Singles Ladder.
The Singles Ladder is for those members looking for competitive singles play.
You will be matched against members with a similar skill level to ensure the best playing experience.
The better you play, the more points you score, the higher on the Ladder you go.
How high can you climb?!
*Registration opens June 2nd @ 8:00am*
*Ladder begins June 9th and goes until September*
Re-rating Sessions
You need to have a club rating to participate in the ladder events.
If you would like to update your rating, we have dedicated some times for re-rating sessions. Sign up through your HPTC account.
Re-rating dates:
Saturday May 27th @ 11:15am - 1:15pm.
Monday May 29th @ 7pm - 8pm.
Capacity
Ladies can only play on one ladder.
Coed Singles NTRP rating up to 3.5: 50 spots.
Coed Singles NTRP rating 4.0 and up: 50 spots.
Women’s Open: 30 spots.
*A waitlist registration will be opened if the ladders sell out. The ladder fee will be charged if the player is added to the ladder. Players added from the waitlist will enter at the bottom of the ladder.
TennisRungs
New this season, we will use a service called TennisRungs to run the ladders.
Within 24 hours after sign-up, you will receive an email from TennisRungs.com to open an account and create a password. There is no charge to use TennisRungs.com. Please contact info@howardparktennis.com if you do not receive an email.
Your initial username at TennisRungs.com will be the email address associated with your HPTC account. This can be changed once your account is set up. Your name, email address and gender will be shared with TennisRungs in order to administer the ladders.
TennisRungs is where you will issue challenges, enter scores, track matches/rankings and more.
There is also a free mobile app for players. Download for free in the Google Play and Apple App Stores.
How to sign up
You need to have a rating to participate!
Go to your HPTC account to sign-up.
Go to “Register for Adult Programs” of your club account to sign-up.
Cost
$5 per person
Booking court time
Challengers book the court unless players agree otherwise.
The club's standard Ball Policy is in effect.
Booking a ladder match is exactly like how you would book regular singles play.
If you book your ladder match during prime time hours, you will use your any-time booking token.
If you book your ladder match during non-prime time hours, you will use your non-prime time booking token.
It is your responsibility to manage your booking tokens to make sure that you get to play all your matches.
How to Play
A player's starting point is selected randomly, but will be based on rating.
You may issue up to 3 challenges at a time
You can only accept 1 challenge from one player at any given time. (This prevents outstanding challenges from accumulating against you.)
You may challenge a player up to 5 rankings above you.
If the challenge is successful, you will take the spot of the person you challenge and your opponent will be bumped down 1 spot.
If you hold a wildcard, you may challenge anyone above you.
An additional wildcard will be granted after 5 matches have been played.
By accepting a challenge, you agree to play that match within 7 days of acceptance.
If you cannot play within 7 days, simply "Deny" that challenge.
If a challenge is accepted and not played within 7 days, it will expire and the challenge will be deleted from the system and will have to be re-issued. Of course, since rankings continually change, a re-challenge may not be possible.
The top 5 players in the 3.5 ladder will switch spots with the bottom 5 players in the 4.0 ladder at the end of each month.
*Rules of the ladder may change as we collect player feedback and identify improvements.
Match Rules
Length: Each match is a 60-minute pro-set which is first to win 8 games, by a margin of 2 (e.g. 8 – 6). If the match is tied at 8 – 8, a 7-point tiebreaker is played to a two-point advantage; e.g. 9 – 8 ( 13 – 11).
Warm-up: Keep your warm up time between 5 – 10 minutes.
Lateness:
If an opponent is late by 5 minutes or less, they begin the match down 1 game.
If they are between five to 10 minutes late, they begin the match down 2 games.
If they are over 10 minutes late, a default loss is recorded.
Serves: Each player gets first in, to a maximum of 5 attempts, for their first 2 service points.
Deuces: 1 deuce only. The next deuce is sudden death with the receiver choosing which side to receive the serve.
FAQs
What happens if my opponent doesn’t show up because he/she thought the weather didn’t look favourable or the courts were too wet for play?
If weather is ever in question, both players should call the on-duty Court Manager to get a ruling on if the courts are suitable for play. If a player did not check with the Court Manager and chose not to show up for the match, a default win will be awarded to the player left waiting.
What happens if it begins to rain at the beginning/during match?
Check with the staff to determine if the courts are suitable for play. If they are not, and a minimum of 5 games total have been played then the leading player is considered the winner. If less than 5 games, then agree to the current score, re-book to a mutually agreeable time, and continue the match where you left off.
If the match cannot be completed within 7 days the challenge will expire and the match will be cancelled. In order to play the match, the challenge will have to be issued again though changes in ranking may not make it possible to do so.
What happens if we run out of time?
Whichever player is leading, is the winner. In case of a tie, play a sudden death point.
Still have questions?
Please contact the Programs Director.