NEPC reviews all available information to determine the most accurate skill rating for each player. This comprehensive approach includes evaluating performance in our competitive Give ‘N Take League, Blue Square Group Play Events, as well as any external tournaments. Our goal is to use a wide range of data to make the fairest skill rating decisions possible.

For players who don’t have sufficient competitive data, which is often the case, the club allocates staff resources to observe and assess skill levels during our Blue Square Group Play Events. These skill assessments are conducted or reviewed periodically to ensure they remain accurate and up-to-date.

If you’re interested in having your skill level assessed, please let any NEPC staff know that you’d like to have your skill rating assessed, and you’ll be assessed by one of our assistant pros, our head pro & owner Dave, or our general manager Krista Trefethen.  If you’re new to NEPC and unsure about your skill level, it’s better to self-rate conservatively, for example, as a 2.5, and then you can request an upgrade to a 3.0 based on your performance in the Give ‘N Take League or after an assessment.

NEPC has a diverse player base with varying levels of tournament experience, both regionally and nationally. This allows us to maintain accurate benchmarks for each skill level, which are updated regularly. Whether you’re competing in New England or elsewhere, you can expect our skill ratings to be on par with those in strong regional or reasonably strong national tournaments. For instance, our 3.5 male and female players are competitive with players rated between 3.5 and 3.9 in such tournaments. We do not differentiate between senior and regular skill ratings, so some senior players who excel in 3.5-level tournaments may find that they fit best in our 3.0 skill rating category.

No. The club assesses all players’ scores and balances to assign the most appropriate skill rating, irrespective of the event level you’re competing in. Part of the fun of the Give ‘N Take system is to monitor your +/- balance and select events or private matches that you enjoy and while maintaining a balance that doesn’t stray too far from zero. If you consistently participate in events at the same level, and your balance trends higher and higher in the same direction (either positive or negative), the club will notice this and may request or require you to compete in events or matches with a different skill rating to get the trend going in the other direction.

Aside from resolving your +/- balance, registering for a Give ‘N Take below your current NEPC skill level can offer several other benefits, such as gaining experience against diverse players and playing styles, learning the tactics and strategies needed to defeat players with lower versus higher skill ratings, boosting confidence, and potentially discovering a new, up-and-coming player at the lower skill level whom you can invite as a partner for a higher skill level event.

Essentially, we review how a player performs against other players known to be at that level.  We assess: 

1. Overall skill with the basic shots (consistency, power, quickness)
2. How well they defend and/or attack.
3. Keeping rallies alive.
4. Body positioning on the court and anticipation: do they know where to be at the right times.
5. Shot selection.

The more consistent a player is, in those areas, their rating moves accordingly. It’s a fluid process and ratings are never set in stone: as the club gets more information (either through observation or data from competition), we consider changes both up and down.  Ultimately, the most accurate way to determine your skill rating is in a competitive situation where your opponents are known to be of a certain skill rating: this can be done through our Give ‘N Take League.

Always use the wait list on CourtReserve if you can’t get into something!  This is how we know to add more courts to the event.

When members have a suggestion for adjusting the calendar, they are encouraged to let one of the group play coordinators know, or contact the club.

Checkout the green circle, blue square, black diamond graphic on our Group Play page.

Have you ever driven 30 minutes to play, and, because you were the best player on the court, nobody would hit you the ball?

Have you ever been in a foursome where three of the players are “sharing” the ball around to each player, but the fourth player is constantly hitting almost every ball to the weaker player?

When it comes to how your private foursome handles its etiquette, that’s up to you. However, all of NEPC’s group play will operate with clear etiquette guidelines. These guidelines are comparable to how most successful pickleball clubs and communities around the country operate. NEPC is simply taking a step further to define the guidelines explicitly, so that all four players on your court are on the same page.

Are you a beginner who just learned the rules and are looking to learn the game in the most welcoming, social environment? Are you an intermediate or advanced player who would like to spend some time playing with beginners and experience play with the most casual, social, less-competitive players at the club? That’s “green circle” group play.

Are you looking for the classic recreational play that most pickleballers are used to at their local courts? That’s “blue square” group play. It’s not a tournament, your result isn’t going to affect your skill rating, and, in blue square play it’s bad etiquette to constantly keep the ball away from the stronger player. Blue square play is the midpoint of competitive play at your skill level, social and fun, and a great place to work on areas of your game and strategies that are out of your comfort zone.

Do you and your friend want to compete against another team to see who is the best team? Do you want to exercise strategies trying to exploit your opponents’ weaknesses, and, on the flipside, exercise strategies so your opponents aren’t able to target the weaknesses on your team? Do you want to feel the tournament jitters? Welcome to NEPC’s final category: “black diamond” group play. Members who are used to classic recreational play will find the black diamond play is a whole new world of experience and learning. Any seasoned player around the country will tell you that making some of your play blue square and some of your play black diamond, with a clear distinction between the two, is the only way to get the complete experience of the sport.

A final note on etiquette: etiquette is often not going to be perfect. Many of us have been in situations even with our friends where we feel like we’re not getting hit the ball. This is usually just the rhythm of that particular game and not intentional. Maybe one of your opponents just naturally plays 80-90% of their shots crosscourt, and, if you’re not crosscourt from them, you’re not going to see the ball…

If you’re in blue square play, and, you feel your opponents are not practicing good etiquette, the best approach is usually… step #1: give it a little time to see if it is intentional (it’s usually not), step #2: if the games are going by and it does appear to be intentional, try a “soft” approach of gently suggesting something to your opponents and/or gently pointing them to the club’s green circle, blue square, and black diamond guidelines which are posted on practice court fence, and finally, step #3: if necessary, members are welcome to bring the situation to the attention of their group organizer to manage.

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FAQs around green circle, blue square & black diamond:

Q: Can intermediates or advanced players play in green circle with beginners?

A: Yes!  Feel free to do that for a change of pace and to help onboard new players into the club.

Q: Is “stacking” allowed in blue square play?

A: Absolutely.  Blue square play is a great opportunity for teams to work on blending together, as long as that doesn’t involve heavily isolating one of your opponents. Also, if your team is just struggling or all of the balls seem to be going to one side of the court, this can also be a good reason to “stack”.

Q: Blue square play is supposed to be “friendlier” than black diamond play, but my opponents are just banging everything, is that OK?

A: Yes.  NEPC is an equal opportunity club when it comes to playing the banger vs playing the soft game.  There are many tactics and skills that Four Bases Academy can teach you to deal with the bangers. In fact, ‘back of the ball offense’ is the first base (the bangers) and, much the Four Bases framework after first base is devoted to countering that offense.

If you clearly see the ball out, call the ball out loudly or by pointing your finger to the ceiling or to the side.  If you call the ball out and your partner calls the ball in, it’s in.