Ladder

Joining

• Type /ladder join in Slack. Confirm your level, accept these rules, get a position at the bottom.
• Anyone can join, any level, at any point in the season.
• Late entrants get a placement window: your first two challenges can reach up to 10 spots above you instead of 5, so you sort to your level quickly.
• Standings are public. Your name, position, and results are visible to everyone, including here. A ranked season only works with an open record — joining means accepting one.
• Starting positions are seeded randomly. The first few weeks sort themselves out.

Challenging

• Challenge anyone up to 5 positions above you.
• Send it with /hit — pick the player, tick Ladder challenge, set a date, time, and court. Ladder challenges are always competitive matches; there's no friendly or rally option once you tick it.
• One open challenge at a time between any two players.
• Play anywhere both players agree. Weekly sessions are announced in #ladder — show up and you'll always find your challenge.

Responding

• The challenged player has 72 hours to accept.
• Once accepted, you have 14 days to play.
• If it hasn't happened by day 14, the challenge voids — no result, no penalty for either side. Scheduling problems aren't anyone's fault.

Declining

• You may decline three challenges per season with no penalty, no explanation needed.
• Declining the same challenger twice within 14 days is a walkover — they take your position.
• Going on hiatus (/ladder hiatus) freezes your position and makes you unchallengeable for up to 2 weeks. Injury, travel, work — use it. It exists so nobody has to duck.

Results

• The winner posts the score with /score, ideally within 24 hours.
• Your opponent confirms with one tap. No response in 72 hours and it auto-confirms. Either player can dispute; a second dispute freezes the result for an admin.
• Confirmed results post to #results and update the standings here.
• Only ladder challenges count. Your regular matches, friendlies, and rallies never affect your position.

Positions

• Challenger wins: the two players swap positions.
• Challenger loses: nothing changes. No penalty for challenging up — that is the point.
• Nobody's position moves unless they play. You can't lose ground because of someone else's result.

Staying active

• Play at least one ladder match every 2 weeks.
• Fall below that and you become a wildcard: challengeable by anyone, regardless of the 5-spot range, until you play again.
• Hiatus pauses this.

Prizes

Awarded at the end of the season. Play at least 5 matches to qualify — the ladder rewards showing up, not sitting on a position.

• Champion — finishing at #1
• Biggest climb — most positions gained from your starting spot
• Most matches played
• Upset of the season — largest position gap overturned

Season one is free. Prizes to be announced.