

What are coloured ball ratings?
The Coloured Ball Rating is for players who play in red, orange, and green ball competitions. The Coloured Ball Rating is designed to allow players to achieve level-based play opportunities, and reward players for playing often.

How does the Coloured Ball Rating work?
The Coloured Ball Rating is made up of the following levels for each competition:

Red: R1 (One level available for red ball competition players)
Orange: O1 & O2 (Two levels available for orange ball competition players)
Green G1, G2 & G3 (Three levels available for green ball competition players)

The ratings are designed to give parents, coaches and clubs a guide to assist in achieving level-based play opportunities for players, ensuring they get the best on court experience possible. Inspiring a love of tennis in all players which last for a lifetime. They have been designed to not have too much movement for the player, so they can focus on playing the game and having fun.

 

How do players move between colours and levels?

Players/parents should always talk to their coach about what colour competition they should play or be transitioning into. The below outlines how the transition from a rating perspective works.

Transitioning between ball colours:
• To transition from red to the orange ball, once players have their first match result from an orange ball competition, they will transition to an orange ball grouping on the CBR rating, ie O1.
• From orange ball to a green ball, most players will go through a trial period, which you can learn more about below.
Progressing within a specific ball colour (i.e., Orange Ball 1 to Orange Ball 2, or Green Ball 2 to Green Ball 3) is contingent on the match performance in that ball colour.

 

What is the TRIAL PERIOD for transitioning to a green ball?

The trial period is an important time for the development of a tennis player moving to the green ball. When starting the transition between the orange and green balls, the rating algorithm will provide you with a “trial period” of five matches. Meaning, players can play in green ball competitions, it will not impact the rating for the first five matches.
On a sixth green ball match has been played, A player will transition to the green level rating. In other words, the trial period will end, and the player will enter the Colour Ball Rating of G1, G2, or G3.

In the end, there are no set rules about how fast a player can move throughout the Colour Ball Rating scale. Your CBR Rating is based on your results. Do your best, play often, and you should be progressing in no time!

 

Does the Coloured Ball Rating restrict me to only playing in that colour competition?

No, a player can choose what type of competition they would like to play in. For example, if you have a rating of G2 and choose to play yellow ball competitions this is OK.

You should always talk to your coach or family about when is the right time to move into the next colour ball competition level.

 

How do I get a Coloured Ball Rating?

Players who play in in Coloured Ball Competitions that are recorded via an online platform (Match Centre, Tournament Planner, UTR Sports competition management and others) will generate a Coloured Ball Rating.

To view your coloured ball rating complete your Competitive Player Profile and log into your UTR Sports account and view on your profile.

 

How does the Coloured Ball Rating help me progress into yellow ball competitions as a player?

The Coloured Ball Rating allows players to progress through the different ball colours at their own pace, while getting a rating to provide level based play opportunities.

Once a player is ready, to progress from green ball competition to yellow ball competition there current green ball rating will provide a guide of the level of competitions they should look to start in for yellow ball. For example a player with a green ball rating of G2 should look for a yellow ball competition with a UTR Rating standard of 2, this will give them them best opportunity of continuing to achieve level based play.

 

How do I complete my Competitive Player Profile?

Find step to complete your Competitive Player Profile HERE.

 

Further CBR information…

For further FAQs and information on Coloured Ball Ratings, visit the UTR Sports website.

World Tennis Number (WTN)

Tennis Australia has been working to share eligible match results with the ITF for the purpose of calculating a player’s World Tennis Number (WTN). By providing the ITF directly with all eligible match results from Australian Tennis, a player’s WTN rating will remain up to date which will facilitate improved eligibility to enter ITF tournaments.

For more information on WTN visit World Tennis Number | Content Hub | Competitive Play | Tennis Australia (click HERE).

 

The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR Rating) remains the Official Rating of Australian Tennis and will continue to be used as our primary rating system in Australia.

 

Tennis ID – Under 15s account moving to standard account once older than 15yrs

When an under 15yrs Tennis ID account reaches 15yrs of age, there will be a requirement to promote the account to a standard account.

