Set starts and destinations

Draw one vertical line per participant. Put names or start labels at the top and outcomes at the bottom. To reduce targeted placement, keep destinations hidden until choices are complete.

Line ladder path diagramABCD1234
The yellow route starts at A, crosses at each connector, and reaches destination 3.

The essential path rule

Move down from the chosen start. Every time you meet a horizontal connector, cross to the neighboring vertical line and continue downward. Never skip a connector or switch without one.

Run one complete draw

Freeze the diagram, choose starts, trace each path, then reveal the destination. Trace backward from the destination if you want to check for a missed connector.

  • Connect neighboring vertical lines only.
  • Avoid ambiguous three-way junctions.
  • Do not add or remove lines after choices.

Reading the example

The highlighted route begins at A, crosses twice, and reaches the third destination. Every other start also maps to one distinct destination.