(Ranked 20 on Backgammon (WorldPlay) Ladder) on November 23, 2002 at 10:39:39:Dear Members,
The title of this post gives our common everyday phrases on our ladder. But these common phrases are not necessarily spelled out in our set of rules. They are just a basic understanding of how the ladder works. I know them and I'm sure most of you do too, but let me clarify here in any case for those not sure. Also I'll send in to the Rules Team a proposal to add to the Rules which either would be placed in the Voting Booth or added for clarification if they feel it should be included in the Rules at all.
The main goal of a member on our ladder is to climb the ladder to reach a higher rank and so on and so forth until they reach the top. Although many of our members don't regard the ladder this way including myself most of the time. Many of us just come for fun and to enjoy some nice competitive games and to be with the people we have met and become friendly with. The word "challenge" is basically reserved as we all know for when a player ranked below another player challenges them for the purpose of trying to win and thereby moving up half the distance of their respective ranks. But multitudes of matches are not played in this mindset.
For example, Bubs and Rae often ask me if I want to play when either noone else is available or they already played the others in the room. "Sure!" I then reply as we all do with players ranked higher than us. It's a basic understanding that Bubs and Rae didn't "challenge" me as the "down" match but "offered" me an "up" match instead. When the loser reports, the player with the lower rank is always listed first because they are deemed the challenger by mere position of rank. We know it doesn't go by who asked who to play first. Haven't we all said to ourselves when we've reported at one point, "Hey, I didn't challenge them, they challenged me!" I think you get my point haha.
We don't challenge a down match. But I think it's clear to most that of course we offer each other down matches all the time. A true challenge is for example, #3 challenging #2 or #2 challenging #1 as being the rank match challenges in order to swap ranks and/or titles with no leapfrogging. Or any ranked played for that matter can challenge a higher ranked player. But then the challenged needs to call ranks if others players happen to challenge them at the same time all of whom are ranked beneath them with the highest rank receiving the match.
We "offer" down matches all the time. We just don't "challenge" them. The responsibility of the Top Players is to be available for challenges to allow fairness, movement and competition on the ladder.
I look forward to playing all of you soon since I always enjoy my matches with the players. And rest free in """"challenging"""" me at any time! I will gladly accept your "offer." Can you see my big wide grin right now?
I hope this helped as a clarification. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
Giovannaxo, LeadOp
Case's Ladder