Rules of Ladders

Ladder categories

Each ladder is created for one competitive category: men’s singles or doubles, ladies’ singles or doubles, mixed doubles, or divers singles or doubles.

Only players or partnerships eligible for that category can be placed on the ladder. Friendly singles and doubles are for live scoring only and cannot be used as ladder categories.

Ranking order

Tournament managers set the starting order. Position 1 is the top of the ladder. At least two eligible entries are required before challenges can begin.

Entries cannot be reordered while a challenge is proposed or accepted. Resolve, decline, cancel, or wait for the deadline first.

Challenges

A player or team may challenge someone above them, within the ladder’s challenge range (default three places; managers can change this under Challenge settings).

Each challenge includes a proposed date and time. The challenged side receives an email with that date and the challenge rules.

When the owner allows deferrals, each side may postpone the date once to a suitable alternative. After the challenge is accepted, both sides receive a calendar invite (.ics) they can add to any calendar.

A participant may only have one active challenge at a time on that ladder. Challenges expire after the ladder’s deadline in days.

Results and movement

After the match, a scorekeeper links a completed club match that uses the same ladder category and the same players or doubles partners.

If the challenger wins, the two entries swap positions. If the higher-ranked side wins, the order stays the same and the challenge is still marked completed.

Friendly matches cannot resolve a ladder challenge.

Divers eligibility

By default, divers appear on divers ladders. If the club owner enables open divers eligibility, divers may also join men’s, ladies’, and mixed ladders according to that policy.

The club’s divers policy locks after the first completed competitive match result, so ladder category rules stay consistent through the season.