Run Groups (singles or fixed pairs)

• Groups is for Singles (one player per side) or Fixed pairs (the same partner all session). For rotating partners, use Random Matchups or a Ladder instead.
• You need to be an Administrator or Moderator of the session to set up and run its matches.
• Add the players or pairs to the session first, on Session Players (Add Player/Pair). For fixed pairs, add each pair as a Doubles pair. A pair whose partner isn't known yet can be added with one player: it plays as that player and TBD.
• A session runs one format. Choosing Groups is the first step of Matches Setup.

1Choose Groups

Open Matches Setup in the session's menu. Session Setup asks two quick choices:

• Who plays together? Choose Fixed pairs ("Same partner all session") or Singles ("One player per side"). Each choice shows how many pairs or players the session has.
• Choose a format: Groups is the only format for these two. Click Learn more for a short explanation.

Click Continue. The group builder opens. To go back and pick another format, click Edit Format at the top.

2Set up the groups

The builder has three columns: your Pairs (or Players) on the left, the Groups in the middle, and Settings on the right.

• Click Add Group to add a group. Add Multiple Groups adds several at once. Groups are named Group A, Group B and so on.
• Drag a pair from the left column into a group, or between groups. Or use the group's Select Teams button (Select Players for singles) to pick its pairs from a list.
• The + under a group adds an open slot, a place for a pair (or player) who isn't there yet. Its matches show the slot's name, such as A6, until it's filled.
• Or let LADER place them with Auto-Placement:
  • Randomize spreads the remaining pairs across the groups, keeping the group sizes balanced.
  • Seed Serpentine places seeded pairs back and forth across the groups, so strong and weak pairs are spread out fairly. It's available once pairs have seeds (see Seed Groups from the league ranking).
  • Manage Seeds opens the Seeding page, also linked at the top of the left column.

Every group needs at least two pairs (or players).

More help: a pair is marked Incomplete

A pair with only one player shows an Incomplete chip in the builder. It can still be placed and play: its matches show the player and TBD. Add the partner on Session Players when you know who it is.

3Choose the format

Under Settings → Format (these can be overridden for each group with its settings button):

• Match type: Single game, 2 game series, Best of 3 games, 4 game series or Best of 5 games. With more than one game, click Advanced to choose How match winner is determined: Games then points, Games only or Total of points.
• How much each group plays: Play every team in group... (every pair plays the others in the group; set how many times, up to 10), or Play fixed number of matches (set how many matches each pair plays).

The settings save as you change them.

4Set up the courts

Under Courts, choose a court mode:

• Assign automatically (the default): "When a result is reported, the next playable match is called to the free court." Set how many Courts you have; the pencil button (Manage Courts) lets you name them.
• Assign manually: "You pick a court for each match from the schedule."
• Don't track courts: "Matches won't show a court. Use this when players sort out courts themselves."

5Generate and publish the matches

Click Generate Matches. The matches appear in Preview. With courts tracked, the first matches are already on courts. Check them, then click Publish Matches. LADER confirms "Matches were successfully published", and your players can see their matches, courts and the standings. The session menu now shows Matches & Standings.

Enter scores

Click a match, type each side's score, and click Save Score. The Standings update with every result: Groups shows each group's table, Combined shows everyone together.

How matches are called to courts

With Assign automatically, a reported score frees that match's court, and LADER calls the next match whose players are all off court, in schedule order. If no waiting match has all its players free, the court stays empty until one does.

Players who have linked their LADER account and turned on notifications get a "Court assigned" message when their match is called to a court.

To change the court mode or rename courts during play, click the settings button above the matches and choose Manage courts. The same menu has Edit groups, Add a match, Reorder matches, Lock matches, Revert to preview mode and Delete matches.

Set court

To choose a match's court yourself, click the match, open its ⋯ menu and choose Set court. Pick a court from the Court list (or No court).

• If the court is in use, the match waits for it: "Waiting for this court to free up". Its card shows Pinned · Court N, and it goes on as soon as that court is free.
• Back returns to the match.

Edit groups during play

Once matches are under way you can still change the groups, for example to add a pair that arrived late:

1. Add the pair on Session Players if they aren't in the session yet.
2. Click the settings button above the matches and choose Edit groups. The setup opens with an Editing setup banner: "The matches stay as they are until you apply your changes."
3. Make your changes: drag the pair into a group, move pairs, or change the settings.
4. Click Apply Changes. Apply changes to matches? lists how many matches stay as they are, how many are updated and how many are created. Click Apply Changes to confirm ("Changes applied to the matches."). Or click Discard Changes, or Back to Matches to leave without applying.

Matches with results keep their players and score. The new pair's matches join the schedule.

In a league, add your fixed pairs once, under Management → Manage Doubles:

1. Click Add Doubles Pair.
2. For Player 1 and Player 2, start typing a name or email to find an existing player and pick them, or type a new First name and Last name (and an optional Email, which sends the player an invitation to join LADER and your league).
3. Tick Stay on page after submission to add more doubles pairs to add several in a row.
4. Click Add Doubles Pair.

Or pair two league members from Manage Players: tick exactly two players, then click Create Doubles Pair in the bar that appears ("Doubles pair created successfully").

• Both players become league members, if they aren't already.
• A pair can't change partners: to use different players, create a new pair.

To bring the pairs into a session:

• When you add a session on the league's Sessions page (New Session), choose All doubles pairs from league under Players to add.
• For a session that already exists, open its Session Players, click Add Player/Pair and choose Players/pairs from a league.

Pairs play in the Groups format (Fixed pairs → Groups).

The league's Ranking page has a table for each kind of match the league has played, with tabs when there's more than one:

• Individual: each player, from doubles (rotating partners and fixed pairs). In a fixed pair, both players get the pair's result.
• Singles: each player, from one-on-one Groups.
• Pairs: each fixed pair, ranked as a team.

Select a pair (or player) to see their matches, with Opponent, Sessions and Status filters.

• A pair is always the same two players. Playing with a substitute makes a new row on Pairs.
• Only league members are ranked. A pair appears on Pairs only when both players are league members.
• Administrators and Moderators can change each table's Display Settings, Tie-Breakers and Points with the settings button. Tick Apply to all rankings to change every table at once. How Rankings Work explains the rest.

In a league session with fixed pairs, after choosing Groups:

1. Click Manage Seeds (top of the Pairs column).
2. Under Use seeding from, choose League ranking (it sorts the pairs by the league's Pairs ranking). You can also drag pairs to change the order.
3. Click Save Seeds ("Seeds updated successfully"). You're back in the builder, with each pair's seed shown.
4. Add your groups, then choose Auto-Placement → Seed Serpentine.

Seeds can be changed only before the matches are generated.

• Published matches and standings are visible to anyone who can open the session, and update live as scores come in.
• In a league session, results count toward the league ranking once the matches are published and scored.