Ladder Leagues
The first “game day” for Ladder Leagues (LL) is Saturday, June 3. You can “opt in” to play on the 3rd beginning on Saturday, May 27 @ 8 p.m. You must sign up through Pickleball Brackets, NOT Court Reserve.
FAQ’s about Ladder Leagues.
Q: Does playing in Saturday Ladder Leagues (LL) count as one of my 3 “events” per week?
A: No, it does not.
Q: Can anyone sign up for LL?
A: Absolutely, the top players in the Club can be playing at the same time as lower level players, just on different courts.
Q: What about targeting? (where the majority of the shots are targeted at the weaker player.)
A: Providing 24 to 36 players sign up each week there should be minimal targeting as the players on your court should be of relative equal ability. However, as this is a “quasi-competitive” league, there may be some targeting at times, just like a tournament. It challenges you to execute shots that your opponents can’t return consistently at their target.
Q: Does my “rating” in LL affect my tournament rating?
A: No it does not. Your LL rating only pertains to the Saturday League. The intention of LL’s is to place players of similar ability on the same court to compete in a quasi-competitive/tournament environment.
Q: Will my LL rating be similar to what my tournament rating would be?
A: Your LL rating could be similar, but your LL rating is only based on the players that play in the Saturday LL, a much smaller sample than if you entered a tournament or multiple tournaments.
Q: Do I have to play every Saturday?
A: No, however the more often you play the better chance that you will be on courts with players of equal ability and your LL rating will be more reflective of where you stand in relation to the other LL players.
Q: What happens to my rating when I miss a Saturday?
A: Nothing, it stays the same.
Q: Will the Club use LL ratings as a method of regulating “level” play? (ie you must have a Club rating of 3.5 or greater to play in the 3.5-3.9 event.)
A: Effective, Monday, June 5 and only on Mondays, the levelled events that day (3.5, 4.0, 4.5+) will require participants to have either a Tournament rating or a Club Rating at the level they sign up for. This does not apply to other levelled events on Tuesdays through Fridays. The rule of playing “at one level only each week” is suspended effective June 5, you may sign up for more than one level per week as of June 5.
Q: Why does it show me as 3.75, when I self-rated at 3.5?
A: The program automatically moves you to the halfway point to the next level for your starting point. Halfway between 3.5 and 4.0 is 3.75. This is done so if you lose your first few games you don’t drop below the 3.5 level for the next week. It would take a few game days of consistent poor results to drop below the 3.5 level.
Q: How does my rating go up or go down?
A: It is a complicated algorithm that takes into account your partner’s rating and your opponent’s rating and other factors. Basically, if you win a game your rating goes up; if you lose it goes down. The amount you go up or down varies depending on which team has a higher rating. In other words, if a higher rated team wins your match, your rating would go down very slightly. If a lower rated team than you wins your match then you would decrease by a larger amount.
Q: Should everyone play in the LL?
A: Just like any other event/program, the LL is not everyone’s preferred format. Some find it too serious, or they get nervous when the games “count” towards their ranking. Of course, those that do well in LL tend to like it more than those that lose most of their games.
If interested in playing in the Ladder Leagues, please see the attachment “Ladder League Instructions”.
Other questions, please reach out by email to Dave Burgoyne (daveburg@telus.net)