A ladder is a way to organize players into groups based on how well they do in games. Players compete against each other in matches, and the results of these determine where each player stands on the ladder. The pickleball competition gets tougher as you move up the ladder
 

Our ladders are set up in a straight line, the list of players is in the order of how they rank. You move up the ladder as you win matches and accumulate points.  If you lose matches, you might fall down the ladder. When you play, you get points based on your score, which changes your ranking.  

Players rotate through partners on their court and accumulate points for every game they play. After three games to 12 points (four games to 9 points if there are 5 people on your court), the scores are added, and the top player from each court moves up the ladder.  The player with the lowest number of points moves down.  Another set of matches ensues, points tallied, and the resulting changes in position are identified for the following week.