Join a Ladder

What is a challenge ladder?

A challenge ladder is an activity that allows players to connect with other players and play matches. As members play their ladder matches, their relative positions change so that the result is a ranking of players according to their skill levels. The goals are to facilitate play among players who may not know each other and to encourage friendly competitive play.

When does it start?

Session 1: May 1st – June 30th
Session 2: July 3rd – September 4th (Junior ladders will be added)

What are the ladder categories?

Singles Open 3.0<	Singles Open 3.5>	Ladies Singles	Novice Singles Open 2.0
Open to all members of the club who are 14 years of age or older and who have a rating of 3.0 or lower	Open to all members of the club who are 14 years of age or older and have a rating of 3.5 or higher	Open to all female members of the club who are 14 years of age or older	Open to all members of the club who are 12 years of age or older and who have a rating of 2.0 or lower
Special exemption for U14 juniors approved by Jared	Special exemption for U14 juniors approved by Jared	Special exemption for U14 juniors approved by Jared	No exemptions
Regular balls will be used	Regular balls will be used	Regular balls will be used	Regular or green dot balls may be used

Match Scoring

Pro Set - Whoever wins 8 games wins the match. No longer than a 5 minute warm-up.
A seven-point tie-breaker to be played if the set score is tied at 7-all. You must win by at least two points in the tie-breaker (7-5, 8-6, 9-7, etc...)

Kindly yield your court for the next booking. If still unfinished, the winner will be determined in the following order:
1. Whoever is leading in games
2. If games are tied, whoever is leading in points
3. If games and points are tied, then play a sudden death point to determine the winner

Winner must log in the score.

Ladder Rankings – ELO

ELO is a mathematical formula that uses a points-based system. It predicts the odds of each player winning or losing and adjusts their rank accordingly. When a player makes a challenge, they will get a preview of what their new rank would be if they win or lose.

Rules

If the player who was challenged does not respond to your challenge request within 3 days, the challenger may enter a winning score of 1-0
Once a challenge has been made, you have 7 days to play your match
If a player does not show for a scheduled match, then the player who is there wins by a score of 1-0. The match winner is responsible to log in the score on GameTime
Once you challenge someone, you are now locked into that challenge. You cannot challenge anyone else until a score has been entered
You cannot remove yourself from a challenge unless you forfeit the match or enter your match score
You can only challenge upwards 4 places and downwards 2 places

Eligibility

Ladders are only open to the 2023 members of the Guildwood Tennis Club

There are ladders for various levels of junior, adult, and senior play. Everyone is eligible for an “Open” Ladder, but please choose the level that is appropriate for you according to the TPA self-rating guide.

Requirements

In order for you to be able to contact your opponent, be sure that you have entered an email address in your GameTime profile. A phone number is also recommended. For juniors, parents can enter their own email address.

How do I register?

Sign in to GameTime
Go to the tennis booking page
On the top right-hand corner of the tennis booking page select “All Ladders”
Select the ladder you wish to join from the drop-down menu
Click on “Join this ladder.”
You will automatically be placed on the bottom of the ladder with a score of 1200 points.

How do I challenge others?

In your ladder, click on the orange “challenge” button beside the person you want to challenge.
A challenge text box will appear. In the text area, introduce yourself and send some potential dates and times you are available. Click “Confirm”
Your opponent will receive your challenge by email. It will be addressed from your email so that your opponent knows who to reply to.
The challenger must book the court time when the scheduled match time has been agreed upon. Usually, one hour is a sufficient amount of time to complete the match.

Players may decide to enter as many ladders as they wish, and players may join a ladder at any time, although joining at the start of a Session is the most sensible.

Questions can be directed to Ladder Coordinator, Ron Hoekstra via email at guildwoodtennisladders@gmail.com