So I was in a server named Noob. It wasn't blue so according to the stickied FAQ I can't rank in that server and "stats" aren't aquired however, during the match I got a message saying I was recommended for a badge and then two more msgs saying I was recommended for ribbons. When the match was over a new one automatically started on that server. After that match started, I hit start and then Quit. When I check my profile, my ribbons or the badge are missing. Do I still need to be in a "blue" labeled ranked match to get those too?

I'm new to this game, just started playing today and I think it's awesome just need some help understanding this stuff cause the manual is lightweight useless. Thanks!

Blue servers are the official ones. The rest are player servers, but these can still be set up as "ranked" servers.
The first icon in the server list is supposed to be a cup or "trophy", and if that's not crossed out, it means it's a ranked server that you can earn points/ribbons/badges/medals on.
It sometimes takes a while for the ribbons (etc) to show up in your profile. As a word of advice, when you finish playing, don't just quit, choose "logout" on the menu. It might not make a difference, but it will sign you out of the network properly, and (presumably) ensure your stats are submitted straight away (pure conjecture!).
I've seen people in my friends list still showing as being in a particular game when I know they've logged of, so I put that down to quitting instead of logging out.