How Racquetball Rankings Work

Racquetball ranking systems vary from club to club on the amateur level, but at the national level, the United States Racquetball Association determines rankings. The guidelines are decided by the association and are accepted as the national standard. Men and women are ranked separately and each player is ranked, from the best player competing in the country to the very last.

  1. Gender

    • Racquetball is usually separated by gender. There are male-female matches, but those are not ranked by the USA Racquetball Association. Men are ranked along with other men; while women are ranked solely against other women.

    Forfeits

    • In the event that one of the competitors forfeits a match before it begins, that match will not be factored into the rankings -- it will be as if the match was never scheduled to occur. If a match is forfeited during competition, though, the win will be awarded to the other competitor and it will count towards his rankings and against the player who forfeited. This typically occurs when someone is injured during play.

    Skill

    • The best part of following the USA Racquetball Association rankings is that a player is ranked solely on their skills and how well they perform during each scheduled match over the course of the season. Each player is ranked on a national level as well as a state level against other competitors that he will have a chance to play. This system ensures that seniority doesn't play a role in rankings and that no player has an advantage over another at the beginning of a new season -- everyone has the chance to prove they're worthy of a high ranking.

    Scoring

    • In some sports, the actual number of points scored is instrumental in determining ranking. In racquetball, though, the only determining factor is whether you win or lose. Although it helps a player's confidence to score a lot of points against an opponent, a win by one point will be given the same weight as a win by 10 points.