How d1R works

d1R

Skill Rating

Cayman Protocol · Score-based · No time decay

What is d1R?

d1R is your skill rating - an estimate of how good you are, built from how your scores compare with the predicted score. It answers: "can you win?"

Every rated match updates your d1R based on the gap between the predicted score and the actual score. Upsets move it more than predictable wins. Losses to stronger players barely move it; losses to weaker players move it more.

Key point: d1R is not your ranking points. Those are tracked as d1P, which drives your ladder position. d1R measures ability; d1P measures recent activity + achievement.

d1R vs d1P - two different measures

d1R (Skill)

Ability-based
Calibrated skill estimate
No time decay
Changes slowly
Answers: "how good?"
Like a chess rating

d1P (Ranking points)

Activity-based
Rewards playing & winning
Decays over 365 days
Changes constantly
Drives your ladder position
Like ATP points

Neither replaces the other. An elite active player has both high d1R and high d1P. High d1R + low d1P = skilled but on a break.

The Cayman Protocol - three rules

d1R is computed by Cayman Protocol v3.2, a score-based system with three rules layered on top. Before each match it predicts the score from both teams’ ratings, then moves your d1R by how far you beat or missed that prediction.

1 · Winners never drop

Win a match, your d1R cannot go down. Even against much weaker opponents. The worst outcome for winning is that your rating holds steady.

2 · Losers can still gain

Lose a close match against someone much stronger and you may gain d1R. You outperformed expectations - the system rewards that, not the final scoreline.

3 · Partner disparity dampening

In doubles, if one player is far stronger than the other, the rating delta is dampened. The strong partner can't pump rating by carrying a weak one; the weak partner can't hide behind the strong one.

What moves your d1R

1 · Expected vs actual score

Before the match, the system predicts the score from both teams’ average ratings. Your d1R moves by the difference between the predicted and actual score - beating someone you should beat barely moves it; upsetting a stronger player moves it a lot.

2 · The same step size for everyone

A new player’s d1R moves by the same amount per point above or below the prediction as a veteran’s. There is no extra swing for being new, so a real change in level shows up over a run of matches, not in one.

3 · Trust multiplier

How well a result is backed up changes how much it counts: whether the other players confirmed it, whether it was verified at the venue, and whether anyone in the match has an open integrity flag. Confirmed matches at verified venues count the most; unanswered or flagged matches count less.

4 · Format subscores

Your primary d1R is overall (doubles + singles combined). Separate subscores for doubles and singles are maintained in parallel. Leaderboards and profiles default to overall.

Rating tiers

These are the default tier thresholds. Clubs can choose their own tier names and thresholds.

Beginner0.0 – 2.5

Developing2.5 – 3.0

Intermediate3.0 – 4.0

Advanced4.0 – 5.0

Elite5.0+

Why doesn't d1R decay?

Skill doesn’t evaporate. Stop playing for a year and your d1R stays exactly where you left it - it only moves when you play rated matches. Ranking points (d1P) penalize inactivity, not skill.

The trust multiplier

Each raw change is adjusted for how well the result is backed up: confirmation, venue verification, and integrity flags. Every match keeps a breakdown you can inspect.

How your d1R changes day-to-day

New result: d1R updates shortly after a match is confirmed. A result nobody answers confirms itself after the window at a reduced weight, and some - like a score against players without an account that nobody confirms - count for almost nothing.

No nightly drift: Unlike d1P, there’s no decay job. If no matches happen, your d1R stays exactly where it is.

Corrections: If an organizer corrects or voids an event result, only that result's d1R change is taken back for everyone in it, and a corrected score is then rated again. Changes from later matches are kept. Later matches are not re-run.

Where you see d1R

Your dashboard tile: current d1R and tier. Tap to open this explainer.

Leaderboards (all levels): every leaderboard has two tabs - Ranking · d1P (default) and Skill · d1R.

Your profile + stats: d1R appears alongside tier, reliability, rating history, and confidence band (low / high).

Match entry preview: before you confirm a score, you can see exactly what your d1R will move to.

The big picture

d1R measures ability. d1P rewards activity. Together they tell the full story. A 4.8 d1R player who logs 4 matches a year has genuine skill but no ranking. A 3.2 d1R grinder who plays 150 matches a year climbs the d1P leaderboards without needing elite skill. Both numbers matter - neither replaces the other.

Questions?

Why doesn't d1R ever go down when I win?

Rule #1: winners never drop. Even if you beat someone much weaker (where the expected outcome was already a win), your d1R holds steady. This prevents punishment for showing up against a mixed field.

How is d1R different from other ratings?

d1R looks at the score, not just who won. It predicts the score from both teams’ ratings and moves by how far you beat or missed it, with dink.one’s three rules on top and each result weighted by how well it was confirmed.

Why does d1R not decay over time?

Skill doesn’t evaporate - trained ability persists, so d1R doesn’t fall while you’re away. When you come back, your matches move it exactly the way they always did. Ranking (d1P) is where inactivity penalizes you.

How many matches until my d1R is reliable?

Your reliability label starts at provisional and moves up as you play more rated matches; who you play against isn’t part of it. The two top labels also need a confidence measure that newer ratings can’t reach yet, so most newer players stay at developing for now.

Can a rating change be undone?

Yes, for event results: if an organizer corrects or voids a result, that result's d1R change is taken back for everyone in it, and a corrected score is then rated again. Changes from your later matches are kept. Later matches are not re-run.