New standardized assessment gives clubs a scalable way to rate players, improve programming, and get more people playing competitive pickleball.
DALLAS, Texas, (August 19, 2026) – DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating), the world's most accurate and widely adopted pickleball rating system, today announced a new partnership with Volley, an AI-powered player assessment and training system, to launch the Volley Assessment—a standardized on-court evaluation that gives players an official DUPR rating from less than 10 minutes on court.
The assessment provides clubs with a fast, objective way to establish verified player ratings, helping players immediately access level-based clinics, leagues, tournaments, and open play while making it easier for clubs to deliver better player experiences.
As pickleball continues its rapid growth, millions of recreational players still don't have an official rating because they primarily play casual games rather than sanctioned or rated matches. Without a trusted rating, players often struggle to find appropriate competition, while clubs face the challenge of placing members into the right programs.
The Volley Assessment addresses this challenge through a standardized on-court evaluation powered by AI. Players complete the entire assessment on their own, no coach or opponent required. The Volley trainer guides them through a sequence of serves and simulated point play, feeding every ball and capturing performance on video. Volley then scores the performance and assigns the rating. Because every player is evaluated under identical conditions, clubs can offer every member a consistent, objective DUPR rating in minutes.
The partnership is part of DUPR's broader strategy to expand access to official ratings through technology and AI, helping players enter the DUPR ecosystem regardless of where they begin their pickleball journey.
"One of our biggest priorities is making official DUPR Ratings more accessible to every player—not just those already competing in tournaments," said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. "Volley gives clubs an objective, scalable way to introduce new players into the DUPR ecosystem, helping them find better matches, join the right programs, and measure their progress from day one."
Beyond generating an official DUPR Rating, the Volley Assessment also helps clubs streamline player placement, improve league parity, organize balanced open play, and deliver more personalized coaching based on objective performance data.
"Clubs have been looking for a faster and more consistent way to understand player ability," said John Weinlader, Co-founder and CEO of Volley. "By combining AI-powered assessment with the industry's most trusted rating system, we're helping clubs make better programming decisions while giving players a clear and credible starting point for their development."
The Volley Assessment is now available at participating Volley-equipped clubs across the United States, with additional club deployments planned throughout 2026.
To learn more about DUPR, visit www.dupr.com. To learn more about Volley, visit getvolley.com/dupr-rating.
About Volley
Volley is an AI-powered assessment and training system built for racquet clubs. Combining an on-court trainer with advanced video analysis and a mobile app, Volley helps clubs objectively assess player skill, personalize coaching, and organize leagues, clinics and programming around consistent performance data. Designed for pickleball, tennis, padel and platform tennis, Volley is used by clubs across the United States to improve player development and create better on-court experiences.
About DUPR
DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, trusted by the world's leading clubs, tournaments, leagues, and players. DUPR's dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender, and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 - 8.000 scale. DUPR is the official pickleball rating of leagues, tournaments and clubs around the world, including USA Pickleball (USAP), Global Pickleball Federation (GPF), United Pickleball Association (UPA), Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, National Team Pickleball League, National Pickleball League. It also owns and operates Minor League Pickleball and Collegiate Pickleball, two of the biggest amateur leagues in the sport. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.