Game ladder
Encyclopedia
A ladder tournament is a form of tournament
for games and sports. It is an extended tournament, which can potentially go on indefinitely. In a ladder tournament, players are listed as if on the rungs of a ladder. The objective for a player is to reach the highest rung of the ladder. A ladder tournament is similar to a pyramid tournament, except that unlike a pyramid tournament, only one player can occupy any given rung and whom a player may challenge is not as tightly restricted as in the pyramid system.
The tournament proceeds via a system of challenges. Any player can challenge a player above him or her on the ladder. If the lower-placed player wins the match, then the two players swap places on the ladder. If the lower-placed player loses, then he or she may not challenge the same person again without challenging someone else first. Usually, there is a limit as to how many rungs above themselves players may challenge. When first setting up a ladder tournament, usual practice is to place the more skilled players at the bottom of the ladder, so that they have to play to work their way up.
Ladder tournaments suffer from two problems, both resulting from the challenge system. The first is that the ranking at the end of the tournament (or after a sufficiently long time) may not necessarily reflect the actual rank of the players, since it is not guaranteed that enough challenges, or the appropriate challenges, have been made to correctly "sort" the ladder. The second is that some players may make challenges more frequently than others, or are challenged more frequently than others, meaning that not all players may be challenged, and that not all players may play the same number of matches.
Ladders are typically used in sports such as squash
and badminton
. Usually challenges cannot be declined.
Other systems calculate a numeric rank for each player. This removes the limitation on which matches are allowed. The most widely known system of ranking players is the ELO rating system
, which is used for Chess
and Go
. Every player in the ELO rating system
receives a rating based on his or her win/loss record, which establishes his or her position (or level) on the game ladder. Numerous efforts have been made to design better game ladders by analyzing the statistical correlation between relative ladder levels and a player's expected performance.
A game ladder may be used as the ranking system itself, in lieu of a ranking system like ELO. In this case, players are moved up and down the ladder according to competitive results, dictated by previously determined rules.
A unique game ladder system is the Masterpoints
rating system used for contract bridge
by the American Contract Bridge League
. The Masterpoints
system is noteworthy because, unlike the ELO rating system
, it emphasizes participation (i.e., experience in terms of number of games played) over demonstration of skill.
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
for games and sports. It is an extended tournament, which can potentially go on indefinitely. In a ladder tournament, players are listed as if on the rungs of a ladder. The objective for a player is to reach the highest rung of the ladder. A ladder tournament is similar to a pyramid tournament, except that unlike a pyramid tournament, only one player can occupy any given rung and whom a player may challenge is not as tightly restricted as in the pyramid system.
The tournament proceeds via a system of challenges. Any player can challenge a player above him or her on the ladder. If the lower-placed player wins the match, then the two players swap places on the ladder. If the lower-placed player loses, then he or she may not challenge the same person again without challenging someone else first. Usually, there is a limit as to how many rungs above themselves players may challenge. When first setting up a ladder tournament, usual practice is to place the more skilled players at the bottom of the ladder, so that they have to play to work their way up.
Ladder tournaments suffer from two problems, both resulting from the challenge system. The first is that the ranking at the end of the tournament (or after a sufficiently long time) may not necessarily reflect the actual rank of the players, since it is not guaranteed that enough challenges, or the appropriate challenges, have been made to correctly "sort" the ladder. The second is that some players may make challenges more frequently than others, or are challenged more frequently than others, meaning that not all players may be challenged, and that not all players may play the same number of matches.
Ladders are typically used in sports such as squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
and badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
. Usually challenges cannot be declined.
Other systems calculate a numeric rank for each player. This removes the limitation on which matches are allowed. The most widely known system of ranking players is the ELO rating system
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
, which is used for Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
. Every player in the ELO rating system
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
receives a rating based on his or her win/loss record, which establishes his or her position (or level) on the game ladder. Numerous efforts have been made to design better game ladders by analyzing the statistical correlation between relative ladder levels and a player's expected performance.
A game ladder may be used as the ranking system itself, in lieu of a ranking system like ELO. In this case, players are moved up and down the ladder according to competitive results, dictated by previously determined rules.
A unique game ladder system is the Masterpoints
Masterpoints
Masterpoints or master points are points awarded by national and other bridge organisations for success in bridge tournaments run under their auspices. Organisations which issue these points include the American Contract Bridge League , the American Bridge Association, the English Bridge Union ,...
rating system used for contract bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
by the American Contract Bridge League
American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League is the largest contract bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, and Canada, and is a member of the World Bridge Federation...
. The Masterpoints
Masterpoints
Masterpoints or master points are points awarded by national and other bridge organisations for success in bridge tournaments run under their auspices. Organisations which issue these points include the American Contract Bridge League , the American Bridge Association, the English Bridge Union ,...
system is noteworthy because, unlike the ELO rating system
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
, it emphasizes participation (i.e., experience in terms of number of games played) over demonstration of skill.