NTRP Ratings Terminology:

Rating - the playing level that a USTA member's NTRP rating has been rounded up to for purposes of creating leagues of common ability.
     Example:  2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 etc
Dynamic Rating - a player's actual rating to the 100th of a point that is generated daily by the NTRP database.  Example:  2.36 or 3.29.  This is hidden from the player and USTA Atlanta.
Ratings Publish - the date the USTA chooses to publish a player's rating.  At this time a player's dynamic rating is "leveled".  Example: a player with a 2.32 would now have to play 2.5 and a player with a 3.37 would now have to play 3.5.
Early Start League - As Atlanta plays USA League Tennis in the summer and winter we have special permission to begin play for the Championship year early.  Atlanta will be finished with most 2007 League Year play in February, before the majority of other leagues in the U.S. even start!

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Why is a player's rating different in TennisLink than it is on their roster or the USTA Georgia website?
TennisLink will only display a player's year-end rating when you search for a player.  This rating may not match every roster a player is on and may not match the early start ratings published by USTA Georgia.  The USTA Southern Section allows a player’s rating to be “protected” on each individual team roster.

Note:  Atlanta has approximately 2000 players who are on the edge of a playing level.  Their rating may go up or down each time ratings are published.

2. What does “protected on a team roster” mean?
The USTA considers each team number to be one specific team (even if the same people play together season after season).  If a player registered on a summer team last May with a 4.0 rating they can play on that team, at that level all the way through national championships (provided they are never disqualified) even if their early start rating or their year-end rating shows them as a 4.5.

3. What if I want to be added to a Winter team after the season starts?
Regulations state that all players must use their most current rating in TennisLink at the time of registration.  If you register between August 18, 2006 and November  21, 2006 you must use the early start rating published on the USTA Georgia website.  If you add yourself to a team once the year-end ratings are published in early November you must now use that rating.

4. What if I don’t agree with my rating?
Appeal it to the State League Coordinator by filling out the online form at www.ustageorgia.com. Please do not include a long explanation of why you want your rating changed. 

Appeals can only be granted if your rating is within .05 of the level you request (.10 if you are 60 years of age or older).

USTA Atlanta cannot help you appeal your rating, nor do we have any information to help you understand why your rating changed.  We try to provide education and will do our best to answer questions but without access to the actual computer data we are only guessing too!

5. I appealed my rating prior to the summer season and now the USTA has me back up/down again.  Why?
Being an early start league gives USTA Atlanta players some unique challenges.  Even if you appealed before appeal again!  New data may have caused your rating to move within the .05 range that grants an appeal.

6. I am pregnant, just gave birth, hurt my back, sprained my ankle etc.  Doesn’t the USTA give medical appeals?
Medical appeals are granted to those players who have a permanent disabling injury and are very rare. 

1. The National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) Guidelines define the characteristics of the various NTRP skill levels. 

2. The USTA NTRP Computer Rating System is the official system to determine computer ratings for players throughout the country who participate in the USA League Tennis Program. It is a mathematical system that assigns computer ratings to players by direct and indirect comparison of match results with other players.

Note: A computer-derived rating is valid for three years (two years for players 60 and over) or until another computer rating is generated. 

3. Players in the USA League Tennis Program without a computer rating (generated within the last three years) must self-rate in accordance with the NTRP Guidelines. Factors such as a player's on-court performance, tennis background and any additional information should be considered in the self-rating decision.  When players are rating themselves, if they question at which level they should play, they should place themselves in the higher NTRP level of play.  (See Valid Computer Rating Chart)

4. Players without a computer rating are required to declare a self-rating on TennisLink when entering the program regardless of the NTRP level they enter.   They begin to generate a computer rating after their first match with a computer rated player.

5. Players with a computer rating (generated within the last three years) must enter at that rating or higher.  (See Valid Computer Rating Chart)

6. In the adult/senior division, computer ratings will be calculated at regular intervals for all participants during local league competition, at the end of the local league season and either during or at the end of the area sectional championships.  

7. At adult/senior national championships, players will continue to generate computer ratings through their last match played.  

8. After the adult/senior national championships, benchmark and year-end computer ratings will be calculated using USTA NTRP Computer Methodology Procedures approved by the USA League Tennis Committee. 

9. In the mixed doubles division, computer ratings will be calculated for participants who play in that division exclusively.  Year-end ratings will be based on local league and championship level competition.