TENNIS LADDERS:

All interested tennis players, high school age and up are invited to participate. Ladder play is a great way to expand your circle of tennis partners and gain more competitive experience.

The SCRA ladders are set up in a flexible format that ranks players as individuals, but allows both singles and doubles play.

TO JOIN THE LADDER PLEASE CONTACT SCRA@Stanford.edu or call 736-SCRA (7272) option 2.


SCRA SINGLES/DOUBLES LADDER RULES

WHO AND WHERE
A current ladder player may challenge up to and including 3 places above her. A non-ladder player may have one free challenge anywhere on the ladder: if she is not successful, thereafter she may challenge up to and including 3 places from the bottom of the ladder.

SINGLES OR DOUBLES
No player is required to accept a singles challenge. If the challenger indicates that she would like to play singles the challenged player may refuse the singles challenge, but must offer to play doubles. The challenger may then decide if she wishes to proceed with the challenge.

The following rules apply to doubles only:
The player being challenged has first choice of partner.
She may choose the player immediately above her, anyone below her, or anyone not on the ladder who is willing to become a ladder member.
The challenger may choose as her partner anyone below the player challenged or anyone not on the ladder who is willing to become a ladder member.
A non-ladder challenger may choose as her partner another non-ladder player, or a ladder player below the player challenged.

WHEN
The player being challenged must respond to her challenger within 3 weekdays, giving: 1) the name of her partner, and 2) at least 2 choices of date and time to play the match.

DEFAULT
If the player being challenged is unable to play the match within 3 weeks of the date of the challenge, she must defaults. The name of her challenger, whether or not she is currently on the ladder, then will be placed immediately above her on the ladder.
A default will result in changed ladder positions for the player challenged and the challenger only, not for their partners.

THE MATCH
Challenge matches will consist of 2 out of 3 sets, regular scoring, with a tie-breaker at 6 all in either of the first two sets. A super – tiebreaker will be played for the third set unless all players agree to play out the third set prior to the start of the match. The challenger is responsible for supplying a new can of balls, as well as reporting the match result to the ladder captain.

RESULTS
If the successful challenger and her partner are both ladder players, they will be placed in the original order immediately above the player challenged.
If the successful challenger is a non-ladder player with a ladder player as her partner, she will be placed below her partner immediately above the player challenged.
If the successful challenger is a ladder player with a non-ladder partner, she will be placed above her partner immediately above the player challenged.
If the player being challenged successfully defends her position, there will be no change in ladder position, unless her partner was below the challenger or the challenger’s partner. In that case the partner of the player being challenged moves immediately above the unsuccessful challenger.

RECHALLENGE
A player successfully challenged (i.e. defeated) may immediately challenge the challenger.
An unsuccessful challenger must play one other challenge before repeating the challenge.

CHALLENGE MINIMUM
To remain on the ladder a player must play at least one offensive challenge every 2 months. Exception: No challenges need be made nor accepted from December 1 through January 5.
All challenges should be reported to the ladder captain she she is aware you have made your offensive challenge minimum, even if the challenge is unsuccessful.

WILD CARD CHALLENGES
Each ladder player is entitled to make one Wild Card challenge per year, (September 1 to August 31) in which she may challenge anyone on the ladder and may also have first choice of partner. All other rules apply and wild cards may not be accumulated from year to year.

INACTIVE STATUS
All ladder players are entitled to time off for vacations, injuries, etc. If you are going to be inactive for two weeks or more, notify the captain. This will hold your place on the ladder and indicated to the other plaers that you are temporarily inactive. The inactive player will be denoted by an “I” on the ladder. Active players below an inactive player may challenge above as though she were not on the ladder.

COURTESY AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP SHALL PREVAIL AT ALL TIMES MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN!