Calendar Generation¶

Overview¶

Once your interclub structure is configured with levels, leagues, and all parameters, you can use the automated calendar generator to create optimized match schedules.

How It Works¶

The IC schedule generator uses a sophisticated "try and select" mechanism:

1. Generates multiple calendar options based on your configured parameters
2. Evaluates each option against constraints (court availability, home match limits)
3. Selects the best option that minimizes conflicts and maximizes fairness

The number of options generated is controlled by the "Sorting among the n best results" parameter in General Parameters. A higher value produces more optimized calendars but requires longer calculation time.

Generating Your Calendar¶

Prerequisites¶

Before generating the calendar, ensure you have configured:

• ✅ Point methods for your competition
• ✅ General parameters (encounter calculation, exclusions, constraints)
• ✅ Level structure with appropriate parameters
• ✅ Leagues with assigned teams

Generation Process¶

1. Navigate to the Interclub Management section in MySquash
2. Click on "Organize meetings" to launch the generator
3. Review the generated calendar for conflicts or issues
4. Make adjustments if needed by modifying parameters and regenerating

Key Factors Affecting Calendar Generation¶

Encounter Calculation¶

• Interclub day: Default day when matches are scheduled
• Start offset: Number of days after season start before first matches

Exclusions¶

Dates to avoid when scheduling matches:

• Public holidays
• School vacation periods
• Club-specific unavailable dates
• Tournament weekends

Constraints¶

Limits that ensure realistic scheduling:

• Maximum home matches per club per day: Prevents overbooking of club facilities
• Court availability: Number of courts available at each club (default: 4)

Group Scheduling¶

Levels with the same group ID will be scheduled on the same day, useful for:

• Coordinating multiple divisions
• Shared venue usage
• Spectator convenience

Optimization Tips¶

For Better Calendars¶

1. Provide accurate exclusion dates - The more complete your exclusion list, the fewer conflicts
2. Set realistic constraints - Ensure court counts reflect actual availability
3. Use appropriate sorting parameter - Higher values (e.g., 100-200) for better optimization
4. Group related levels - Assign group IDs to levels that should play on the same day

For Faster Generation¶

1. Reduce sorting parameter - Lower values (e.g., 20-50) for quicker results
2. Minimize exclusions - Only exclude truly unavailable dates
3. Simplify structure - Fewer leagues and levels generate faster

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Calendar has too many conflicts - Solution: Increase the sorting parameter, add more exclusion dates, or adjust constraints

Generation takes too long - Solution: Reduce the sorting parameter or simplify the league structure

Teams from same club scheduled at home on same day - Solution: Verify the "maximum home matches per club" constraint is set correctly

Matches scheduled on excluded dates - Solution: Check that exclusion dates are properly configured in General Parameters

After Generation¶

Once the calendar is generated:

1. Review all match dates for accuracy
2. Communicate the schedule to all participating teams
3. Set up result entry deadlines based on the "Results input" parameter
4. Monitor the season and make manual adjustments if needed

Manual Adjustments¶

While the generator creates an optimized schedule, you can always make manual changes:

• Move individual matches to different dates
• Swap home/away assignments
• Adjust match times

Remember that manual changes may create new conflicts, so review carefully after modifications.