When attempting to login, you will be prompted during the login process to update your Tennis ID profile which will require a unique email address. This email address cannot be the parent/guardian email that under 15 account was previously linked to.

Please ensure that you enter your valid email address when transitioning your Tennis ID account from an under 15 account to standard account. A valid email address is required to re-verify your account, as you will be sent an email to the nominated address.

 

Note for parents/guardians of linked child accounts.

You can also access and promote child accounts to full accounts from your Tennis Profile settings.

To manage child accounts you need to access your Tennis ID profile by logging on via tennis.com.au

Alternatively you can access your Tennis ID profile through matchcentre.tennis.com.au via the profile menu and clicking ‘Update Profile Details’.

You can manage any linked Under 15 Child Accounts that are attached to your email address via the ‘Family’ section.

This includes the ability to promote the account from an Under 15 child account to a standard account. If the child account has reached 15yrs of age, there will be a ‘Promote’ action on the linked child account where it will be required to enter a unique email. This email will form the new login credentials for the former child account.

The account will then be delinked from your Tennis ID as a child account.

Manage your Tennis ID account & linked child accounts (under 15yrs of age)

You can manage your Tennis ID profile by logging on via tennis.com.au

Alternatively you can access your Tennis ID profile through matchcentre.tennis.com.au via the profile menu and clicking ‘Update Profile Details’.

You will then be shown your Tennis ID profile information, where you can make changes and update profile information as required.

 

You can manage any linked Under 15 Child Accounts that are attached to your email address via the ‘Family’ section.

NOTE: When a child account reaches the age of 15yrs, the next time they attempt to log in using their Tennis ID information they will be prompted to register their own email and the link will be removed from the parent/guardian account.

 

To control you notifications and offers from Tennis Australia, click the Notifications menu item. From here you will be able to toggle on/off the settings for various communications.

Complete Your Competitive Player Profile

Players competing in Australia need a Competitive Player Profile to simplify the process of entering endorsed Events and Leagues. So, whether you play for fun at your local club or professionally on the global circuit, your Competitive Player Profile will ensure you receive the best playing experience for your level.

To complete your Competitive Player Profile, simply register for a Tennis ID and activate your UTR Rating.

Once registered via Match Centre for your Tennis ID, you can activate your UTR Rating from your player dashboard by linking your Tennis ID with Universal Tennis.

Step 1: How do I register for a Tennis ID?

Note: if you if you already have a login to match centre or tournaments.tennis.com.au you already have a Tennis ID (a number beginning with 66), please move to Step 2.

Head to matchcentre.tennis.com.au and click ‘Register’ and then click ‘REGISTER HERE’ to create an account with Tennis Australia and get your Tennis ID.

On the sign up page, if the applicant is less than 15 years of age additional fields will appear, requiring the need for a parent/guardian email to complete the registration process.

Once you have joined matchcentre.tennis.com.au you will receive a verification email, make sure you check your nominated email address to verify your account.

 

Step 2: How do I activate my UTR Rating?

Log into matchcentre.tennis.com.au and on your player dashboard an ‘Activate my UTR Rating’ will be present if your UTR Rating has not been previously activated and linked to your Universal Tennis profile. To activate your rating, click the ‘Activate UTR Rating button’.

NOTE if your rating is displayed and/or the button shows ‘Universal Tennis Profile’, you have already completed the activation process and no further action is required.

 

  • If you are an existing Universal Tennis user: sign in and your Tennis ID information will automatically be populated during the UTR Rating activation process.
  • If you are a new user, create a Universal Tennis account to obtain your UTR Rating during the activation process. Your Tennis ID information will be prepopulated in the Universal Tennis profile. Please note if you are parent/guardian signing into Universal Tennis on behalf of your child (under 15 years of age account) – a separate Tennis ID account and email will be required for each child account created.

Upon completing the UTR Rating activation you will redirected back to matchcentre.tennis.com.au.

  • If the rating activation process was completed, a success message will appear and your competitive player profile is now complete.

If you have a UTR Rating, it will now appear on your Match Centre profile and you can access your UTR profile from Match Centre.

