Aatago started with cricket clubs. But the same people who play cricket in summer play pickleball and badminton in winter — and they were running those games the same painful way: a group chat for the headcount, a spreadsheet for the standings, and cash in an envelope for court fees. So we built the same thing for them: one place for the group, whatever the sport.

1. One group, three sports

Your group keeps one roster, one invite history and one dues ledger. Cricket in summer, pickleball and badminton in winter — each sport gets its own ranking under the same profile. Nobody re-registers, nobody re-invites the same twenty people, and the organiser stops maintaining three different tools for one group of friends.

2. Built for fun first

These are people playing for fun, so the defaults are forgiving. New players start mid-pack, not at the bottom. Missed weeks, subs and sit-outs do not tank your rank. And a game marked "just for fun" is recorded in your history but never touches the standings — so nobody is scared to record a casual game.

3. A ranking you can explain

One simple table: 2 points per win, singles or doubles. Underneath it, a rating that always shows its working — "beat a higher-rated pair 11–8 → +14". A rating that explains itself survives arguments; an opaque number does not. And it is a group rating only: results entered here never affect your DUPR.

4. No install, no per-player fee

Scores are entered through a shared link — no app install required, because half a 30-person group will not install an app. And players never pay. Groups are free up to 12 active players; above that, only the organiser subscribes. Nobody hands a volunteer captain a per-head bill to chase from twenty-five friends.

How a group starts: the organiser creates the group, shares one invite link, and enters the first night's scores. Every player immediately sees a rank and why they are there. That first night is the whole product — if it feels effortless, the group stays.

5. Pilot groups wanted

We are looking for one friendly pickleball group and one badminton community club in Edmonton to run a real ladder night on Aatago in November. You get the free tier, we watch how the night actually goes, and your feedback decides what gets built next. If that sounds like your group, get in touch.

What Aatago does, and does not do, here

Aatago handles scheduling, RSVP, dues tracking, score entry, ladders and rankings, and team chat — all in one place for a friendly group or a community club. It does not do court booking or tournament draws, and it does not submit results to DUPR or any federation. Players never pay for Aatago. Groups are free up to 12 active players.

Next step: start a group for your Tuesday night, share the link, and enter the first scores. If the ladder makes the night more fun, keep it. See also: Pickleball on Aatago · Badminton on Aatago.