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Overview

Overview​

Scheduling is the process of assigning dates, venues, courts, and times to tournament matchUps. The Competition Factory provides a comprehensive scheduling system that supports both manual and automated scheduling workflows, from simple club tournaments to complex multi-tournament professional events.

Core Concepts​

TimeItems Architecture​

In TODS (Tennis Open Data Standards), scheduling information is attached to matchUps as timeItems rather than stored in a centralized schedule object. This decentralized approach provides several advantages:

  • No orphaned schedules: When draws or structures are deleted, their scheduling information is automatically removed
  • Granular control: Each matchUp independently tracks its scheduling history
  • Audit trail: TimeItems preserve the complete scheduling history including modifications
  • Flexible querying: Schedules are derived on-demand by interrogating matchUp timeItems

Scheduling Methods​

The Competition Factory supports multiple scheduling approaches:

  1. Manual Scheduling: Direct assignment of scheduling attributes

    • addMatchUpScheduledDate() - Assign a date
    • addMatchUpScheduledTime() - Assign a time
    • assignMatchUpVenue() - Assign a venue
    • assignMatchUpCourt() - Assign a specific court

  2. Automated Scheduling: Algorithm-driven scheduling

    • scheduleMatchUps() - Schedule matchUps for a single day/venue
    • scheduleProfileRounds() - Schedule across multiple days using a scheduling profile
    • Supports Garman formula for optimal court utilization

  3. Hybrid Scheduling: Combination of manual and automated approaches

    • Pre-assign featured matches to specific courts
    • Auto-schedule remaining matches around fixed commitments
    • Apply constraints and preferences via policies

Prerequisites for Scheduling​

Automated scheduling requires:

  1. Venues with Courts: Define tournament venues and their courts
  2. Date Availability: Specify when courts are available (dates, times, bookings)
  3. Scheduling Policy: Define average match times, recovery periods, daily limits
  4. Match Up Formats: Assign scoring formats to events/matchUps
Getting Started

Start with venue setup, then define court availability, attach a scheduling policy, and finally run automated scheduling or manually assign schedules.

Scheduling Workflows​

Local Tournament Workflow​

For club or local tournaments with a single venue:

  1. Create venue and add courts
  2. Define court dateAvailability for tournament dates
  3. Attach POLICY_SCHEDULING_DEFAULT or custom policy
  4. Use scheduleMatchUps() to schedule rounds individually
  5. Review and manually adjust as needed

Multi-Day Tournament Workflow​

For larger tournaments spanning multiple days:

  1. Set up venues and court availability
  2. Create a schedulingProfile defining which rounds play on which days
  3. Attach appropriate scheduling policies (format timing, daily limits)
  4. Use scheduleProfileRounds() for automated scheduling
  5. Review conflicts and make manual adjustments
  6. Publish schedules to participants

Professional Tournament Workflow​

For professional circuits (ITF, ATP, WTA style):

  1. Define multiple venues with detailed court specifications
  2. Use Pro Scheduling (grid-based) for predictable scheduling
  3. Configure Follow By scheduling for TV and stadium courts
  4. Set up person requests (practice times, media commitments)
  5. Apply strict daily limits and recovery time policies
  6. Generate preliminary schedules with conflict detection
  7. Manual refinement for featured matches
  8. Real-time schedule updates as matches complete

Multi-Tournament Workflow​

For circuits or leagues sharing venues:

  1. Link tournament records across shared venues
  2. Define venue availability across all tournaments
  3. Create scheduling profiles for each tournament
  4. Use Garman scheduling to optimize court utilization across tournaments
  5. Apply cross-tournament conflict detection
  6. Coordinate schedules to prevent participant conflicts

Garman Scheduling​

The Competition Factory implements an enhanced version of the Garman scheduling algorithm, which optimally schedules matches to maximize court utilization while respecting constraints.

