A ladder tournament (also known as a game ladder) is a form of tournament for games and sports. It is an extended tournament, which can potentially go on indefinitely. In a ladder tournament, players are listed as if on the rungs of a ladder. The objective for a player is to reach the highest rung of the ladder. A ladder tournament is similar to a pyramid tournament, except that unlike a pyramid tournament, only one player can occupy any given rung and whom a player may challenge is not as tightly restricted as in the pyramid system.
The tournament proceeds via a system of challenges. Any player can challenge a player above him or her on the ladder. If the lower-placed player wins the match, then the two players swap places on the ladder. If the lower-placed player loses, then he or she may not challenge the same person again without challenging someone else first. Usually, there is a limit as to how many rungs above themselves players may challenge. When first setting up a ladder tournament, usual practice is to place the more skilled players at the bottom of the ladder, so that they have to play to work their way up.