Create a free online Elo rating ladder

Looking for an online Elo rating system like chess.com, but for your own group? That is exactly what the Ladder format is: no fixed schedule or closed rounds, members play whenever they like, and every game instantly updates the Elo rating of both players. There is no need to organize matchdays or wait for a phase to end — the ranking is always live. It works for club chess, casual padel and tennis, office table tennis or any group that plays continuously.

What the Ladder format gives you

The Ladder is the only format in the app that never closes on its own: there is no final round, just a rating that goes up and down with every result. All configurable:

• No schedule or rounds: members play whenever suits them; there is no need to line up a matchday for everyone.
• Live Elo rating: every game raises the winner's rating and lowers the loser's, instantly and proportionally to the skill gap.
• Two ways to log games: direct mode (only the organizer creates matches) or challenge mode, where any member can challenge another, who must accept before the match is created.
• Roster that never locks: new people can join at any time, no need to close registration or freeze the group.

How to create an online Elo rating ladder step by step

1. Create a free account. Sign up in under a minute; no card required.
2. Create a competition and choose the Ladder format. Decide whether matches are logged directly or created through challenges between members.
3. Add the participants. Everyone starts on the same rating; you can add new people later without resetting anything.
4. Log matches as they are played. In challenge mode, the challenged player accepts before the match is created; in direct mode, you log it yourself.
5. Share the live ranking. Each participant's rating updates instantly after every result; share it with a link.

Worked example: a 20-member chess club

Picture a chess club with 20 members who play casual games during the week, with no appetite for a tournament with fixed dates. On a Ladder, everyone starts on the same rating, and every game played — whenever both players are free — updates the ranking automatically: if a low-rated member beats a high-rated one, their rating jumps much more than if they had beaten someone at their own level. With challenge mode, any member can challenge another directly from the app; the challenged player accepts and the match is logged as soon as there is a result. If someone enters the wrong score, it can be corrected without hassle: the system undoes the previous rating change and recalculates both ratings as if the correct score had been entered from the start.

Practical tips for your ladder

• Use challenge mode for larger groups: that way you do not depend on the organizer logging every match; each member manages their own challenges.
• Keep direct mode for small groups or controlled events: if only a handful of people play and you want full control over which matches count, direct mode is simpler.
• Do not reset the ranking without warning: the Elo rating builds up a history; wiping the ranking mid-season confuses people who have been playing for months.
• Fix mistakes as soon as you spot them: the sooner a wrong score is corrected, the fewer later games will have been affected by an incorrect rating.

Common mistakes

• Confusing Ladder with a phased tournament: if you need a closing date and a clear winner within a set timeframe, a league, Swiss or knockout bracket fits better.
• Not explaining challenge mode to the group: if you turn challenges on, let people know anyone can challenge anyone; otherwise some members will be surprised to receive one.
• Leaving matches unlogged for weeks: the ranking only reflects reality if results are entered soon after being played.
• Ignoring the starting rating when reading the ranking: members with more games played usually have a rating closer to their real level; newcomers with few games can be over- or under-rated.

Ladder, league, Swiss or knockout: which to choose

A round-robin league and the Swiss system both have a schedule and close once the matchdays or rounds run out; a knockout bracket wraps up even faster, in a single weekend. The Ladder is the only format that never closes on its own: there is no final matchday, just a live Elo rating that rises and falls with every game, just like the ranking on chess.com. Choose league, Swiss or knockout when you are running an event with a closing date and want a champion for that edition; choose Ladder when you have a group that plays continuously — a club, an office, a group of friends — and want a permanent ranking instead of a one-off tournament.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to create an online Elo rating ladder?

Yes. You can create a competition in Ladder format for free, with the Elo rating updated live after every game.

What is the Ladder format?

A format with no schedule or rounds where members play whenever they like and every result instantly updates both players' Elo rating. It has no automatic closing date.

How does the Elo rating work?

Every participant starts on the same rating. After a game, the winner gains points and the loser loses them; the amount depends on the skill gap beforehand — beating a stronger player raises your rating a lot, beating a weaker one raises it only a little.

What is the difference between direct mode and challenge mode?

In direct mode, only the organizer creates matches. In challenge mode, any member can challenge another; the challenged player has to accept before the match is created.

Can a ladder ever be closed?

Yes, the organizer can close it whenever they want, but unlike a league or a Swiss tournament, a Ladder has no automatic closing date — by default it stays open indefinitely.

Can I add new members mid-season?

Yes. A Ladder's roster never locks: you can add participants at any time without closing registration or resetting the ranking.

What happens if I enter a result wrong?

You can correct it. The system undoes the rating change that result had applied and recalculates both participants' ratings with the correct score.

What kind of groups suit Ladder better than a league or Swiss?

Groups that play continuously and do not want to organize fixed matchdays: a chess club, a casual padel or tennis group, or office table tennis.

Create your online Elo rating ladder now

Set up your Elo rating ladder in minutes and let the ranking update itself. Create your free account or explore the competitions to see how it works.