Ladder A & B Signup

McCarren Tennis Ladder – Sign Up Today!

Each year, nearly 250-300 players join the McCarren Park Tennis Ladder — a great way to meet new hitting partners, improve your match play, and become part of the local tennis community.

We offer two divisions:

A Ladder: Advanced players (USTA 4.0–5.0+)
B Ladder: Beginner to intermediate players (USTA 2.0–3.5)
All players are welcome — men and women, singles only

Entry Fee: $85

100% of all entry fees go directly toward public court improvements and community programming.

Since the first ladder, every dollar has been earmarked — through the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance originally & since 2022 through McCarren Tennis Association Corp. — for McCarren Park’s public tennis courts. Thanks to your participation and support, along with MTAC fundraising events like “Light Up McCarren,” we’ve raised 40% of our $240,000 goal to install new LED lights on courts 1–4, allowing for night tennis until 11PM.

As of 2023, MTAC is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit & continues to work with the community, local businesses, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), USTA National & Eastern Foundations, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, and NYC Parks to make these improvements happen.

What’s Next?

In 2025, help us bridge the gap in our fundraising & raise the entire $240k to install 8 additional light poles to illuminate courts 1, 2, 3 & 4....your ladder entry helps make this possible. After the lights capital improvement, our next phase will be to re-surface all the courts!

Stay tuned for upcoming 2025 fundraising events and community collaborations via our Facebook group, Instagram & TikTok partners!

General Overview

Climb the ranks all summer by challenging and beating other players — when you win a match, you take your opponent’s spot in the rankings (and they drop one spot).

Season Dates: May 15 – August 31
Playoffs: Top 32 players from each ladder advance to a single-elimination tournament in September to crown the 2025 McCarren A & B Champions!

We use Tennis Rungs (download the app!) to manage rankings, challenges, and match results. Ladder-specific rules are built into the app and will be accessible once you join.

Matches do not have to be played at McCarren courts, but we encourage using them when possible.
Rules for each ladder may be adjusted by the admins throughout the season to keep gameplay active and fair.

LADDER A & B REGULATIONS

Ladder Admin Contact:
📧 info@mccarrentennis.org

Basic Challenge Rules:

You may have only one active challenge at a time.
The challenged player has 3 days to accept. If they don’t respond, it’s an automatic forfeit and you move up.
If a challenge is denied, the challenger wins by default and takes the higher ranking.
You can only challenge players ranked up to 10 spots above you, unless they’re currently in an active match. In that case, you may challenge the next available player above you not in a match.
Once a challenge is accepted, the match must be played within 10 days.

Match Format:

All ladder matches are played as a first-to-8-game pro-set.
Discuss format and timing before the match begins.
If the match is cut short due to time constraints:
- If on-serve: reschedule and continue later.
- If a player is up a break and has consolidated it, they are the winner.

Match Logistics:

Both players are to responsible for booking the court for the match regardless of rank.
Both players should bring a new can of balls.
Use a coin toss or racquet spin to decide who serves and which can is used — the winner of the toss keeps the unused new can.
Report scores and any rescheduling to the Ladder Admin for manual input.

Wild Card Rule:

To encourage activity, the admin may grant a “wild card” challenge to active players, allowing them to challenge anyone on the ladder regardless of rank.

COURT BOOKING FAQ

Ladder Admin Contact:
📧 info@mccarrentennis.org

Can Ladder Matches Be Played Anywhere?

Yes — as long as both players agree, matches can be played on any court, not just McCarren.

How Do I Book a Court at McCarren Park?

You have three main options:

🅰️ Permit Play Courts (Courts 1–4) — During Parks Attendant Hours

Available Hours:
- Sat–Sun–Mon: 8 AM – 6 PM
- Tues–Weds–Thurs–Fri: 10 AM – 6 PM
How it works:
- Sign up in-person with the court attendant.
- Lines form 30–45 minutes before opening, especially for popular time slots (5 PM & 6 PM).
- Courts are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and fill quickly.

🅱️ Paid Online Reservations (Courts 5 & 6)

Cost: $15 per hour
Hours: 8 AM – 6 PM
Reserve up to 7 days in advance
Book here:
👉 NYC Parks Court Reservations

🆓 Off-Hours Play (All Courts, Before or After Attendant Hours)

Before 8 AM or 10 AM (depending on the day)
After 6 PM
Rules:
- No attendants present — courts are first-come, first-served
- Matches should begin on the hour with standard 1-hour play and changeover
- LED Lights currently illuminate courts 5 & 6 for night tennis

Note on Payment

Payment above is process via Paypal. If you'd prefer to pay via Venmo, simply select "Offline Payment" at checkout and submit (so that we have your information saved. Then Venmo $85 to @McCarrenTennisAssociation.