rs
Ladder Coordinator: JT Silberstein, jt@rcta.info
NEW AND REPEATING PLAYERS. Any player's first challenge in a season may be anywhere on the ladder without limitation, except during play-off period prior to the season-ending ladder tournament.
CHALLENGING. (1) All challenges are made by clicking on players' emails and then emailing them through the online system. (The messenger system has a glitch and we are working on fixing it.) Players may make or accept multiple challenges; however, at least one must always be a challenge accepted from a lower ladder position. (2) At season's start, all players are allowed one free challenge anywhere on the ladder; winners move to that position; losers remain where they are. After that first challenge, players in the Top 95 rungs may challenge up to 20 ladder rungs higher, not including players who are frozen. This range may narrow as the playoffs approach, however, and when it does, the reduced range will be sent out to all ladder players. (3) Players must respond to challenges within 48 hours whether or not the challenge can be accepted. When a challenged player fails to respond, the challenger should notify the coordinator for that ladder, who will then contact the non-responding player. (4) Matches must be played within one week of the challenge (or two or three weeks with multiple challenges). (5) Multiple back and forth challenges on the same day are not allowed on any of the ladders unless the first match is the completion of an earlier unfinished match (though in no case may a challenger who loses immediately rechallenge). All players are expected to make every effort to get their matches played.
DEFAULTS. If the either player fails to show up for a match or otherwise defaults, notify the ladder coordinator of the date, names of the players, and circumstances and he will make a determination of action after consulting with both players. Depending on the circumstances, the ladder coordinator has broad discretion as to action, including awarding the challenger (assuming he was not the defaulter) a win. In the case of a defaulting challenger, the ladder coordinator may move the challenger down 10 rungs.
COURT TIME. It is the responsibility of the challenger to secure the court.
RECORDING RESULTS. All results are reported in the online system. If the challenger wins, then he or she advances to the rung formerly occupied by the loser and everyone else in between moves down one rung. If the challenger loses, he or she stays on the original rung.
WARMUPS. Limited to five minutes, at which point either player may insist that play begin. Please start promptly.
BALLS. The RCTA provides free balls for all challenge matches. Please request the balls from the gate attendant. The balls must be returned to the gate attendant at the conclusion of the match.
SCORING. Matches consist of one set with regular scoring. 6-6 ties are broken by a 12-point tiebreaker (first player to win 7 points and be ahead by 2). If the game score has reached 5-5 with ten or fewer minutes left in the reserved hour, then a tiebreaker should be played at 5-5, unless both players agree to continue the match on another day. Any other incomplete matches should be resumed on another day at the point where the game was interrupted.
FREQUENCY OF PLAY. Players are encouraged to play at least one match per week.
FREEZING. A vacationing, injured, or otherwise unavailable player must notify the coordinator, who will freeze the spot until notified of the player's return, during which time the player has no obligation to play. However, any player in the Top 16 on the Open who will be away from play for two consecutive weeks or longer, will first be moved to position 17 and then frozen; on the Women's Ladder and 45s Ladder, a player away for two or more consecutive weeks will be moved to No. 9 or lower at the discretion of the ladder administrator. Freezing does not guarantee a position; rather, a frozen player will move one rung down the ladder each time a player lower than he or she successfully challenges a player above. Frozen positions may be skipped when counting the rungs to make challenges.
PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINTS. Players should email the ladder coordinator at jt@rcta.info to resolve challenge disputes or problems. The coordinator has full authority to settle all ladder disputes. Ladder members are expected to comply with decisions. Ladder players are subject to suspension or removal from the ladder for repeated failure to accept challenges, failure to respond to challenges, failure to comply with the decisions of ladder officials, or for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Ladder Coordinator shall decide such matters and the decision shall be final.
TROPHIES. The Ladder Coordinator will announce any trophy competitions.
ELIGIBILITY FOR POST-SEASON PLAYOFFS. On the Open Ladder, the top 16 players with at least 8 matches are eligible for the season-ending playoff tournament. On the Women's and 55 & Over Ladder for Men & Women, the top 8 players with at least 8 matches qualify. The Ladder Coordinator has the discretion to adjust these numbers as play dictates.
