USAPA PICKLEBALL DOULES LADDER LEAGUE FORMAT

USAPA PICKLEBALL DOULES LADDER LEAGUE FORMAT

*You don’t need to have a partner.

The format provides for the maximum amount of flexibility for the players.

Players may enter or leave a ladder at any time or miss a week or more because of their schedule as long as they inform the ladder captain before the schedule is made out for the upcoming week.

The format is designed so that players mostly play others of similar skill level.

The ranking is based on the winning percentage (ratio of points won to total points possible).

Players will move up or down the ladder based upon their winning percentage.

The results of the ten most recent weeks will be used for the calculation.More Information and a General Description of the Ladders and Operation

Program Documentation for Ladder Managers

The format of play is designed so that players play mostly with others of similar skill levels.

Your ranking on a ladder is based upon your winning percentage (the ratio of points won to total points possible).

Players will move up or down the ladder based upon their winning percentage.

The results of the ten most recent weeks of play will be used for this calculation.

Each week, players will be placed in groups of 4 in the order of their ranking on the ladder for match play.

You are expected to play every week unless you inform the Captain that you will be absent.

All players will play three doubles games in a round robin fashion with the other three players of the foursome.

At the start of the game, players will decide who starts serving first and choice of side.

Missed matches are not made up.

The percentages are based only on the matches that are actually played.

The ladder is designed to be a perpetual ladder with no particular start or end date.

Players can enter or leave the ladder at any time.

Optionally, the ladder manager may choose to run the ladder for a specified number of weeks so that there are clear winners at the end.

After your games have been played, players record their scores on the score sheet that is available in the area.

Post the individual scores and the total for all three games.

There is a maximum of 45 points (for 15-point games, or 3 times the selected number of points per game) because you do not have to win by 2 points.

Optionally, the ladder manager may choose to have the games be won by 2 points.

In that case, the scores would still be recorded as the number of points per game with a winning margin of one.

When scores are entered into the program, standings are automatically posted on the ladder page of the website.

Ladder Divisions

Each ladder may have up to 4 divisions.

Normally, the ladder divisions are gender neutral and based upon overall skill level.

For example, if the USAPA numeric rating system is used, you might choose to have ladder divisions of 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, and 2.5.

Depending upon the number of players in the area, the ladder manager may choose to have everyone in a single ladder or to have a men’s ladder and women’s ladder.

Movement Between Ladders

If the ladder divisions are based on skill level, the ladder manager should have some rules about moving players up to the next skill division or down a division based on ladder standing.

There would be a similar process for moving down to a lower skill level division.

Publishing the Players Schedule

The Playing Schedule will be published on the Ladder link of the USAPA website on a schedule determined by the ladder manager, typically a day or two prior to the scheduled play date.

The program also provides for the ability to notify players by email that the schedule has been posted to the website.

Ladder Displays

Only players on the ACTIVE list will be published on the Ladder page of the website under “Standings”.

Ladder Captains may place any player who cannot play for more than two weeks on an INACTIVE list which is seen only by the Captain.

A player on INACTIVE status will remain there until their Ladder Captain receives notice from the player to return to active status.

The schedule is displayed each week showing only those players who are available to play that week or are assigned a bye/sub.

Absences

Can’t Play – BEFORE Schedule is Published.

If a player is unable to play on the specified day, the player should notify the Ladder Captain no later than the day before the schedule is published.

This is normally a couple of days before the play date, but will be determined by local rules.

The groupings will then be made without that player.

The player’s most recent score will stand until the player resumes play.

There is no penalty for being absent as long as the player has notified the Captain before the stated deadline.

Can’t Play – AFTER Schedule is Published

After the schedule is published and prior to the actual match:

If a player is unable to play, the player should do one of the following subject to modification by local rules and procedures:

Call a Sub from the published Schedule.

Call the other 3 players in your foursome to reschedule your ladder match at a more convenient time, but BEFORE the Schedule for the following week is published.

Report the scores to the Captain before the next week’s Schedule is published.

Call the other 3 players in your foursome to have them agree to take an absence for that week.

Player Missing at Match Time

If there is a player missing at match time, and the other players have not been notified, then those players that are late (anytime after the published starting time) will be subject to the No Show rule (see No Show section).

The other players will not receive a score for that match unless a Sub is available.

Since the standings are based on a point percentage for the games actually played, it is not a penalty to not have a score recorded.

The No Show rule should apply to Bye/Subs also.

Percentage Establishment

The ladder may be configured for any number of points per game.