Ladder Rules

Ladder Commissioner Adrian Blaber

Ladder Structure:

Spring            -      Mid March to May 31           
Summer       -      Mid June to August 31
Fall            -      Mid September to November 30
Winter            -      Mid December to Feb 28 (29)

• There will be 10 competitors per box, excepting the last box which may be increased in size.

• Each ladder will be scheduled to last 11 or 12 weeks. No ladder will be extended for any reason.

• New players joining the ladder will be entered at a level appropriate to their standard of play.

• Players will arrange their own matches with their opponents in the box that they are positioned in.

• At the end of the ladder players will be promoted or relegated according to the final ranking within each box.

• The ladders are run by the HSRA for the members of the HSRA only. All participants must be current HSRA/US Squash members.

Matches:

• All ladder matches will be best of 5 games.

• PAR scoring will be used (point a rally).

• Each game will be played to 11 points. In the event of 10-10 tie the winner will be the player who obtains 2 clear points (e.g. 16-14)

• Whenever possible, have your ladder matches refereed.

• US Squash rules will apply, therefore, eye guards are mandatory. If a player refuses to wear eye guards, at the request of their opponent, then a walkover may be claimed from the ladder commissioner by the player requesting that the eye guards be worn.

• Matches are to be arranged by the players between themselves, with other players in the same box. This will be at a location and time agreed by both players.

• In the event that a match is started, but one of the players cannot complete the match and leaves the court (ie. A player injures themselves etc.) match rules will apply. This is “not” a default/walkover situation. All the games won during the match will stand and the remaining player claims a 3 game victory. (i.e. the game score is 1-1 when a player injures himself and cannot continue play. The remaining player claims a 3-1 win.

Recording Match Results:

• The game score from each match is to be entered directly into the box ladder website by the players. The results can be entered or amended by either player.

• If there is any dispute as to the scores entered, please notify the ladder commissioner.

• The only scores that may be entered by the players are results from actual matches played. Any points for walkovers/defaults must be claimed from the ladder commissioner. Only the ladder commissioner will enter these points. See “defaults/walkovers.

• All scores will need to be entered no later than 11.59pm on the day that the ladder finishes. The box ladder is programmed to stop taking data entry at that time. Snooze you loose

Sorting at the end of each Ladder:

• At the end of each ladder session the top 3 players in each box will go up 1 box. This is the only guarantee that is made by the ladder commission.

• Depending upon other movements in the ladder (challenges or new players entering) the bottom 3 or more players may be relegated to the box below. This is solely at the discretion of the ladder commissioner.

• Any player that  plays no matches during a ladder and are not on the disabled list  “WILL” be removed from the ladder and will not be entered into the next ladder. “No exceptions will be made”. You will then need to request the commissioner to re-enter on the following ladder. Retaining your ladder position will not be guaranteed.

• All players on the disabled list will be entered into the next box. See withdrawn/disabled.

• Any player that drops down the ladder due to lack of play and becomes well below their standard of play will be “benched” for one ladder session. The player will be withdrawn for one ladder session and will then be assessed as to their level of play and placed in the ladder at an appropriate box. Much the same as a new player is placed into the ladder.

• Any player that over a period of time continually drops due to lack of play or continually plays zero matches will be withdrawn from the ladder and will not be entered into any future ladder sessions

Players that need to withdraw or become injured during a ladder:

• If a player is not going to be able to play in their box for a ladder session (ie. a player needs to withdraw due to other commitment or  becomes injured) the ladder commissioner must be notified as soon as is possible and that player will be marked as disabled in the box ladder website and placed on the disabled list.

• If the ladder commissioner is informed in a timely manner (i.e. not within the last 3 or 4 weeks at the end of the ladder session) that a player is unavailable for a ladder or if a player becomes injured then that player will be placed on the disabled list and will retain their present ladder position in the following ladder. Later than this the players position in the next ladder will be determined by their final points accrued.

• When a player is placed on the disabled list any previous matches may be scratched from the results. This will depend on the number of matches played prior to disablement and the results attained. A player that has played several matches and is disabled may request to keep his match scores. This will then mean that the remaining players, not played, may receive default points if they request them. Zero match players will not receive default points in this situation. Each situation will be assessed separately by the ladder commissioner.

Default points:

• Players entering the box ladders are committing to play matches during a ladder session. Players failing to make themselves “available to play at reasonable times” to other players in their box are placing themselves in a default situation and points may be awarded against them.

• Any player that considers that another player is not making effort to be available (or refuses) to play them has the right to notify the ladder commissioner of the situation and request default points. The situations due to this are extremely varied and each case will need to be assessed on its own merit. In many cases it will be very difficult to assess the full situation and any assessments made will not turn into a trial situation with protracted arguments. Therefore the ladder commissioners’ decisions on these situations will be final.

• All default points awarded will “NOT” be entered into the website until after the relevant box ladder has finished.

• If a default is awarded there will be 5 default points added to the score of the player requesting the default. These will be entered by the ladder commissioner only. Any player found to be entering a 3-0 score for walkover will have the points removed and no request for defaults in that instance will be accepted.

• No default points will be given against a “ZERO” point player who has played no matches in that box, with one exception. The exception being that a match was arranged and the player was a “no show”.

Default situations:

• If a match is arranged and one of the players fails to show, then the player available to go on court can request defaults from the ladder commissioner and will automatically be given them. This is the only situation where the points are a given.

• If a match is arranged and one of the players cancels prior to the match date, then this constitutes a default situation. Etiquette requires that the canceling player re-arrange the match. This needs to be within a reasonable time frame to allow the opposing player sufficient time to accept an offer. Failure to do so by the end of the ladder will result in default points being awarded against the canceling player.

• If a player refuses to play because they are injured (not listed as disabled), out of town, not prepared to travel to your club, only plays lunchtimes (unreasonable times), then they have made themselves “unavailable” to play. Default points can be requested from the ladder commissioner.

• If a player makes repeated challenges to an opponent and that opponent does not respond at all or continuously put them off with a promise to play later, then that opponent is placing themselves in a default situation as they are making themselves “unavailable to play”. The challenging player must make 3 challenges (the 3 strike rule). These must be an individual challenge (not bulk email) at reasonable times, with a reasonable time span in between each challenge. If the opponent does not accept the third (final) challenge default points can be requested from the ladder commissioner. Copies of emails forwarded with the request, to support the claim, will help ensure the awarding of default points.

• What will be considered reasonable times to challenge for matches are after 6.00pm week days and after 10.00am week ends. Matches offered and arranged at other times are at the convenience of both parties and a challenge at an unreasonable time will not count towards the 3 strike rule for default points

Challenge Matches:

• A player is eligible to play a Challenge match if they play and win “all” their matches in one season. There must be a minimum of 50% of the matches possible in your box played to qualify.

• All challenges must be approved by the ladder commissioner prior to a challenge being made.

• A challenge can only be made up to 2 boxes above your current box level.

• If the challenge is successful, the challenger will move into the box level that was challenged

Note

• Any disputes that arise will be arbitrated by the ladder commissioner and that decision will be final.

• All requests for defaults, challenges and disabled status will be awarded/given at the discretion of the ladder commissioner and that decision will be final

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Please bear in mind that all HSRA activities are organized by squash playing volunteers, who are prepared to give time to the “cause”. If any member has any issues with the way things are done or handled and would like to express this, please feel free to participate by sending an e-mail to the president.

Remember……”nothing is ever perfect” and “you just cannot please everybody all the time”. Every effort will be taken to organize and administer the ladder as fairly as possible. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Good luck to all.