The Fermilab Table Tennis Ladder

Current ladder | Outstanding challenges | Past results | Rules

Rules

Match rules

1. Matches are played under official USATT rules, except where stated below.
2. Matches should be decided on a best of 3 games basis, with a game being first to 21 points. Serves alternate every five, and every one if the score reaches 20-20.
3. If both players agree, the match can be played with the old style 38 mm ball. Otherwise the official ball would be per the USATT rules: 40 mm, 2.7 g, white or orange.

Ladder rules

1. The ladder will start on Monday 19th January 2004, with players ordered randomly
2. Players may challenge up to two ranks above themselves in the ladder if either player involved in the challenge is in the top 10 positions. If neither player is in the top 10, players may challenge up to five ranks ahead. Inactive players do not count as a rank - see below.
3. If the challenger wins the match, then the winner will take the losers place, with the loser and all intermediate players moving down one place. Otherwise their positions remain unchanged.
4. Challenges and results should be submitted to Martin Griffiths by e-mail (mcg at fnal.gov) and the ladder will be updated in the order results are received.
5. When a player is challenged, they have a period of one week in which to arrange to play the match. If after this time the match has not been played, then the challenged player loses the match by default.
6. If two players arrange to play a match and one player fails to turn up at the agreed time, then the player who fails to turn up loses the match by default.
7. If a player refuses a valid challenge, then that player loses the challenge by default.
8. When a challenge has been accepted, both players concerned are unavailable to challenge or be challenged until their game has been played.
9. A player can not challenge another player until a minimum of two days has passed since the two players last played each other in a ladder match.
10. A player not currently involved in a challenge may declare himself inactive if he is unable to play for a period of one week or longer. Inactive players can't be challenged, and don't count in determining how high in the ladder players below can challenge. The top two players in the ladder cannot declare themselves inactive.
11. A challenging player may withdraw the challenge if a date and time have not yet been agreed. Once a time has been agreed the challenge is binding.
12. Any person wishing to join the ladder after the start date joins the ladder at the bottom.
13. When a person wishes to leave the ladder (for whatever reason), their name is removed from the ladder and everyone below moves up a place.
14. The official up to date ladder can be found on the ladder web page.