Pickleball levels are used primarily to match players in league or tournament play. Determining your pickleball level makes it easier to find players with whom you are equally matched and helps you improve your game.  In determining pickleball levels, variables such as age, speed, and athleticism are taken into consideration.

Check out the following self-assessment guide to help you determine your pickleball level.

1.0-2.0 Beginner

• Players who are just getting started
• Minimal sports background
• Still learning the basic rules of the game
• Still learning to serve
• Can hit the ball back and forth but frequently fail to hit easy balls

2.5 Moderate Beginner

• Players with limited experience
• Can keep a short rally
• Have a basic understanding of the rule
• Can get serves and returns in
• Often drive third shot
• Basic ability to keep score

3.0 Advanced Beginners to Low Intermediate

• Can hit a medium paced shot but lacks directional intent and consistency
• Avoids using a backhand
• Service and return lacks depth
• Not able to consistently sustain a dink rally
• learning proper court positioning
• often include large swings rather than consistent walks and deep punches
• At non-volley line, 3.0s have very busy feet
• understand the basic strategy and rules of pickleball
• can keep the score properly
• Level 3.0 is the perfect time to enter tournament to test abilities

3.5 Solid Intermediate

• Can hit drives, serves, and returns with pace
• Able to volley medium paced shots
• Improved forehand stroke with moderate level of shot control
• Learning backhand stroke
• Fairly consistent with left to right ball placement but fail to grasp the value of getting deep shots
• Can sustain short rallies
• Aware of minimizing errors
• Starting to vary shots between the hard and soft game
• Developing the drop shot in a way to get to the net
• Moving quickly to the non-volley zone line when there is opportunity
• Learning proper court positioning
• Have basic knowledge of stacking
• Have improper grips
• Swing too big, creating errors
• Often aggressive in the non-volley line

4.0 Advanced Intermediate

• Consistently hits with moderate depth and control
• Moderate success at hitting a backhand
• Understands the difference between attackable balls and those that are not
• Can volley different shots at different speeds
• Have better understanding of proper shot selection to minimize errors
• Use the dink and drop shot successfully
• Maintain greater patience in dink rallies
• Often hit successful 3^rd shot drops from the baseline
• Starting to understand the block/re-set volley
• Able to move as a team
• Moderate number of unforced errors per game
• Solid understanding of stacking
• Can identify opponent’s weaknesses
• Full understanding of the rules
• Seeking out more competitive play

4.5 Very Advanced

• Serves and returns are consistent, powerful, accurate, and deep
• Can vary the speed and spin of the serve
• Hit both forehand and backhand drives with pace, spin, depth, direction, consistency and control
• Hits overhead shots consistently
• Continental grip volleys are consistent and can be used offensively and defensively as needed
• Able to block hard volleys
• Can recognize and would attempt to hit attackable dinks
• Can consistently set up opportunities to strong dinking strategy
• Comfortable in playing at the non-volley zone
• Have patience and focus on the play with limited error
• Can change game play to attack opponents’ weaknesses
• Can adjust style of play and game plan depending on opponent’s strengths, weaknesses, and court position
• Able to change a fast-paced strategy to a slow one and vice versa
• Consistently executes effective 3rd shot strategies and able to intentionally and consistently place the ball
• Can anticipate opponent’s shot
• Full understanding of the strategy and of the rules
• Has good footwork and uses weight transfer for more efficient footwork
• Able to change direction with ease
• Communicates and moves well with partner

5.0 Pro

• Mastered all shot types of different speeds
• Has developed a very high level of variety, depth, and pace of serves
• Can excellently anticipate shots
• Increased ability to change the pace of dinks strategically
• Have consistency and control
• Able to drop and drive ball from both the forehand and backhand side with high level of consistency
• Have mastered the strategy and rules
• Rarely make unforced errors
• Have efficient footwork and can easily adjust their game
• Can attack opponents’ weaknesses
• Can vary play style
• Raw athletic ability is often what separates 5.0 players from the rest

5.5+ 

Level 5.5+ pickleball players are players who have mastered pickleball. They are considered top-caliber players.