Welcome to the Loudoun Ladder. This is a men’s tennis ladder targeting 3.0-4.0 players in Loudoun County. The point system described below is intended to promote camaraderie, active play, and good sportsmanship. We are now running annual seasons beginning on January 15 and ending December 15 each year. Any current member may invite a prospective member using the Invite a Friend Page. Questions and suggestions should be sent to the You must be logged in to view this content.
Challenge System
- Ranking on the Loudoun Ladder is based on points earned from completing matches against other members
- For the purposes of issuing a challenge and reporting a completed match, a player’s rank is determined at the time the challenge is made
- A player may challenge at or up to 5 positions above his current ladder rank
- A player in the top 6 positions of the ladder may challenge any other player in the top 6 positions of the ladder
- Challenges should be issued by text message to the number listed in the “Contact” section of the Loudoun Ladder results page
- Challenged players should communicate a response within 48 hours, and the challenge match should be played within 5 calendar days of the initial challenge. Failure to meet a challenge results in forfeiture as described below
- A player cannot issue more than one challenge at a time or accept more than one challenge at a time. An issued or accepted challenge must be played before other challenges can be issued or accepted
- Any challenged player has the option to propose a doubles match to satisfy a challenge. The doubles proposal should include the name of the challenged player’s proposed partner. Once a doubles match is proposed, the challenging player has the option to accept the doubles proposal by selecting his own doubles partner and notifying the opposing team. No player is required to propose or accept a doubles match
- Outside of the Challenge System, any players may also mutually agree to play a Networking Game (doubles or singles) regardless of their relative position on the ladder
- A player may not report a singles match against the same person more than once in any 14-day period. A player may not report a doubles match involving the same doubles partner or against the same doubles team more than once in any 14-day period
- A player may report a maximum of two ladder matches in any calendar week (Sunday through Saturday)
Format of play
- Ladder matches are best 2 out of 3 standard sets, with regular-ad scoring, and a standard tie-breaker (first to 7 points, win by 2-point margin) played at 6 games all
- The standard third set will be replaced with a “super tie-breaker” (first to 10 points, win by 2-point margin)
- The challenging player is responsible for providing a new can of tennis balls at the start of the match
- Within 24 hours of the completion of the match, the winner must report the result via the Match Submission Form on this site
Ladder Scoring System/Ladder Rankings
- Each player will be ranked on the ladder based on total points earned during the season
- A challenging player will be awarded 10-15 points for defeating a player ranked equally or up to 5 places above him (e.g., challenging and defeating the player 5 spots above will result in a base award of 15 points, 4 spots above a base award of 14 points, etc.)
- A player defending a challenge or challenging down the ladder will be awarded 5-10 points for defeating a player ranked equally or up to 5 places below him (e.g., successfully defending a challenge from the player ranked 5 spots below will result in a base award of 5 points, 4 spots below a base award of 6 points, etc.)
- Any winning player in a challenge match may earn up to 3 additional points for a Quality Win, defined as giving up 6 or fewer total games during the match. A winning player losing no more than 6 games will earn 1 bonus point, no more than 4 games will earn 2 bonus points, and no more than 2 games will earn 3 bonus points
- The losing player in a challenge match will earn a Consolation Award of 1 point for each 3 games won during the match
- For purposes of scoring a doubles match, “player rank” is determined by taking the average of the individual ranks on each doubles team rounded down (e.g., a team of players ranked 2 and 8 results in a team rank of 5, while a team of players ranked 1 and 4 results in a team rank of 2). As in singles, any doubles match where the difference in player rank is greater than 5 will be scored as a Networking Game
- The winner of a Networking Game will be awarded 3 points. Networking Games will not receive bonus points for Quality Win or Consolation Award
Sportsmanship, Active Play, Forfeiture
- Please remember that we are all friends in an invite-only membership. Aggressive and unsportsmanlike behavior will result in penalty and potential suspension
- Please respect our goal of active play. All players should use good faith best efforts to communicate and complete matches whenever possible
- Forfeiture rule. Any player who fails to respond to a proper challenge within a 48-hour period and/or complete an accepted match within 5 calendar days (whether by failing to schedule or by “no show”) will be deemed to have forfeit. The winning player will report a “forfeit” on the Match Submission Form and receive 3 points. The forfeiting player will lose 3 points. Forfeiture is not applicable to a Networking Game