Fixtures
for use in RCPennantSubmitter in the MatchDataSettings\FixtureTemplates subfolder.
References:
See: Algorithm for Court Balanced Round Robin (devenezia.com)
See: https://www.devenezia.com/downloads/round-robin/rounds.php
Most fixtures (e.g. 6) below are based on the cyclic algorithm with adjustments made for court balance either using the methods described at : Algorithm for Court Balanced Round Robin (devenezia.com)
Single venue fixture requirements:
Table allocation is required to ensure that there is a balanced allocation of tables to each team.
This is particularly appropriate in cases in which lighting or other circumstances varies at the venue.
An even spread of tables for both home and away games as well as overall matches are used whenever possible.
The diagram below shows the Table Allocation for the standard 8 team fixture with pairing of fixture slots 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8, showing overall balanced table usage with each team playing 3 or 4 times on each table over a full double round robin season of 14 rounds.
Multiple venue fixture requirements:
Home and away fixture slot Pairing is required for teams that share a venue and have the same home night.
The fixtures with teams 1/2 alternating and teams paired allow optimal fixturing for the use of a venue.
Fixtures can easily be aligned for multiple grades with multiple teams using a venue.
Home and Away runs are kept to a minimum.
Runs of 3 home or 3 away games are avoided where possible.
This is also useful for single venue competitions using the home team to provide balls and umpire the first match.
The diagram below shows the Home and Away patterns for the standard 8 team fixture with pairing of fixture slots 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8.
Special fixtures for Multiple venue/Multiple grades team numbers:
In rare cases, special fixture templates that use alignment across the fixtures may be required. Alignment is based on the middle of the season being at the same time. e.g a 10 team fixture is required to start 2 weeks before an 8 team fixture.
These fixtures require some change to the order of rounds in the second half of the season compared with standard fixtures.
1) The 8_fit10 and 10_fit8 fixtures align perfectly when a 10 team grade starts 2 weeks before the 8 team grade. This allows pairing of fixture slots 1&2, 3&4 , 5&6, 7&8 fully across the grades. The draw back is that 10_fit8 requires the second half of the season to have a round order of 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,2,1.
The diagram below shows X for home and O for away, with black for the 10 team fixture overlaid with red for the 8 team fixture.
2) R fixtures allow alignment across 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 team grades. The draw back in their use is that the order of rounds is reflected in the second half of the season. e.g. rounds 1 to 10 are followed by rounds 10 to 1 with Home/Away swapped.
The diagram below shows X for home and O for away, with black for the 10 team fixture overlaid with red for the 8 team fixture, showing perfect matching.
RapidFire:
8_8, 10_10 … 24_24 are special fixtures for up to 12 tables with 24 players that are designed for rapid fire matches of 5 to 10 min, while completing multiple rounds in one session. e.g. for 8 players: Place players 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; move counterclockwise with player 8 swapping the side of table 4 each match; H/A alternate down left side of tables: HAHA from table 1 to 4.
These use the cyclic algorithm.
