Creating a schedule
After every season’s schedule is created, someone complains about their team’s schedule. Whether a serious complaint or in jest, creating the schedule is nearly an artform and is NEVER perfect. But what does it take to create the schedule?
The initial schedule
The league uses a software package to create the initial schedule. Depending on the schedule’s “quality”, the software configuration may be tweaked and a new schedule created.
The audit
A number of factors, determined by the league board, drive the schedule. These factors include, but are not limited to:
- Season start/end dates
- Complex availability
- Games times
- Sun angle conflicts
As the league grows, it may require changes that are not popular, such as playing all three fields at 6:15, 7:30, 8:45, and possibly playing games at 10:00 pm. The primary goals are typically:
- Equality of games against teams within the same division
- Equality of Home / Away games within the same division
- Equality of total games scheduled
- Whenever possible, playing games against teams in another division
Secondary goals are typically:
- Equality of game times, hopefully +/- 1
- Minimize back-to-back late (2) games
- Eliminate back-to-back-to-back (3) late games
The software tool provides some rudimentary audit capability, but does not provide the detail to verify all primary and secondary goals. As such an Excel spreadsheet was developed to analyze the schedule.
Step 1
Export the schedule from the software tool and import that into the Excel spreadsheet. Once imported, the schedule can be manipulated within Excel and the results are immediately seen.
Step 2
Review the Home/Away/Totals display. This display shows all games both intra division and inter division. If changes are needed, either drop back to the software tool or manipulate the schedule within Excel.
Any change can result in a multitude of cascading issues, so any change may need to be undone and then try something else.
Proceed to step 3 when the Home/Away/Totals display looks good.
Step 3
While the Home/Away/Totals looks good:
- Are there any conflicting games times (e.g., too many games in a given time)?
- Are there any conflicting selected fields (e.g., too many games on a given field?)
- Do each of the teams have an equal number, +/- 1, of games in each time slot?
- Are there any back-to-back late (e.g., 8:45 pm) games?
Any change can result in a multitude of cascading issues, so any change may need to be undone and then try something else.
Finished?
Review and review again all of the audit results. Is there anything that can be improved? If so, try again. If not, call it “good enough”.
