CLUB LADDERS

 NOTICES

28/3/06

LADDERS – THE BASICS

·       Challenge a player up to 4 places above you – if you win you move above them in the ladder

·       Successfully defend a challenge from a lower placed player - move up 1 place in the ladder (except to 1^st place).

·       Challenge a player up to 4 places below you – if you win you move up 1 place in the ladder (except to 1^st place). If you loose – your opponent moves above you in the ladder.

·       Play anybody else for a social game

·       If you don’t play for 3 consecutive months you drop 3 places

·       There are no completion dates. The ladders run continuously through the year. The 1^st place player in each ladder on 31^st October will receive a prize at the AGM. 

MATCH RESULTS

Please record your result on the results sheet and phone or e-mail Alastair Walker with your result as soon as you have completed the match;

Ladder Rules

Eligibility

1. Players of any standard are eligible to join the ladder corresponding to their age group. Once a junior player reaches the ages of 9 or 11 they must move up to the next most senior ladder.
2. Junior players may request to join a league above their age group and entry will be granted at the discretion of the Competitions Committee.

Joining the Ladder

1. Players positions in the initial Ladders will be set at random
2. Players joining a Ladder after it is established will join at the bottom. A player may request to attempt to join the Ladder at a higher level by challenging and beating 2 players at a higher level. In this case the new player will join the Ladder 1 place above the higher of the 2 players.
3. Requests to join the Ladder after the initial set up should be addressed (by phone or e-mail) to the Competitions Secretary.

Challenges and movement in the Ladder

1. Challenges may be issued to any player on the Ladder (this provides an opportunity for social/ad hoc play!)
2. Only challenges made between players who are within 4 places of each other (e.g. between 14^th and 10^th places or 2^nd and 6^th places) will count towards a change in position in the Ladder.
3. Challenge to a player higher up the ladder. A successful challenge up the ladder will result in the Challenger moving to the place of the beaten Opponent. The beaten Opponent and the players below the Opponent will move down the ladder accordingly. If the Opponent (the challenged player) defeats a challenge the Opponent will move up one position (except to 1^st place in the ladder – see below).
4. Challenge to a player lower down the ladder. If a player challenges a lower placed player and loses, then the Opponent moves to the position of the Challenger and the Challenger and other players below move down a place accordingly. If the Challenger wins then the Challenger will move up one position (except to 1^st place in the ladder – see below. Note this rule has been included to encourage those near the top of the table to keep playing and not “sit” on their position.
5. For every successive period of 3 months in which a player plays no matches they will be moved down 3 places in the Ladder.
6. 1^st place on the ladder can only be filled by a successful challenge against the current 1^st place player, or by default following a period of inactivity of the 1^st player. 1^st place cannot be taken by the 2^nd place player defending a challenge from a player lower in the Ladder, nor by initiating and winning a challenge lower down the ladder.
7. Players may make or accept only one challenge at a time
8. The challenger should suggest 3 reasonable times for play to their Opponent. If the Challenger and Opponent cannot find a suitable date within a period encompassing the next 3 weekends from the date of the challenge, then the Challenger wins the match by default. Tactical challenging against a player known to be unavailable is not allowed!
9. The Challenger will provide balls (of good playing quality) for the match unless otherwise agreed. Club balls are not to be used!

Match formats and results

1.       Match formats will be according to the table below

2.       Underarm serving is allowed but the ball must be hit without bouncing it first.

3.       It is expected that a parent/guardian will oversee the U11’s and U9’s matches. All other matches shall be umpired by the players themselves. It is expected that players will enter the spirit of the competition and exercise fairness in their line and other calls.

4.       In the event that a match cannot be finished, for example due to bad weather, and the match cannot be rescheduled within the next week, then the player in the lead at the time of abandonment shall be declared the winner. If the score is exactly even, or only the warm up is complete, the match is abandoned and no result is recorded. Players will be credited for play. In this instance a player can of course issue a new challenge, with new availability dates.

5.       In the event that a player fails to turn up for a match or withdraws due to injury prior to commencement of the match results should be recorded as follows;

The player who turns up for the match will be credited for play

6.      Match results including the date of the match should be e-mailed or phoned to the Competitions Secretary on completion and written on the Ladder results sheets posted in the clubhouse

Complaints/Grievances

1.       All complaints or grievances related to the Ladders should be made in writing to the Tennis Club Committee, addressed to the Chairman.