Can I run a ladder for individual players instead of pairs?

Yes. When you create the ladder you choose between fixed pairs or individual play. With individual play, each player appears separately on the ranking; the rest of the flow (challenging, entering results, the rating) stays the same.

Do I need to generate a schedule like I would for a tournament?

No. A ladder has no fixed schedule. Matches come from challenges or from you entering a result yourself. That lets a ladder keep running without set match days.

Set up your first ladder competition

Set up an ongoing ladder where players challenge each other and ratings update automatically after every result.

2 min read · Updated 18 July 2026

A ladder competition keeps your club active all season long. Everyone appears on a ranking, teams challenge each other to a match, and after every result the Slams rating updates automatically. In this article we set up your first ladder and explain how the standings and the rating work.

What a ladder is in Slams

A ladder has no fixed schedule. Participants play whenever it suits them, and the ranking grows with every result you enter. When you create the ladder you choose whether people take part as a fixed pair or individually. A ladder runs for as long as you want, from a few weeks to a full season. Not sure yet whether this is the right format? Compare your options first in choosing a format, or take a look at the ladder format.

The ranking and the rating

The ranking is built from the matches that have been played: every win is worth 3 points and a draw is worth 1 point. If two teams are level on points, the rating decides the order. Alongside the standings, Slams keeps a personal rating for each player based on the Slams system. On the Slams scale, lower is better, so winning lowers your rating and losing raises it. You can read more about this in how standings work and the Slams rating explained.

Want a ladder purely for fun, without it affecting the rating? Set the competition to unrated. The matches still count towards the standings, but the rating stays untouched.

Challenges

In the Challenges tab you create a challenge between two teams, optionally with a suggested date and a short message. The challenged team accepts or declines. This sets who plays who; the players arrange the date, time and court themselves. In the Settings tab you decide how many positions above itself a team is allowed to challenge.

Getting participants

Add teams manually through the Teams tab (players must already exist in your club first, see adding players and creating teams). You can also let participants register themselves through a registration link. Use the visibility settings to decide who can see the ladder.

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What is Slams?

Slams is competition and tournament software for padel, tennis and pickleball clubs that lets you run ladders, leagues and tournaments entirely online.

Create an account

Create a free Slams account for your club, academy or as an organizer in just a few minutes, and take your first steps right away.

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Set up your first tournament in Slams in a few minutes. No credit card needed, free to start.

An event with multiple parts

Bundle multiple divisions, disciplines, or formats under one event and let players and admins switch smoothly between them.

Coen ReekersFounder of Slams

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