What if I encounter an issue during the UTR Rating Activation process?

If there is an issue with the activation process, you will receive an error message.

Please contact [email protected] with the following information if you encounter an activation error.

  • Name
  • Tennis ID
  • UTR Profile link

 

 

Ratings Mythbusters – information related to playing matches and the impact on a players rating.

The purpose of this article is to provide the Tennis community information related to playing matches and the impact on ratings.

 

You can protect your rating by not playing…FALSE!

A UTR Rating is calculated on your 30 most recent matches in the last 12 months, meaning the algorithm uses 30 data points to create your rating. If you compete often, a couple losses to lower-rated players would only count for two out of those 30 data points.

Performing well in matches is the easiest way to improve your UTR Rating – you simply need to win more games than expected.

You have to play higher rated players to improve…FALSE!

The below graphic shows a player whose UTR Rating continued to improve last 49 matches since December, despite matches against lower rated opponents:

  • 25 matches against lower rated opponents
  • 20 matches against higher rated opponents
  • 4 against the same level,

Losing to lower rated opponents impairs your rating…FALSE!

The occasional loss in the new competitive framework does not significantly impact your rating – there are not large variances with the use of ratings as opposed to the old ranking system.

It does not matter whether you play higher- or lower-rated opponents; you can improve your rating either way by simply committing to compete, play the opponent in front of you and ultimately winning more matches than losing.

You cannot improve your rating quickly…FALSE!

The below graphic shows a player whose UTR Rating improved markedly from their last 48 matches since December:

  • 23 matches against lower rated opponents
  • 25 matches against higher rated opponents

Playing opponents 2 rating bands above or below your own rating band do not count…FALSE!

Matches with a rating band greater than 2.0 can count towards a players rating if the lower rated player wins the match.

For example, if a 5.20 wins a match against a 7.61, this match will count.

However, if a 7.61 wins a match against a 5.20, this match will not count.

Therefore, there is nothing to be lost from a higher rated player competing from time to time against a player rated more than 2 rating points lower than yourself.

 

Player selections for the Tennis pathways are based purely on UTR Ratings…FALSE!

Selections for National teams, National Development Squads, National Tennis Academy and State teams are based on more than just your UTR Rating.

Recent performances, commitment to our values and potential are weighed against other factors and in exceptional circumstances, if a player is of outstanding values and seen to be very high potential based on the assessed factors, then the Selection Panel has absolute discretion to make an offer to a candidate who has not met the minimum Performance requirements.

 

 

One of my scores from Match Centre is wrong on UTR – what do I do?

If one of the official scores from a Tennis Australia endorsed Event or League is incorrect on your Universal Tennis profile please provide the following details

  • Your Name
  • Your Tennis ID
  • UT Profile link
  • Date of result
  • Details of players
  • Detail of incorrect result
  • URL link to Match Centre/Tournaments scorecard

Please send these details to [email protected]
or go to the following link Contact Us – Support Centre (tennis.com.au)

NOTE: If the score is incorrect in Match Centre please contact the competition administrator or your local club administrator to dispute or fix the result. Updated results will be automatically processed to UT once resolved.

Learn about the UTR Rating that will be used to power all forms of Competitive Play

The Competitive Play Review findings showed that there was ranking and rating clutter with the purpose and audience of each not well defined.

So, we have designed a new primary rating system that promotes the desired competition behaviours, experiences and objectives per player segment identified during the discovery phase.

From 2022, the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Rating will be used across all forms of Competitive Play Events to determine entry and seeding/grading. UTR Rating Bands will also be used to define Event draws.

The UTR Rating will be incrementally introduced into League Competitive Play opportunities throughout 2022 as the National Player Rating System is phased out.

 

What is a UTR Rating and why should you get one?

A UTR Rating is a number that provides a real and accurate measurement of skill level. A player’s UTR Rating is a number between 1.00 and 16.50.

One match result is all it takes to receive a projected UTR Rating. After approximately five matches, the rating becomes fully reliable. As matches are played and entered into the system, a player’s UTR Rating will increase or decrease over time to reflect their current skill level.

 

How is the UTR Rating calculated?

