How ranked works
Teams, tiers, scoring, fair play: everything about ranked, explained end to end.
The principle
A named team of two
Ranked is always played 2 vs 2, as a named team. You create or join a team with a partner, and that team is what climbs the ranking, not you alone. Your personal level is derived from the matches your teams play.
Men's, Women's and Mixed
Individual rankings are split into Men's and Women's. Team rankings add a third category, Mixed, for teams with one player of each gender.
Tiers and placement
5 placement matches
Your first 5 ranked matches are placement games. During placement you see a count like 3/5 instead of a tier. Once they're played, your tier is set and starts moving with every match after that.
No number, ever
Beachmates never shows a numeric rating. What you see is your tier, from Bronze up to Champion, and how far you are through it. Simple to read, no confusing numbers to chase.
Progress bar
The progress bar under your tier badge shows how far along you are inside that tier, filling up as you win, ready to tip you into the next tier.
Ways to play ranked
All ranked games are organized with your team. A few ways to get one on the calendar:
Organize or join a slot
Open a ranked slot at a court and time of your choice, or join a public slot already open with your team. First team in sets the game; a second team joining completes it.
Negotiable team challenges
Challenge another team directly, or nearby teams at once, for a court and time you propose. The other team can respond:
Matchmates
No team yet, or no opponent in sight? Matchmates lets you swipe to find a partner for your own team. As team captain you can also swipe on other teams: when both teams like each other, the challenge opens and you agree on a court and a time.
Open MatchmatesScore and confirmation
Report the score
After the match, either team reports the final score, set by set.
The other team confirms
The result only becomes official once someone from the opposing team confirms it. Your own side reporting is never enough, and nobody can confirm on their own team's behalf.
Or contest it
If the score is wrong, the opposing team can contest instead of confirming. The match is cancelled, no tier is affected, and any ranked credit spent on it is returned to every player.
No reply, no result
Ranked never auto-confirms itself. If nobody confirms or contests within 7 days, the match is cancelled and credits are returned, same as a contest.
Forfeits and no-shows
Check in at the court
Once you're at the court, check in from the app. Check-in opens 30 minutes before the match and stays open until 30 minutes after it should have ended.
Claim a forfeit
If your team checked in and the other team never showed, you can claim a forfeit from 15 minutes after the scheduled start.
48 hours to contest
A claimed forfeit is provisional. The absent team can contest it, cancelling the match with no effect on tiers. Without a contest within 48 hours, the forfeit is confirmed as a real ranked loss for the absent team.
Access
Free during the beta
While Beachmates is in beta, ranked is free and unlimited for everyone, no subscription needed.
After the beta
Outside the beta, every player gets a monthly quota of free ranked credits, one credit per match your team plays. A credit is reserved when your team signs up, and returned if the game does not take place.
Premium gives unlimited ranked, and credit packs or a season pass will let you top up beyond your free quota.
See my ranked creditsIdentity and privacy
Ranked is a public mode. The first time you commit to a ranked game, if you play anonymously elsewhere on Beachmates, you're asked to confirm you understand what stays visible.
Your nickname stays visible
On leaderboards and on challenges, your nickname is always shown, even if you play anonymously everywhere else on Beachmates.
Name and photo, kept for your circle
On a match sheet or match history, your name and photo are only shown to the players in your circles (teammates, opponents you have played, friends, clubmates). Everyone else sees your nickname without a photo.
Ready for your first ranked match?
Grab a partner, form a team, and get on the board.
Create your profile to play ranked