Technologies for automatically determining player rating and ranking for progression ball tennis and pickleball

Abstract

Technologies for automatically determining rating levels for progression ball tennis players and pickleball players are disclosed. A rating server identifies match outcome results and iteratively updates rating values for players based on differences between expected outcome and actual outcome and one or more match weighting factors. For progression ball tennis, also called color ball tennis, each player rating is reset to an initial value based on progression level before iterating, and the rating values are updated based on a progression coefficient. For pickleball, doubles match results are each refactored into a set of singles match results, and expected outcomes are determined in terms of points rather than games. For pickleball, rating values are updated between fully reliable players. For pickleball, rating values for non-fully reliable players are filled based on match results with reliable players. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 . A computing device for determining a progression ball rating level for a progression ball tennis player, the computing device comprising:
 a match outcome module to identify a plurality of match outcome results, wherein each match outcome result is indicative of a progression ball tennis match score and a pair of progression ball tennis players from a plurality of progression ball tennis players;   a player reliability manager to set a rating value for each player of the plurality of progression ball tennis players to a predetermined initial value;   an iterative rating engine to, for each iteration of a plurality of iterations, and for each player of the plurality of progression ball tennis players: (i) determine a progression coefficient based on the rating value of the respective player; (ii) determine a first difference between an expected outcome and an actual outcome for each match of the match outcome results associated with the respective player, wherein the expected outcome is based on the rating values of the pair of players associated with the match; (iii) determine a first weight factor for each match of the match outcome results associated with the respective player; and (iv) update the rating value of the respective player based on the progression coefficient, the first difference, and the first weight factor for each match; and   a final rating manager to determine a final rating for each player in response to completion of the plurality of iterations.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein to determine the first difference between the expected outcome and the actual outcome comprises to compare a percentage of games won to an expected percentage of games won. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein to determine the first weight factor comprises to determine the first weight factor based on an opponent connectivity weight, a games played weight, or a competitiveness factor. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein to identify the plurality of match outcome results further comprises to determine a progression ball level for each match outcome result, wherein the progression ball level is selected from an orange level and a green level. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein to set the rating value comprises determining the predetermined initial value based on the progression ball level. 
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein to determine the progression coefficient comprises to determine the progression coefficient based on the progression ball level. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the final rating manager is further to floor the final rating for each player of the plurality of progression ball tennis players based on a number of match results associated with the respective player. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein to floor the final rating comprises to:
 determine whether the number of match results associated with the respective player has a predetermined relationship to a predetermined number of match results;   determine whether a stored floor value exists for the respective player in response to a determination that the number of match results has the predetermined relationship to the predetermined number of match results;   store the final value as the stored floor value for the respective player in response to a determination that the stored floor value does not exist for the respective player;   determine whether the final value for the respective player exceeds the stored floor value in response to a determination that the stored floor value exists for the respective player;   store the final value as the stored floor value for the respective player in response to a determination that the final value exceeds the stored floor value; and   set the final value for the respective player to the stored floor value for the respective player in response to a determination that the final value does not exceed the stored floor value.   
     
     
         9 . A method for determining a progression ball rating level for a progression ball tennis player, the method comprising:
 identifying, by a computing device, a plurality of match outcome results, wherein each match outcome result is indicative of a progression ball tennis match score and a pair of progression ball tennis players from a plurality of progression ball tennis players;   setting, by the computing device, a rating value for each player of the plurality of progression ball tennis players to a predetermined initial value;   for each iteration of a plurality of iterations, and for each player of the plurality of progression ball tennis players:
 determining, by the computing device, a progression coefficient based on the rating value of the respective player; 
 determining, by the computing device, a first difference between an expected outcome and an actual outcome for each match of the match outcome results associated with the respective player, wherein the expected outcome is based on the rating values of the pair of players associated with the match; 
 determining, by the computing device, a first weight factor for each match of the match outcome results associated with the respective player; and 
 updating, by the computing device, the rating value of the respective player based on the progression coefficient, the first difference, and the first weight factor for each match; and 
   determining, by the computing device, a final rating for each player in response to completing the plurality of iterations.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the first difference between the expected outcome and the actual outcome comprises comparing a percentage of games won to an expected percentage of games won. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining the first weight factor comprises determining the first weight factor based on an opponent connectivity weight, a games played weight, or a competitiveness factor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein identifying the plurality of match outcome results further comprises determining a progression ball level for each match outcome result, wherein the progression ball level is selected from an orange level and a green level. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining the progression coefficient comprises determining the progression coefficient based on the progression ball level. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising flooring, by the computing device, the final rating for each player of the plurality of progression ball tennis players based on a number of match results associated with the respective player. 
     
     
         15 . A computing device for determining a pickleball rating level for a pickleball player, the computing device comprising:
 a match outcome manager to identify a plurality of match outcome results, wherein each match outcome result is indicative of a pickleball match score and a pair of pickleball players from a plurality of pickleball players;   a player reliability manager to (i) determine whether each player of the plurality of pickleball players is fully reliable; and (ii) set a rating value for each player of the plurality of pickleball players that is not fully reliable to a null value;   an iterative rating engine to, for each iteration of a plurality of iterations, and for each player of the plurality of pickleball players: (i) determine a first difference between an expected outcome and an actual outcome for each match of the match outcome results associated with the respective player, wherein the expected outcome is based on the rating values of the pair of players associated with the match; (ii) determine a first weight factor for each match of the match outcome results associated with the respective player; and (iii) update the rating value of the respective player based on the first difference and the first weight factor for each match; and   a final rating manager to determine a final rating for each player in response to completing the plurality of iterations.   
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein to determine the first difference between the expected outcome and the actual outcome comprises to compare a percentage of points won to an expected percentage of points won. 
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein to determine the first weight factor comprises to determine the first weight factor based on a time degradation weight, an opponent connectivity weight, a match reliability weight, or a competitiveness factor. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein to identify the plurality of match outcome results comprises to:
 identify a doubles match outcome result, wherein each doubles match outcome result is indicative of a pickleball match score and a pair of teams, wherein each team is indicative of a pair of pickleball players from the plurality of pickleball players; and   refactor the doubles match outcome result as a set of four match outcome results, wherein each match outcome result of the set of four match outcome results is indicative of the pickleball match score and a pair of pickleball players, wherein each player of the pair of pickleball players is selected from an opposing team of the doubles match outcome result.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein to determine whether each player of the plurality of pickleball players is fully reliable comprises to determine a number of matches against main pool opponents for the respective pickleball player. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the player reliability manager is further to, for each player of the plurality of pickleball players having the rating value set to the null value, fill the rating value of the respective player based on a match outcome result associated with the respective player and an opposing player having a non-null rating value.