How to Create a League Schedule for 2 Divisions

League organizers take on plenty of responsibility. In addition to keeping teams happy and ensuring that all rules are followed, organizers are entrusted with the task of making a schedule that is as fair as possible. While the task is simpler when only one division is involved, having to deal with multiple divisions can be a bit of a headache. Fortunately, that task can be made easier with a little planning.

Things You'll Need

  • Team list Calculator Word processing software
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Instructions

    • 1

      Divide the league's teams into two divisions. In most cases, this is done at random in order to ensure the fairest outcome possible. However, if the schedule maker believes that such a method could lend itself to dispute (i.e., if all of the best teams end up in one division, and all the weaker entries in the other), then the schedule maker should use his own judgment to align the divisions.

    • 2

      Determine the type of schedule to be used. In the round-robin format, a team plays each of the other teams in the same division once. While this format is effective in tournament play, it may not work in a longer league where more games need to be played. A more appropriate format would be to have divisional opponents play each other for two-thirds of the games, with the other one-third played against teams from the other division (use a calculator, if need be, to determine the ratio for each.) This creates strong divisional rivalries, while allowing each team to play at least one game against every team in the league.

    • 3

      Decide how the games will be spread out over the course of the season. The type of sport should play some impact on the schedule. Football teams require more rest and recuperation time than baseball teams, so that should be reflected in the amount of off-days provided. In most cases, a balanced schedule is preferred, with each team playing the same number of games each week. This reduces the chance that a team will complain about fatigue or inactivity during the course of the season.

    • 4

      Create the schedule. Be sure to keep track of which matchups have already been created, so they aren't duplicated. This can be done by making a list of all the possible matchups in a Word document, then deleting them as they are added to the schedule. If one team is supposed to face another team more than once over the course of the season, then create two listings on the matchups page, and delete one as it is written into the schedule. Don't be afraid to tinker with matchup placements along the way.

    • 5

      Triple-check to make sure everything balances out. Each team should be playing the same number of games, without having to deal with too many matchups in one week or large gaps between games. If the league employs a playoff format, then decide ahead of time what that is so that all teams know what they're playing for during the season.