Fancy a bit of friendly rivalry?
Our ladders and leagues are for people who like a game to mean a little more. They're free, they're gentle, and the only thing on offer is bragging rights.
How does a season work?
Put your name down
Tell a volunteer on any open night, or tick the league box on the joining form. It's free, and nobody is ever turned away for being new to a game.
Pick your ladder
Each season has a ladder for a quick two-player duel and a league for a longer game with more seats. You can join one or both, and Trevor will help you choose if you're torn.
Play in your own time
Challenge someone a rung above or below you, agree a night, and book a table. Matches take about an hour, and the volunteers keep a few tables free on Thursdays for exactly this.
Report the result
Write the score in the results book by the door or send it to the group chat. Both players sign off, and the ladder is redrawn on the wall every Monday.
Finals night
The top four play off on a Saturday, with spectators, snacks and a commentator who is more enthusiastic than informed. The winner gets their name on the shelf plaque and picks the first game of the next season.
Ladder or league, what's the difference?
A ladder is a list of names. You can challenge anyone within two rungs above you, and if you win, you swap places. It suits short two-player games and people with unpredictable weeks, because you can play whenever the two of you are free.
A league is a set of rounds with fixed dates, where a handful of players share a table and everyone earns points for how well they do. It suits longer games and people who like a fixture to turn up to. Both formats run alongside our ordinary nights.
Nothing in either one costs anything, and nothing is awarded except honour: a name on a plaque, a chosen game for the next season, and the right to tell everyone you beat a referee at his own game.
Do I have to be good?
Do I need to be experienced?
Not at all. Ladder matches are arranged between people of roughly similar standing, and the league has a beginners' table that sits on Thursdays with a volunteer coach.
How are league points counted?
A finish at the top of the table earns the most points and a finish at the bottom earns one, so everyone gets something. The totals are tallied by Trevor and posted on the wall.
What if I miss a round?
Tell your table by message, and Andrea will find you a make-up slot. Missing two rounds without a word moves you to the bottom of the ladder, which is a gentle way of saying 'we missed you'.