Scheduling suggestion request

[AKKOLADE]

I'm helping with a tournament that is going to have 26 (possibly 27) teams and will be able to support 10 rooms at the same time. 15 packets are available for use, though I'm under the impression that about 10 would be preferred to be used. Any suggestions on the best way to maximize games played for teams?

[Stained Diviner]

With 26 teams, you could make two pools of 7 teams and two pools of 6 teams. It should be possible to play full round robins within the pools and give crossover matches for the six team pools within the first eight rounds, with each team playing six out of eight of those rounds. Let me know if this is a good enough idea to work out the details. With 27 teams, you would have three pools of 7 teams and one pools of 6 teams, and you could get through the full pool round robins in 8 rounds, but there would be no crossover matches, so the teams in the small pool would only play five preliminary matches. You would have to keep the afternoon pools pretty small to keep this tournament from going long.

If you use one (or two) pools of six teams and (three or) four pools of five teams, you should be able to get through those pools in six rounds, and you could then use a similar system in the afternoon. I'll wait to work out the details based on whether or not this seems like a good idea.

[Red-necked Phalarope]

You've probably figured this out on your own already, but if you have any last-minute drops to 25, running 5 brackets of 5 and then rebracketing would be about as perfect for your goals as possible.

[dtaylor4]

With 26 teams, you could make two pools of 7 teams and two pools of 6 teams. It should be possible to play full round robins within the pools and give crossover matches for the six team pools within the first eight rounds, with each team playing six out of eight of those rounds. Let me know if this is a good enough idea to work out the details. With 27 teams, you would have three pools of 7 teams and one pools of 6 teams, and you could get through the full pool round robins in 8 rounds, but there would be no crossover matches, so the teams in the small pool would only play five preliminary matches. You would have to keep the afternoon pools pretty small to keep this tournament from going long.

Would the prelims not take 7 rounds?

Basically, for the 6-team pools, the game against "team 7" becomes a second bye. During the two bye rounds, they scrimmage against teams from the other 6-team brackets. The games don't count, but they're games.

[Stained Diviner]

Because he only has ten rooms, you get a lot of extra byes that make the tournament less efficient.

A seven-team pool uses 21 matches, and a six-team pool uses 15 matches. Two of each is 72 matches, which means eight rounds, and playing the extra six crossover matches brings it up to 78 matches, which still means eight rounds.

One pool of six and four pools of five requires 55 matches without crossovers, which is six rounds. Two pools of six and three pools of five requires 60 matches, which is also six rounds.

[Stained Diviner]

Here's one way to do the first six rounds. B6 is the 27th team, so that team's matches can be turned into byes if you only have 26. If you drop down to 25 teams, you can use a different schedule to have each team play four matches in the first five rounds. In any case, you can reseed and repeat for the afternoon.

Round 1: A1vA4, A2vA5, B1vB4, B2vB5, C1vC4, C2vC5, D1vD4, D2vD5, E1vE4, E2vE5
Round 2: A3vA6, A1vA5, B3vB6, B1vB5, C1vC5, C3vC4, D1vD5, D3vD4, E1vE5, E3vE4
Round 3: A2vA6, A3vA4, B2vB6, B3vB4, C2vC3, C4vC5, D2vD3, D4vD5, E2vE3, E4vE5
Round 4: A1vA6, A2vA3, A4vA5, B1vB6, B2vB3, B4vB5, C1vC3, C2vC4, D1vD3, E1vE3
Round 5: A1vA3, A2vA4, A5vA6, B1vB3, B2vB4, B5vB6, C1vC2, D2vD4, D3vD5, E2vE4
Round 6: A1vA2, A3vA5, A4vA6, B1vB2, B3vB5, B4vB6, C3vC5, D1vD2, E1vE2, E3vE5

Because there are six preliminary rounds, you have two options.
Option A: Have a very good TD, good moderators in each room, no bouncebacks, and warn teams that it might be close to 1:00 before you get to lunch. This allows you to play six rounds before lunch.
Option B: Have a detailed plan worked out to quickly enter Round 6 scores and tell teams where to go for Round 7. This allows you to play Round 6 after lunch.

Also, if you can get two more rooms, you can play all of the above matches in five rounds.

[AKKOLADE]

The tourney is up to 12 rooms available now, if anyone wants to slap a proposal together real quick.

Edit: Note that I think only some of the readers are available in the playoffs, though I do not know the exact number. I'm hoping I can get this soon.

[Stained Diviner]

I'm too busy to do it for the next 8 hours, but you can play with my schedule above to take the first three rounds of Pools A & B and compress them into two rounds, and take the last three rounds of Pools C, D, & E and compress them into two rounds, playing all of the matches in five rounds.

[AKKOLADE]

I'm too busy to do it for the next 8 hours, but you can play with my schedule above to take the first three rounds of Pools A & B and compress them into two rounds, and take the last three rounds of Pools C, D, & E and compress them into two rounds, playing all of the matches in five rounds.

Problem with it is that as of right now, we definitely have 27 teams (until, invariably, 3 or so of them drop).

Edit: I think the best solution as of right now is 3 brackets of 9.

[Carambola!]

I was under the impression bracketing into even numbers eliminates the need for byes and therefore meets your goal of maximizing quizbowl played? If three schools do indeed drop 4 brackets of 6 would be best.

[Whiter Hydra]

I was under the impression bracketing into even numbers eliminates the need for byes and therefore meets your goal of maximizing quizbowl played? If three schools do indeed drop 4 brackets of 6 would be best.

Except only 24 teams can play at a time.

[Auks Ran Ova]

I was under the impression bracketing into even numbers eliminates the need for byes and therefore meets your goal of maximizing quizbowl played? If three schools do indeed drop 4 brackets of 6 would be best.

Except only 24 teams can play at a time.

4 x 6 = ????

[dtaylor4]

I was under the impression bracketing into even numbers eliminates the need for byes and therefore meets your goal of maximizing quizbowl played? If three schools do indeed drop 4 brackets of 6 would be best.

You assume three are dropping. If that doesn't happen, then what?

[Stained Diviner]

What would you do after nine preliminary rounds?

[AKKOLADE]

I suggested a mini round robin of the top two from each of the brackets, with the game previously played between them counting (so 4 more rounds).

And Jeffrey, there's 27 teams.