How to Set Up a Tennis Ladder

Challenge Ladders are a fun way to encourage tennis play in your group. Here are some sample rules that you can modify for your group.

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Friendship Ladder Rules

Our Tennis Ladder is designed to create good competition, and a high level of fun, while increasing our member’s skills and allowing them to meet other members.

Each challenge period will be given an odd or even designation, with the first being even, the next odd, and so forth (odd or even will be designated at the top of the ladder on the group page.)

During each challenge period, the players on the designated rungs will be allowed to challenge the person in the rung above them. If the challenger wins, then the people will switch places (i.e. if you are on an “even” rung, and you challenge and “odd” rung and win, then you move up. The next week you will be able to challenge again since you are now an “odd” rung. If you lose, the positions stay the same and you wait to be challenged next week.)

The ladder will begin __________ and end ________.

(optional End Of Ladder Tournament)
The tournament is January 24 & 25.

Please remember that signing up for the ladder is a responsibility, and in order to make the ladder effective, players must be willing to make those obligations.

Ladder Rules
1. You may only challenge the person directly above you, except during the 3-up challenge weeks (see rule 17)
2. Either as a challenger or challenged, you should play one match a week.
3. The challenge will be one (1) week long (Monday through Sunday). Exception: Dec. 22 – Jan. 4 is treated as one week.
4. The challenger arranges the match, and must give the challenged a minimum of two (2) alternative times; one (1) of these must be on the weekend; the other on a weekday. Please be cooperative when arranging matches.
5. If the challenged is unable to play the match, a default should be recorded, and the positions exchanged. Default should not be considered a four-letter word. In order for the ladder to be effective and fair, players need to take the legitimate defaults and keep moving.
6. Both the challenger and the challenged bring a new can of balls to the match. You play with one can, the winner takes the unopened can and the looser takes the can used in the match.
7. Each match will be best 2 of 3 sets with regular scoring, and a twelve (12) point tie breaker at six (6) all in any set. If a 3rd set is required it will be played as a KOMAN ten point tiebreaker.
8. If the challenger wins, positions are exchanged, if not, positions remain the same.
9. The winner is responsible for recording the outcome of the match in the designated discussion forum in our group page.
10. All challengers must contact their opponent by Wednesday of the challenge week. Challenged must have a minimum of two (2) days advance notice to schedule the match. If challenged after Wednesday, the challenged is under no obligation to play the match, but is encouraged to do so.
11. The ladder will be changed by Noon Monday of the next week, according to the challenge record book. If it is not in the challenge record book, your match will not be recorded. Defaults are important in facilitating movement in the ladder.
12. Once on a division, you must remain there until you can challenge onto the bottom of the higher division, or be dropped to the top of the lower division.
13. Should a ladder position be vacated, a person on the waiting list, or a bye, will be added to the vacated slot.
14. If either player fails to arrive within fifteen (15) minutes of the scheduled start time, the challenge is either dropped or defaulted, depending on which player is late. If a match is defaulted, it should be recorded as such.
15. If you join late, you can join at the bottom of division three (3), or go on a waiting list for the first open slot on division one or two.
16. There will be no “no default weeks” (i.e. Thanksgiving week will be treated as any other week). Instead the two (2) weeks of December 22 – 28 and December 29 – January 4 will be treated as one (1) week.
17. 3-up challenge. In order to mix up the ladder (a little more movement) we will have 4 x “3-up” challenges as follows:
Week 2: 3-up Odd
Week 5: 3-up Even
Week 8: 3-up Odd

The 3-up Weeks: The first 3-up challenge will be the week of _____________: (i.e. if that week is an odd challenge week, for instance, the #13 will challenge #10, #11 will challenge #8, #9 will challenge #6, etc). Due to the nature of the 3-up challenge two (2) to three (3) (depending on odd/even week) at the top or bottom of the ladder may be without a challenge.

Thanks and have fun. If you have any questions please post them in our discussion forum on our group page

(INSERT YOUR OWN DATES)
Week 1: Oct 27 – Nov 2 = EVEN
Week 2: Nov 3 – Nov 9 = ODD 3-UP
Week 3: Nov 10 – Nov 16 = EVEN
Week 4: Nov 17 – Nov 23 = ODD
Week 5: Nov 24 – Nov 30 = EVEN 3-UP
Week 6: Dec 1 – Dec 7 = ODD
Week 7: Dec 8 – Dec 14 = EVEN Week 8: Dec 15 – Dec 21 = ODD 3-UP
Week 9: Dec 22 – Jan 4 = EVEN
Week 10: Jan 5 – Jan 11 = ODD
Week 11: Jan 12 – Jan 18 = EVEN 3-UP

(OPTIONAL) The Tournament Weekend will be _____________. Seeds will be set by the ladder results.