When creating events in Pickleball Tournaments (PT), you select a skill level and a rule that determines exactly which players are eligible to register. Getting this right ensures players can find and sign up for the correct events. This article explains each skill selection option and the numeric ranges they cover.
For each event, you choose a skill level (e.g. 3.0, 3.5, 4.0) and a rule that defines who qualifies:
| Option | Who can register | Example |
|---|---|---|
| And Under | Players rated at or below the selected level (up to the top of that level's range) | 3.0 And Under = players rated up to 3.49 |
| And Above | Players rated at or above the selected level (no upper limit) | 3.0 And Above = players rated 3.00 and higher, including 4.0, 4.5, 5.0+ |
| Only | Players rated within exactly that skill level's range | 3.0 Only = players rated 3.00 to 3.49 |
| To (range) | Players from the bottom of the starting level to the top of the ending level | 3.0 To 4.0 = players rated 3.00 to 4.49 |
Players are never allowed to play down in skill level. A player rated 4.0 cannot register for a 3.5 Only event regardless of other settings.
PT skill levels correspond to the following rating ranges. A player's rating is rounded down to the nearest 0.5 for eligibility purposes — so a player rated 3.49 is considered a 3.0, and a player rated 3.50 is considered a 3.5.
| Skill level | Rating range |
|---|---|
| 2.5 | 2.50 – 2.999 |
| 3.0 | 3.00 – 3.499 |
| 3.5 | 3.50 – 3.999 |
| 4.0 | 4.00 – 4.499 |
| 4.5 | 4.50 – 4.999 |
| 5.0 | 5.00 – 5.499 |
| Open | Any rating — no restriction |
In the event setup, you can also enable a Skill Rule that allows players below the designated skill level to register. If you enable this and select Only 1 partner may be lower than skill, at least one player on the team must meet the event's skill level requirement.
You can also set a Max Rating Difference to limit how far below the event level a player can be. For example, if your event is 4.5 And Under with a 0.5 max difference, only players rated 4.0 and above would be eligible.
A player rated 3.49 is considered a 3.0 player in PT. A rating of 3.50 marks the start of the 3.5 range. So for a 3.5 And Under event, a 3.49-rated player is eligible; a 3.50-rated player is also eligible (since 3.5 is the ceiling, not just the floor).
No. Players are never allowed to play up in age. The age rule works similarly to skill level — the event sets a ceiling, and players cannot register above it.
Open events have no skill restriction — any player regardless of rating can register. Use Open when you want a no-barrier event or are running a fun/social division.
Questions about skill level setup? Email support@pickleball.com.