Advice for running challenge competitions

(This information sheet is reproduced from the KNLTB Competitions booklet, and the following information is provided courtesy of KNLTB, The Netherlands)

Important considerations for running good challenge competitions:

• Clear objectives and good information i.e Who is the event for? How does it work?
• clear instruction for entries – time and/or duration, cost, standard of players/ITN
• a ladder with players names
• clear rules and explanation of the format to be used:
  • the amount of games/sets and the scoring
  • the time period the matches need to played by.
  • how players can challenge someone else (ie. to play against the same player in consecutive matches is not allowed)
• perhaps a special court reservation
• an enthusiastic and reliable ‘ladder manager’.
  

Challenge competitions in short

• With challenge systems the names of the players or pairs are displayed from top to bottom, next to one another or in pyramid form.
• A lower placed player can challenge a higher placed player
• If the lower placed player beats the higher placed player, the two players changes places. If the higher placed player wins, nothing happens.
• Playing against the same player in consecutive matches is not allowed
• The advantage of the challenge system is that the participants cannot be eliminated
• The participant can decide against who and when to play
• Usually the challenge system is set up in such a way that they can be played over a longer period.
• Players must make themselves available for the duration of the event, otherwise it is unfair for others who may want to challenge him.