For each match, the algorithm calculates a match rating and a match weight for each player. A player’s UTR Rating is the weighted average of up to 30 of their most recent match ratings. Only matches within the last 12 months count toward a player’s UTR Rating.

 

Calculating Match Rating

Two factors are considered when calculating the match rating. The first factor is the UTR Rating difference between opponents. The second factor is the competitiveness of the match, as determined by the percent of total games won.

Given the UTR Rating difference, the algorithm expects a certain percentage of total games won. The player who performs better than the algorithm’s expectation will see their match rating go up while the other player’s match rating will go down. When one player’s match rating increases, the other player’s match rating decreases by the same amount.

 

Calculating Match Weight

The following factors are used in the match weight calculation:

Format – As the match format increases in length, more weight is given. A match with a three-set format receives more weight than a match with an eight-game pro set format.

Competitiveness – As the UTR Rating difference between players increases, less weight is given. For example, imagine a player with a UTR Rating of 6.00. A match played against an opponent with UTR Rating of 5.00 or 7.00 receives more weight than a match played against an opponent with a UTR of 4.00 or 8.00.

Reliability – As the reliability of the opponent’s UTR Rating increases, more weight is given. A match played against an opponent who competes often and thus has a reliable UTR Rating receives more weight.

Time Degradation – As prior matches get older, less weight is given. Since the algorithm is a representation of current form, it gives more credit to matches played within the last few months.

 

What’s the best way to improve your UTR?

Play Well – Performing well in matches is the easiest way to improve your UTR Rating. If the match is out of hand, don’t give up! It does not matter whether you play higher- or lower-rated opponents; you can improve your UTR Rating either way by winning more games than expected.

Play Often – The more matches you play, the quicker your UTR Rating will reflect your current form. The algorithm is especially accurate for those who play often against a variety of opponents rated above and below you.

Be Patient – Since your UTR Rating is a rolling weighted average, the effect of new results is slightly lagged. Your UTR Rating may not fully reflect a recent outcome right away, but it will over time.

 

How does UTR Rating address walkovers, retirements/withdrawals, and defaults?

Since UTR Rating is based purely on scores, it does not count defaults or walkovers. If a player withdraws either 1) before the match starts or 2) during the match but before either player wins at least four games, the UTR Rating algorithm does not count it. However, these results are still displayed on the player’s profile page along with their other scores.

 

Why does the algorithm count 30 matches? What if I have more/less than 30 matches?

The goal is to balance the long-term sustained level of play vs. the recent trend; 30 matches yield the best balance between the long-term and recent term.

If you have played 40 matches within the last 12 months, the algorithm will use the 30 most recent matches. If you have played only 10 matches within the last 12 months, the algorithm will use those 10 matches; 30 is simply the maximum that will be used.

 

How does the algorithm work for doubles?

The singles and doubles algorithms are very similar. For doubles, the algorithm compares the average UTR Rating of Team A to the average UTR Rating of Team B. Given the UTR difference between those two averages, the algorithm expects a certain percentage of games won. The team who performs better than the algorithm’s expectation will see their match rating go up. Both teammates see an increase or decrease by the same amount.

 

What is a Projected UTR Rating?

The algorithm needs approximately five to ten results before it can calculate a reliable UTR Rating. Players with fewer than five results are not yet fully reliable, so they have a “projected” UTR Rating.

A projected rating is shown as a (P) on the player profile.

 

Can mixed doubles results count towards my UTR Rating?

The UTR Rating ignores gender, so a mixed doubles result is treated the same as any other doubles result. All mixed doubles matches count toward a player’s doubles rating.

 

Is there a separate mixed doubles rating?

No. All doubles matches, regardless of gender, go into the same doubles rating.

 

Playing higher or lower rated players.

Playing against lower-rated opponents does not necessarily hurt your UTR Rating; in some cases, it can boost it. This is also true for playing higher-rated opponents. The impact depends upon the percentage of games you win and the UTR Rating difference between you and your opponent.

If you do better than expected, your UTR Rating will go up; if you do worse than expected, your UTR Rating will go down.