The Club Ladder league is a fun and dynamic way of racing on Zwift. Here is a little bit about how it works…
Roster and Categories
Each team is allowed a maximum of 15 riders on their roster. This allows for flexibility with a variety of riders and abilities on a team and also ensures there isn’t constant pressure to race. Individuals are given a category based on ZwfitRacing.app‘s vELO categories. These categories are a mixture of an individual’s results in racing as well as certain power levels (for example 5-minute and 20-minute powers). These can be seen below:
Since the Club Ladder uses vELO categories, you must first register on zwiftracing.app in order to participate in the league.
Women are typically given two categories: one for mixed racing and one for women’s only racing. Team rosters are only allowed a three-rank spread for racing. For example, if you have a diamond-level rider, you would only be allowed ruby and emerald riders. Having a sapphire rider on that team would mean the three-rank spread has been violated. This team member can stay on the roster, but you wouldn’t be able to have a race with a diamond, ruby, and sapphire rider present.
There are no real seasons in the ladder league, however there are windows when team members can transfer from one team to another, and new riders can be added. As riders may move to a higher or lower category, it is sometimes necessary for a team member to move to another team. Teams are ranked in the ladder initially based on ability and the level of the riders on that team, but can hop up and down the ladder by racing other teams. If a team challenges a team higher on the ladder and wins, they will take the place of that team, and the losing team will lose one place. Each team has an official captain and a vice-captain who can log onto the ladder site to challenge other teams.
Race Scheduling
Races are a 5 vs 5 format and course selection is typically made by the team lower down in the ladder. Captains wanting to race will put out a message on Discord to other teams to see if anyone wants to race. Dates and times of races are agreed on between captains. It is important to always know your own team’s availability to race, in order to ensure there will be enough riders.
Challenges are made by captains officially on the ladder site. Points are given based on placement in the races. For example, 10 points for the first place rider, 9 for the second and so on. The team with the most points wins the race.
Tactics
One of the most enjoyable parts of the ladder league is employing tactics to try and gain the most points. Sometimes a lower team can win over a stronger team by employing the right tactics. These can include team selection, course selection, powerup selection and usage, communication during the event, and planning where breakaways might be possible during a race.
Once riders have signed into a race pass, team captains will have access to power grids and charts that compare the strengths and weaknesses of both teams, which helps with tactical planning and racing:
Mandatory Races
All teams are required to race at some point, meaning that a team cannot just sit and hold its position without racing. There are mandatory races that all teams are required to race if they want to remain in the ladder. The broad category system also allows teams to be more closely matched and race against teams of similar ability, which makes for a fair system.
All in all, the ladder league is a fun, dynamic and flexible way of racing on Zwift.
Is a women’s ladder league feasible?
As women’s racing on Zwift continues to grow, interested racers are keen to see how a women-only ladder league might work.
Women’s racing provides the potential for more evenly matched short-term power among riders, while creating a welcoming, motivational, and fun environment.
The field of potential competitors, however, is a fraction of the size of the mixed league. It may be difficult for women’s teams to recruit 15 members, making it more difficult to field five within a three-rank spread for each race. Additionally, in the current system the teams are regional (EMEA/US/APAC), and with this split the women’s APAC/US regions may be unable to launch without a significant uptick in racing numbers.
Some adjustments to the rules for a women’s league, however, may allow for more flexibility to make it work. Making changes to the number of riders required, time zones, shortening the season, and allowing flexibility in the roster would make recruiting team members easier. Looking at the possibility of one ladder for all women’s teams and making changes to the challenge system would also increase flexibility.
The league could also be implemented in a different format entirely, for example a “prize fight” format where for the first four weeks one women’s team is featured, allowing anyone to challenge them, publicizing the members of the featured team each week, making the competition fun and engaging with commentary and competition.
The options are endless.
What about you?
Do you have ideas as to how a women’s-only ladder league could work? Share your thoughts below!
