Individual vs team mode
Whether you rate each player or each fixed partnership — the one setup decision that shapes the whole league.
When you create a ladder you choose its entity mode: are you tracking individual players or fixed teams? This is the decision to get right up front, because it changes what carries a rating and how movement works.
Individual mode
Each player carries their own rating and moves between divisions on their own. Partnerships are formed fresh each session by the mixer — you're not locked to one partner.
Use individual mode for:
- Open clubs and drop-in groups where partners change every week.
- Leagues where you want each person ranked on their own merit.
In individual mode, a player's division is wherever they currently have an active standing. Promotion and relegation move people.
Team (entity) mode
A fixed partnership is the rated unit. "Alice & Bob" is a single entity with one rating, separate from "Alice & Carol." The team's combined results determine its standing and whether it moves up or down.
Use team mode for:
- Partner leagues where pairs sign up together and play the season as a unit.
- Competitive doubles where the pairing is the thing being ranked.
A few things that surprise people in team mode:
- Switching partners starts a new team. "Alice & Bob" and "Alice & Carol" are different rated entities with separate histories.
- Reuniting restores history. If a pair splits and later plays together again, their original team's rating and record come back — it isn't lost.
- Custom team names can be shown in standings instead of "Alice & Bob".
- Individual per-player ratings still tick along as a secondary stat, but the team rating is what drives standings and movement.
Which should I pick?
| If your group… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Mixes partners every session | Individual |
| Signs up as fixed pairs for the season | Team |
| Wants each person ranked individually | Individual |
| Wants the partnership ranked as a unit | Team |
You set this when creating the ladder. Switching modes mid-season isn't a casual change, so decide before your first cycle.
Next
See Divisions and tiers for how the structure is laid out, then Promotion and relegation for how movement works.