Sports Fixtures

Complex fixture problems solved in minutes

Our Method

We cater for multiple division leagues where divsions are same size or different sizes playing home and away fixtures at set times and days where most of the teams have constraints on their usage of grounds

Constraints include sharing grounds, access to grounds limited on some dates, and the need for specific fixture patterms

We have templates which will help you generate the fixtures and take the process one step further by automating the placement of the teams to match the constraints

Fixtures in minutes not days !

The Basics

  • Integrity of the competition and social requirements meaning fixtures are played on a regular basis; each team plays the same time and day each week
  • Competition fairness means that all teams must play fixtures with a balance between home and away fixtures, and must have reasonable gaps before the reverse fixtures
  • Teams share grounds so fixtures need to be scheduled to avoid two or more teams needing the same ground at the same
  • There are then restrictions or requests placed on leagues by clubs who wish to play some matches either away or at home on a specific date.

There are many solutions out there usually based on grid of fixtures were pair of teams in the grid have opposite fixtures (when A is at Home, B is Away). there are then in an n team division n/2 pairs which can share grounds

Here is how we draw it mainly so the patterns of fixtures are easy to visualise

This is a 10 team division; team 6 is opposite to team 1, team 2 to team 7 etc.; no team has more than 2 home matches consectuively or more than 3 in any 5 weeks. It can be reversed and repeated to give home and away second half

It is nicely balanaced and works very well for a single division. It is the basis for solutions for multiple divisions but that is where the black art of the fixture secretary comes into play

For multiple divisions we use the same template for each division and team A sharing with Team B in another division occupies the paired slot. The problem is when there are loads of sharing teams and these are spread across multiple division you invariably reach a point where team A needs to be in slot one, the team thay share with then needs to be in slot six but that slot has already been used

We take this into account in our solutions
Next; The Problem

The Problem

If there is one division; or no teams share grounds then as long as you have a template which works there are no issues but..

What if

  • Teams spread far and wide across divisions share grounds
  • Some one needs to be at home or away on a specific date
  • Or even some divisions have 10 teams others 12 or 8 etc...
  • Some teams share with teams from other leagues

So why the Sudoku image ?

In Sudoku you are fitting numbers into a grid with an increasing number of contraints; there are 9 numbers which go into 9 spaces and as soon as a number is placed then the next number might not fit. This is similar to our multidivisional fixture problem. Solving Sudoku puzzles has become an academic exercise for computer studies students so there are many techniques to do this and we adapted one such method which can automate all that trial and error.

All we need do now is write the solution

Next; Solution

The Solution

So during a 2020 lockdown we took one of those Sudoku solutions and adapted it. It places a team into a slot in a grid which then also places the sharing team and moves forward to the next team

If it hits the situation were there are no slots a team will fit, it stops and backtracks a move

After several (sometimes million) trials and errors the grid is completed; it can try 10 million moves less then a second

What else does it do

  • Copes with 3 or more teams needing to play away or home at the same time
  • Copes with the can not play on a specific date
  • has solutions for mixed division sizes, we have written about 20 templates
  • have a bespoke need ; we may well have seen similar ; and can adapt a set of templates to cater for it
Sound too simple.... Press the 'easy' button for a Video
We will do your fixtures as a service; See our pricing below
Next; Resources

Resources

We have a description of the practical challenges and methods used in fixture generation

If you want an exist template we are happy to share them for free from out resources page

Resources Page
We will do your fixtures as a service; See our pricing below

Pricing

Free

£0/yr
  • All Downloads
  • All Documents
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Entry Level

£49/yr
  • All Downloads
  • All Documents
  • 1000 Fixtures Generated
  • Ground shares only
  • Same # Teams/Division
  • No Reruns

Enterprise

£99/yr
  • All Downloads
  • All Documents
  • 3000 Fixtures Generated
  • Multiple constraints
  • Various sized Divisions
  • 3 iterations

Add-ons

£??
  • All Downloads
  • All Documents
  • Complex Requirements
  • New sets of fixture patterns
  • Multiple what ifs
  • Consultancy and Support