diff --git a/app/templates/modal/signup.jade b/app/templates/modal/signup.jade
index 2b27577d2..801b470aa 100644
--- a/app/templates/modal/signup.jade
+++ b/app/templates/modal/signup.jade
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ block modal-header-content
 block modal-body-content
   .modal-content
     .modal-body
-      p(data-i18n="signup.description") It's free. Just need a couple things and you'll be good to go:
+      if showRequiredError
+        .alert.alert-success
+          span(data-i18n="signup.required") You need to sign up first before you can go over there. Luckily, it's really easy.
+      else
+        p(data-i18n="signup.description") It's free. Just need a couple things and you'll be good to go:
       .form
         .form-group
           label.control-label(for="signup-email", data-i18n="general.email") Email              
diff --git a/app/templates/play/ladder.jade b/app/templates/play/ladder.jade
index 234804ed6..aae168b0d 100644
--- a/app/templates/play/ladder.jade
+++ b/app/templates/play/ladder.jade
@@ -7,47 +7,39 @@ block content
     else
       h1= level.get('name')
 
-  if me.get('anonymous')
-    div#must-log-in
-      p
-        strong(data-i18n="ladder.please_login") Please log in first before playing a ladder game.
-      button.btn.btn-primary(data-toggle="coco-modal", data-target="modal/login", data-i18n="login.log_in") Log In
-      button.btn.btn-primary(data-toggle="coco-modal", data-target="modal/signup", data-i18n="login.sign_up") Create Account
-
-
-  else
-    div#columns.row
-      div.column.col-md-2
-      for team in teams
-        div.column.col-md-4
-          a(style="background-color: #{team.primaryColor}", data-team=team.id).play-button.btn.btn-danger.btn-block.btn-lg
-            span(data-i18n="play.play_as") Play As
-            span= team.name
-      div.column.col-md-2
+  div#columns.row
+    div.column.col-md-2
+    for team in teams
+      div.column.col-md-4
+        a(style="background-color: #{team.primaryColor}", data-team=team.id).play-button.btn.btn-danger.btn-block.btn-lg
+          span(data-i18n="play.play_as") Play As
+          span= team.name
+    div.column.col-md-2
+  
+  hr
     
-    hr
-      
-    ul.nav.nav-pills
-      li.active
-        a(href="#ladder", data-toggle="tab", data-i18n="general.ladder") Ladder
+  ul.nav.nav-pills
+    li.active
+      a(href="#ladder", data-toggle="tab", data-i18n="general.ladder") Ladder
+    if !me.get('anonymous')
       li
         a(href="#my-matches", data-toggle="tab", data-i18n="ladder.my_matches") My Matches
       li
         a(href="#simulate", data-toggle="tab", data-i18n="ladder.simulate") Simulate
 
-    div.tab-content
-      .tab-pane.active.well#ladder
-        #ladder-tab-view
-      .tab-pane.well#my-matches
-        #my-matches-tab-view
-      .tab-pane.well#simulate
-        p(id="simulation-status-text")
-          if simulationStatus
-            | #{simulationStatus}
-          else
-            span(data-i18n="ladder.simulation_explanation") By simulating games you can get your game ranked faster!
+  div.tab-content
+    .tab-pane.active.well#ladder
+      #ladder-tab-view
+    .tab-pane.well#my-matches
+      #my-matches-tab-view
+    .tab-pane.well#simulate
+      p(id="simulation-status-text")
+        if simulationStatus
+          | #{simulationStatus}
+        else
+          span(data-i18n="ladder.simulation_explanation") By simulating games you can get your game ranked faster!
+      p
+        button(data-i18n="ladder.simulate_games").btn.btn-warning.btn-lg.highlight#simulate-button Simulate Games!
+      if me.isAdmin()
         p
-          button(data-i18n="ladder.simulate_games").btn.btn-warning.btn-lg.highlight#simulate-button Simulate Games!
-        if me.isAdmin()
-          p
-            button(data-i18n="ladder.simulate_all").btn.btn-danger.btn-lg.highlight#simulate-all-button RESET AND SIMULATE GAMES
\ No newline at end of file
+          button(data-i18n="ladder.simulate_all").btn.btn-danger.btn-lg.highlight#simulate-all-button RESET AND SIMULATE GAMES
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/modal/signup_modal.coffee b/app/views/modal/signup_modal.coffee
index d1c76e3a1..8a39d0dca 100644
--- a/app/views/modal/signup_modal.coffee
+++ b/app/views/modal/signup_modal.coffee
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ module.exports = class SignupModalView extends View
 
   checkAge: (e) ->
     $("#signup-button", @$el).prop 'disabled', not $(e.target).prop('checked')
+    
+  getRenderData: ->
+    c = super()
+    c.showRequiredError = @options.showRequiredError
+    c
 
   createAccount: (e) =>
     forms.clearFormAlerts(@$el)
diff --git a/app/views/play/ladder_view.coffee b/app/views/play/ladder_view.coffee
index e275d0613..e0d25ea7f 100644
--- a/app/views/play/ladder_view.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/ladder_view.coffee
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Simulator = require 'lib/simulator/Simulator'
 LevelSession = require 'models/LevelSession'
 CocoCollection = require 'models/CocoCollection'
 {teamDataFromLevel} = require './ladder/utils'
+{me} = require 'lib/auth'
 application = require 'application'
 
 LadderTabView = require './ladder/ladder_tab'
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ module.exports = class LadderView extends RootView
     'click #simulate-button': 'onSimulateButtonClick'
     'click #simulate-all-button': 'onSimulateAllButtonClick'
     'click .play-button': 'onClickPlayButton'
+    'click a': 'onClickedLink'
 
   constructor: (options, @levelID) ->
     super(options)
@@ -121,10 +123,22 @@ module.exports = class LadderView extends RootView
     @showPlayModal($(e.target).closest('.play-button').data('team'))
 
   showPlayModal: (teamID) ->
+    return @showApologeticSignupModal() if me.get('anonymous')
     session = (s for s in @sessions.models when s.get('team') is teamID)[0]
     modal = new LadderPlayModal({}, @level, session, teamID)
     @openModalView modal
+    
+  showApologeticSignupModal: ->
+    SignupModal = require 'views/modal/signup_modal'
+    @openModalView(new SignupModal({showRequiredError:true}))
 
+  onClickedLink: (e) ->
+    link = $(e.target).closest('a').attr('href')
+    if link?.startsWith '/play/level'
+      e.stopPropagation()
+      e.preventDefault()
+      @showApologeticSignupModal()
+  
   destroy: ->
     clearInterval @refreshInterval
     @simulator.destroy()