Standard Garman Formula​

The traditional Garman formula calculates available time slots based on:

  • Court availability (start/end times)
  • Average match duration
  • Number of matches to schedule

Formula: Available Time Slots = (Court Hours × Courts) / Average Match Duration

Enhanced Garman Implementation​

The Competition Factory extends Garman scheduling to support:

  • Variable match durations: Different formats have different average times
  • Recovery requirements: Minimum rest between a player's matches
  • Daily limits: Maximum matches per player per day
  • Multi-tournament scheduling: Shared venues across tournaments
  • Court preferences: Priority courts for featured matches
  • Person requests: Player-specific scheduling constraints
  • Not-before times: Matches that can't start before a specific time

Iterative Garman Scheduling​

For complex scheduling scenarios, the engine uses iterative Garman scheduling:

  1. Group Matches: Group matchUps by average duration
  2. Schedule Block: Schedule all matches with similar duration
  3. Update Availability: Recalculate available courts and times
  4. Next Block: Schedule next group with their duration
  5. Repeat: Continue until all matches scheduled or constraints exhausted

This approach allows matches of different durations to be efficiently scheduled while maintaining optimal court utilization.

Scheduling States​

MatchUps progress through several scheduling states:

StateDescriptionTimeItem Type
UnscheduledNo scheduling informationNone
Date AssignedHas scheduledDate but no timeSCHEDULE.DATE
Time AssignedHas scheduledDate and scheduledTimeSCHEDULE.TIME
Venue AssignedAssigned to a venue (may or may not have court)SCHEDULE.VENUE
Court AssignedAssigned to a specific courtSCHEDULE.COURT
In ProgressMatch has startedSTATUS.${matchUpStatus}
CompletedMatch has finishedSTATUS.COMPLETE
Scheduling Flexibility

A matchUp can have a date/time without a venue/court (for preliminary schedules), or a venue/court without a specific time (for on-site day-of scheduling).

Scheduling Constraints​

The system enforces multiple types of constraints:

Hard Constraints (Must Be Satisfied)​

  • Court availability: Matches can only be scheduled when courts are available
  • Match dependencies: Later rounds can't be scheduled before earlier rounds complete
  • Venue capacity: Can't schedule more simultaneous matches than available courts
  • Time feasibility: Match must fit within court availability window

Soft Constraints (Should Be Satisfied)​

  • Recovery times: Minimum rest between a player's matches
  • Daily limits: Maximum matches per player per day
  • Not-before times: Preferred start times for matches
  • Court preferences: Priority courts for seeded players or finals
  • Person requests: Player-specific preferences or restrictions

Conflict Detection​

The system automatically detects scheduling conflicts:

  • Player conflicts: Same player scheduled simultaneously
  • Insufficient recovery: Match scheduled before recovery period expires
  • Daily limit violations: Player scheduled for too many matches
  • Venue conflicts: More matches than available courts
  • Booking conflicts: Scheduled during court booking/reservation
Conflict Resolution

Use getParticipants({ scheduleAnalysis: true }) to identify conflicts, then resolve manually or adjust scheduling constraints.

Schedule Optimization​

The Competition Factory provides tools for optimizing schedules:

Court Utilization​

  • Maximize court usage throughout the day
  • Minimize court idle time
  • Balance load across courts
  • Prioritize feature courts for important matches

Player Experience​

  • Minimize back-to-back matches
  • Respect recovery time requirements
  • Honor daily match limits
  • Accommodate player requests (practice, media, travel)

Tournament Flow​

  • Maintain competitive integrity (proper rest for later rounds)
  • Complete rounds efficiently (minimize delays)
  • Support TV/streaming schedules (featured matches at specific times)
  • Enable spectator experience (spread exciting matches across day)

Advanced Features​

Person Requests​

Schedule around player commitments:

  • Do Not Schedule: Block times when player unavailable
  • Practice Times: Reserved court time
  • Media Obligations: Press conferences, interviews
  • Travel Windows: Airport transfers, check-in times

Scheduling Profile​

Define complex multi-day schedules:

  • Which rounds play on which days
  • Which venues host which events
  • Order of play within each day
  • Coordination across multiple events

Grid-Based Scheduling​

Professional tournaments use grid scheduling:

  • Fixed time slots (e.g., 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM)
  • Predictable scheduling for players and spectators
  • TV-friendly programming
  • "Follow By" scheduling for stadium courts

Real-Time Adjustments​

Adapt schedules as tournament progresses:

  • Delay remaining matches when running behind
  • Move matches to alternate courts
  • Accelerate scheduling when ahead of schedule
  • Handle weather delays and resumptions