Soccer schedule

[Soccer Mom]

I came across Ian's round robin spreadsheet sometime ago and have been using it - amazing tool - thank you very much.

However, I don't know if I can use it for my new scheduling "problem". I have to schedule two age groups, 6 teams per age group across 3 soccer fields for 20 weeks of games. In the past each age group started at the same time (one group early, the other late and alternating each week) so it was relatively easy to ensure every team played every other equally (4 times) and that each team played on each field as close to balanced as possible (7+7+6). Now, however, I need to add the complication that we want to mix start times across age groups as well. One week one age group will have 2 matches early and 1 late and the second age group will have 1 early and 2 late - then alternate the next week.

I hope that makes sense!!

The problem is I can use your wonderful spreadsheet to balance the use of fields but now with two different start times every time I try to balance that as well I mess up the balance across fields.

Ideally I want every team in each age group to play every other in the same age group 4 times, to use each field at least 6 times and to start early 10 times and late 10 times.

Is that possible? Please can you help...

[Ian Wakeling]

I have found the following schedule by computer search and I think it will work for your soccer league.

   w1 early (G L) (H I) (B C)
   w1 late   (E F) (J K) (A D)

   w2 early (B F) (G I) (A E)
   w2 late   (C D) (H J) (K L)

   w3 early (I K) (A F) (G H)
   w3 late   (B D) (C E) (J L)

   w4 early (D E) (I L) (A B)
   w4 late   (G J) (H K) (C F)

   w5 early (H L) (G K) (D F)
   w5 late   (I J) (B E) (A C)

   w6 early (B C) (J K) (D E)
   w6 late   (G H) (A F) (I L)

   w7 early (K L) (E F) (G J)
   w7 late  (A C) (B D) (H I)

   w8 early (A B) (C E) (I J)
   w8 late  (D F) (H L) (G K)

   w9 early (J L) (C D) (H K)
   w9 late  (A E) (B F) (G I)

w10 early (H J) (A D) (C F)
w10 late   (I K) (G L) (B E)

For weeks 11 to 12 use the same schedule but swap the teams around as follows:

AD
BE
CF
GJ
HI
KL

Here AD means that the team that was assigned to A in rounds 1 to 10 is assigned to D in weeks 11 to 20, and the team that was D becomes A.

If you do all that, then you should have a schedule with the following properties.   Each team plays:

• Once per week
• 10 early games & 10 late games
• 6 or 7 times on each field
• Each other team in the same group 4 times (exactly once in each block of 5 weeks)
• The schedule should also have the alternating pattern you asked for

With the current problems on the message board, I am not sure if you will be able to add replies in this thread.   If you can't then send me a email by clicking on my name.