Sunday Social Grading Rubric

This table is designed to help the Tennis Sydney committee grade players without reliable UTR or GLTA ratings.

Use the checkboxes in each row to mark observed capability. All levels are based on doubles performance and rankings.

🔴 Red

GLTA: Open | UTR: 7.0+ | ITN: 1–2

Serve

☐ First serve is a weapon; high pace, placement, and spin. Second serve reliable under pressure. Double faults rare.

Return

☐ Reads serves early, redirects pace, and can attack both first and second serves.

Baseline

☐ Generates pace and spin with consistency. Handles heavy balls and changes of pace. Controls depth, width, and tempo.

Net Play

☐ Confident and aggressive; volleys struck with precision and purpose. Overheads almost always winners.

Tactics

☐ Reads opponents, adapts strategy mid-match, exploits weaknesses. Mixes defence and attack seamlessly.

Consistency

☐ Low unforced errors even at high pace. Can sustain long, high-quality rallies without breaking down.

🟠 Orange

GLTA: A | UTR: 5.5–7.0 | ITN: 3–4

Serve

☐ Strong, often sets up points. Has spin and placement variety, though may not be as consistently dominant as Red.

Return

☐ Anticipates well; aggressive on second serve returns. Can neutralise strong servers.

Baseline

☐ Forehand a weapon, backhand solid. Can use spin, direction, and depth effectively. Handles pace well but occasionally rushed.

Net Play

☐ Confident moving forward. Volleys competent and purposeful; overheads effective.

Tactics

☐ Can construct points, force errors, and change patterns. Comfortable playing different styles (counterpunching, aggressive).

Consistency

☐ Generally consistent, but errors increase if over-pressing or forced into defence.

🟡 Yellow

GLTA: B | UTR: 4.0–5.5 | ITN: 5–6

Serve

☐ Functional and sometimes strong; occasional spin/placement. Second serve vulnerable under pressure.

Return

☐ Gets most serves back. Depth inconsistent; struggles against strong servers.

Baseline

☐ Can sustain moderate-paced rallies with control. Forehand steadier than backhand. Struggles against heavy spin or pace.

Net Play

☐ Can volley but lacks consistency under pressure. Overheads made but not always decisive. Hesitant to come forward.

Tactics

☐ Has a game plan but limited ability to adapt. Relies on strengths (e.g., forehand) and covers weaknesses.

Consistency

☐ More unforced errors under pressure. Can play high-quality points, but consistency fluctuates.

🟢 Green

GLTA: C | UTR: 2.5–4.0 | ITN: 7–8

Serve

☐ Basic; first serve often just “in play,” second serve weak and attackable. Double faults common under pressure.

Return

☐ Returns most serves but without depth or direction. Relies on blocking the ball back.

Baseline

☐ Can rally short sequences at moderate pace. Forehand more reliable; backhand prone to errors. Often struggles to generate their own pace.

Net Play

☐ Hesitant at net; volleys inconsistent, often defensive. Overheads unreliable.

Tactics

☐ Focus is on keeping ball in play. Limited use of spin/angles. Often reactive rather than proactive.

Consistency

☐ Rally length short (3–5 shots). Frequent errors when forced wide or pressured.

🔵 Blue

GLTA: D | UTR: 1.0–2.5 | ITN: 9–10

Serve

☐ Inconsistent. Many faults/double faults. Often just “get it in” serves with little spin or placement.

Return

☐ Can return slow serves, but struggles with depth and direction. Often just blocks ball back.

Baseline

☐ Limited control. Can sustain only very short rallies (2–3 shots) at slow pace. Forehand dominates, backhand avoided.

Net Play

☐ Lacks confidence; avoids net. Volleys and overheads rarely executed cleanly.

Tactics

☐ Still learning rules, positioning, and scoring. Focuses on keeping ball in play, often hitting straight back.

Consistency

☐ Very high error rate. Struggles with timing, footwork, and basic rallying under pressure.