Random Matchups

damasta

I'm working on a site for the Madden 2005 video game. Well, we have a league that has 32 teams. The first season is fine as the schedule is already determined by the NFL. However, we intend on playing multiple seasons. We don't want to play the same schedule over and over again and would like a impartial way of determining the matchups. There are 16 games in a season, 32 teams. The league is broken down into 8 divisions with 4 teams per division. Those 4 teams play each other twice. So, 6 games are already accounted for. I have a headache just thinking about it. Can anyone offer advice on where to start?

paulnaj

Hi damasta,

Being from the old country, I don't know how the NFL schedules work. 😉

So, I've got a couple of questions ...

When you say random, do you mean completely random? For example, aren't there seedings in the NFL?
You wrote - 'There are 16 games in a season, 32 teams. The league is broken down into 8 divisions with 4 teams per division. Those 4 teams play each other twice. So, 6 games are already accounted for.'.
Do you mean that every team has 16 games? Or, do you mean that teams can have at most 16 games, with some teams getting knocked out along the way?
Aren't there playoffs, and wildcards 😕 that would be completely decided by postions attained in the 'first phase', according to a set of rules?

Paul.

P.S. Where's the PHP?

TheDefender

When you say random, do you mean completely random? For example, aren't there seedings in the NFL?

You wrote - 'There are 16 games in a season, 32 teams. The league is broken down into 8 divisions with 4 teams per division. Those 4 teams play each other twice. So, 6 games are already accounted for.'.
Do you mean that every team has 16 games? Or, do you mean that teams can have at most 16 games, with some teams getting knocked out along the way?

Aren't there playoffs, and wildcards that would be completely decided by postions attained in the 'first phase', according to a set of rules?

paulnaj, there aren't "seedings" per se that determine an NFL team's schedule, but the better a team is, the "stronger" there schedule is the following season.

Each team always plays 16 games, but during the season, each team plays the other teams in their division twice, so 6 games are ALWAYS automatic each year.

Playoffs and wildcards are totally not accounted for during the regular 16 game season. Records determine playoff positions with scoring and head-to-head tiebreakers if needed.

Hey damasta, there are software programs out there that can do this for you... (Home or Away is one I can think of.) So, why not develop the schedule off line, and just post it rather than trying to figure out how to develop a dynamic schedule? Anyhow, maybe you can ask the NFL how they do it? (My guess is that the Human element is heavily into it, to account for strength of schedules)

paulnaj

Hi TheDefender,

I know this is not exactly php-based, but ...

I still don't quite see how teams who don't make to the playoffs can still have 10 (?) games still to play? Are there 'wooden spoon' games for the losers?

Paul.

TheDefender

No, there are 16 games no matter what. The 6 automatic games means no matter what, you play those same 6 games each year. (each team in your division twice) And, the 6 games aren't the first 6 games. Those 6 games are played throughout the season mixed in with the rest of the schedule.

Basically, damasta wants the other 10 games in the season to be randomized. In thoery, someone can lose all 6 of their division games, and win the other 10 games in the season, and still make it to the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

The playoffs has the top team from each division, and one wildcard team. So each conference would have 4 teams in the playoffs.

damasta

Originally posted by TheDefender
paulnaj, there aren't "seedings" per se that determine an NFL team's schedule, but the better a team is, the "stronger" there schedule is the following season.

Actually, this isn't true any longer. Now, every team within a division play the same teams. My favorite team is the Eagles. They play the exact same teams as the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants. This creates eqaulity in the division. No longer is their schedule based on previous year's record.

damasta

Originally posted by TheDefender
Hey damasta, there are software programs out there that can do this for you... (Home or Away is one I can think of.) So, why not develop the schedule off line, and just post it rather than trying to figure out how to develop a dynamic schedule? Anyhow, maybe you can ask the NFL how they do it? (My guess is that the Human element is heavily into it, to account for strength of schedules)

I'll check that out. Thanks.

TheDefender

Originally posted by damasta
Actually, this isn't true any longer. Now, every team within a division play the same teams. No longer is their schedule based on previous year's record.

Sorry, I hate to keep this thread going off topic, but... No, the NFL schedule is never and has never been based on the previous year's records for any particular team, but the previous year's record has always played a factor in determining the schedules for the next year. Your first statement isn't true either. I have been a Bucaneers fan as long as I can remember, and there are 4 teams on their schedule this year that do not appear on the Carolina Panther's schedule (NFC South Division Rival).