New ladder player placement

For a new person joining the ladder, the person will take part in one or two tests to decide their placement with a moderator (judge) watching.

The first is vs a person at the half way point in the ladder (not necessarily exactly, e.g. if there is someone in closer proximity geographically, or just around sooner, that person may be chosen instead).

The game will be spectated by someone independent and moderating the ladder.

If the match is deemed close (as decided by the judge(s)), the new person will be placed either just above or just below the 50% mark person (win = above, lose = below).

Otherwise the new person will play the person at the 1/4 of the way up (75% down) or 3/4 of the way up (25% down) the ladder. 0% being top 100% being bottom.

If this is close, they will go immediately above/below that person (as per rules before) otherwise they will start half way above/below that person again.

In this way a new entry with just up to 2 matches can be placed at any of 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8 of the way up the ladder.


Example:
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Assume the ladder has 40 participants, with post 1 being the top (best) and position 40 being the bottom. Jenny wishes to the join the ladder.

Ladder:

[Best]
1...4
5 Alice <- 1/8 (12.5%) mark
6...9
10 Bob <- 1/4 (25%) mark
11...14
15 Cathy <- 3/8 (37.5%) mark
16...19
20 Dave <- 1/2 (50%) mark
21..24
25 Eve <- 5/8 (62.5%) mark
26..29
30 Fred <- 3/4 (75%) mark
31..34
35 George <- 7/8 (87.5%) mark
36..40
[Worst]

Jenny plays Dave, the person half way up the ladder (roughly), let's say exactly here: at position 20.

If Jenny just beats or just loses to Dave (Judges decision is final on what this means), Jenny either places at position 20 or 21 (just above or just below Dave).

If Jenny easily beats Dave, Jenny then plays Bob, at position 10 (half way up the top half of the ladder, 25% down from the top position). If this is deemed close, Jenny is placed either side of Bob depending on the win or lose (so position 10 or 11). Otherwise if Jenny lost badly, she is placed half way between Dave (whom she beat easily) and Bob (who beat her easily) - i.e. below position 15 (just below Cathy). If Jenny beat Bob easily she is placed half way between Bob and the top i.e. below 5, just below Alice.

Conversely, if Jenny loses badly to Dave the same happens but in the lower half. ie. Jenny then plays Fred who is at position 30 (half way down the bottom half of the ladder, 25% up from the bottom position). If Jenny is close vs Fred, Jenny places in either position 30 or 31 depending on whether she won or lost. Otherwise she is placed half again up (easy win), or half down (bad loss) being just below positions 25 (just below Eve) or 35 (just below George).