Cream of the Crop ladder format
Cream of the Crop is a ladder format for larger groups where players are reshuffled after each round so the strongest results rise toward the top courts.
This format works best with about 20 to 25 players, usually split into five groups of four or five.
How Cream of the Crop works
Round 1 starts with players split into groups using your chosen sorting method.
Each group plays a mini round robin.
After the round, players are regrouped based on where they finished.
The process repeats for as many rounds as you run.
Over time, top performers rise toward Court 1 and match quality gets tighter.
Choose a progression mode
When you start later rounds, choose one of these progression methods.
Top Performers → Top Courts: all first-place finishers go to Court 1, all second-place finishers go to Court 2, and so on.
Two Up, Two Down: first place moves up two courts, second place moves up one, third place stays, fourth place moves down one, and fifth place moves down two.
When to use each mode
Top Performers → Top Courts moves the strongest players together quickly. Two Up, Two Down creates more gradual movement and usually keeps more courts competitive.
Common admin tasks
For the full workflow, combine this format with Starting games in Ladder formats, Editing groups in Ladder formats, and Auto-generation in Ladder formats. For how players move between courts, see How court movement works in Ladder formats.