Summary:
| Fixture | H/A Pairing | Alternating | Table allocation | runs of 3 |
| –(Even team fixtures have second half of season reverse matches shifted one column to right; except 16 and 22 which have particular column rearrangements to optimize table allocation balancing.) | ||||
| 4 | 1/2; 3/4 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 4 |
| 6 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 0 |
| 8 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 0 |
| 10 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 0 |
| 12 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 14 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14 | 1/2; | almost balanced | 2 |
| 16 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 18 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 20 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 22 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20; 21/22 | 1/2; | almost balanced | 2 |
| 24 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20; 21/22; 23/24 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| –(Odd team fixtures have byes. Half season is balanced. Second half of season has reverse matches in same column.) |
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| 5 | 1/2; 3/4; 5 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 7 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 9 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 11 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 13 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 15 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 17 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 19 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 21 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20; 21 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| 23 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20; 21/22; 23 | 1/2; | balanced overall | 2 |
| –(Odd team fixtures have byes .B fixtures have balanced table allocation for both half the season and overall; Second half of season has reverse matches in same column.) |
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| 5B | 1/2; 3/4; 5 | balanced | 2 | |
| 7B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7 | balanced | 2 | |
| 9B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9 | balanced | 2 | |
| 11B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11 | balanced | 2 | |
| 13B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13 | balanced | 2 | |
| 15B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15 | balanced | 2 | |
| 17B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17 | balanced | 2 | |
| 19B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19 | balanced | 2 | |
| 21B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20; 21 | balanced | 2 | |
| 23B | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16; 17/18; 19/20; 21/22; 23 | balanced | 2 | |
| 8_2pools | –(Pools 1-4/5-8 play each other twice in pool, once outside of pool) | – | balanced | 2 |
| 10_2pools | –(Pools 1-5/6-10 play each other twice in pool, once outside of pool) | – | almost balanced | 5 |
| –(B fixtures have balanced table allocation for both half the season and overall; The second half of the season has tables shifted one column to right.) | ||||
| 6B | – | – | balanced | 0 |
| 8B | – | – | balanced | 2 |
| 10B | – | – | balanced | 2 |
| 12B | – | – | balanced | 2 |
| 14B | – | – | balanced | 7 |
| 16B | – | – | balanced | 11 |
| 18B | – | – | balanced | 10 |
| 20B | – | – | balanced | 6 and 2 runs of 4 |
| 22B | – | – | balanced | 33 and 1 run of 4 |
| 24B | – | – | balanced | 11 and 4 runs of 4 |
| –(fit fixtures align the fixtures for H/A when season is aligned in centre, e.g. 10 teams season starts 2 weeks before 8 team season.) | ||||
| 8_fit10 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8 | – | balanced | 3 |
| 10_fit8 | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; Round order = 1234567 – 345678921 |
– | roughly balanced | 2 |
| –(R fixtures reverse the round order for the second half of season: eg 8 teams: 1234567 – 7654321 The second half of the season has tables shifted one or two columns to right to attempt table allocation balancing.) |
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| 6R | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6 | 1/2; | balanced | 0 |
| 8R | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8 | 1/2; | balanced | 0 |
| 10R | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10 | 1/2; | almost balanced | 0 |
| 12R | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12 | 1/2; | roughly balanced | 0 |
| 14R | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14 | 1/2; | roughly balanced | 0 |
| 16R | 1/2; 3/4; 5/6; 7/8; 9/10; 11/12; 13/14; 15/16 | 1/2; | roughly balanced | 0 |
| Rapid Fire | Rapid fire fixtures are designed for matches of 5 to 10 min, completing multiple rounds in one session. e.g. for 8 players: Place players 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; move counterclockwise with player 8 swapping side of table each match, H/A alternate down left side of tables: HAHA from table 1 to 4. | All table allocation balanced apart from last player | ||
| 6_6 | 1/2; 3/5; 4/6 | 4/6; | balanced | 2 |
| 8_8 | 1/3; 2/4; 5/7; 6/8 | 8/6; | balanced | 2 |
| 10_10 | 1/2; 3/5; 4/6; 7/9; 8/10 | 8/10; | balanced | 2 |
| 12_12 | 1/3; 2/4; 5/7; 6/8; 9/11; 10/12 | 12/10; | balanced | 2 |
| 14_14 | 1/2; 3/5; 4/6; 7/9; 8/10; 11/13; 12/14 | 12/14; | balanced | 2 |
| 16_16 | 1/3; 2/4; 5/7; 6/8; 9/11; 10/12; 13/15; 14/16 | 16/14; | balanced | 2 |
| 18_18 | 1/2; 3/5; 4/6; 7/9; 8/10; 11/13; 12/14; 15/17; 16/18 | 16/18; | balanced | 2 |
| 20_20 | 1/3; 2/4; 5/7; 6/8; 9/11; 10/12; 13/15; 14/16; 17/19; 18/20 | 20/18; | balanced | 2 |
| 22_22 | 1/2; 3/5; 4/6; 7/9; 8/10; 11/13; 12/14; 15/17; 16/18; 19/21; 20/22 | 20/22; | balanced | 2 |
| 24_24 | 1/3; 2/4; 5/7;6/8; 9/11; 10/12; 13/15; 14/16; 17/19; 18/20; 19/21; 22/24 | 24/22; | balanced | 2 |