14 Team Super League (Resurrected Thread)

[sam4731]

I'm sure this idea has been floated before but a USP that SL could have over other competition is if we played 1 game per day. 7 games, 7 days, never miss a match. I'm guessing there'd be scheduling problems though especially for French club(s). It also assumes no MW and Saints/Wigan and Hull FC/KR might have to fight for the Good Friday game.

Any other issues or does anyone else think this might actually be a good idea?

[Click]

1 minute ago, sam4731 said:

I'm sure this idea has been floated before but a USP that SL could have over other competition is if we played 1 game per day. 7 games, 7 days, never miss a match. I'm guessing there'd be scheduling problems though especially for French club(s). It also assumes no MW and Saints/Wigan and Hull FC/KR might have to fight for the Good Friday game.

Any other issues or does anyone else think this might actually be a good idea?

Sounds awful

[The 4 of Us]

I predict 27 pages

[gingerjon]

31 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I'm sure this idea has been floated before but a USP that SL could have over other competition is if we played 1 game per day. 7 games, 7 days, never miss a match. I'm guessing there'd be scheduling problems though especially for French club(s). It also assumes no MW and Saints/Wigan and Hull FC/KR might have to fight for the Good Friday game.

Any other issues or does anyone else think this might actually be a good idea?

I’d love to see someone sit down and work out a schedule for this.

No Challenge Cup though?

[Just Browny]

43 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I'm sure this idea has been floated before but a USP that SL could have over other competition is if we played 1 game per day. 7 games, 7 days, never miss a match. I'm guessing there'd be scheduling problems though especially for French club(s). It also assumes no MW and Saints/Wigan and Hull FC/KR might have to fight for the Good Friday game.

Any other issues or does anyone else think this might actually be a good idea?

Is that you Jason? Are we being focus grouped?

[sam4731]

Just now, Just Browny said:

Is that you Jason? Are we being focus grouped?

Part of me wishes that I had any influence on anything that goes on but a much bigger part of me is happy that I don't have to take the flack for decisions that don't pan out.

[Harry Stottle]

5 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'm sure this idea has been floated before but a USP that SL could have over other competition is if we played 1 game per day. 7 games, 7 days, never miss a match. I'm guessing there'd be scheduling problems though especially for French club(s). It also assumes no MW and Saints/Wigan and Hull FC/KR might have to fight for the Good Friday game.

Any other issues or does anyone else think this might actually be a good idea?

Fine if you just want to cater for the telly watchers, makes it a bit difficult for those go to live games who have to go to work next day transiting the Pennines or even taking their young kids when it's a school day next day.

Edited August 14 by Harry Stottle

[yipyee]

7 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I'm sure this idea has been floated before but a USP that SL could have over other competition is if we played 1 game per day. 7 games, 7 days, never miss a match. I'm guessing there'd be scheduling problems though especially for French club(s). It also assumes no MW and Saints/Wigan and Hull FC/KR might have to fight for the Good Friday game.

Any other issues or does anyone else think this might actually be a good idea?

So other than this being a horrendous idea let's think about the logistics of this, how would you rotate the schedule whilst scheduling the similar amount of rest says, how would clubs have any sort of training routine around said fixtures. 

 

[sam4731]

7 hours ago, yipyee said:

So other than this being a horrendous idea let's think about the logistics of this, how would you rotate the schedule whilst scheduling the similar amount of rest says, how would clubs have any sort of training routine around said fixtures. 

 

Surely this wouldn't be too difficult for AI to figure out.

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Surely this wouldn't be too difficult for AI to figure out.

There’s timetabling software that could do it easily. It’s no more difficult than a school timetable.

As I say, someone with the skills should give it a go.

[gingerjon]

To create a league fixture list for 14 teams (identified by letters A to N), with the following constraints:

• Each team plays home and away against every other team (i.e., a double round-robin format).
• Only one game per day is played.
• Each team has a guaranteed minimum rest period after each game.

We'll need to:

1. Calculate the total number of matches.
2. Design a schedule that respects the rest period.
3. Ensure home and away balance.
4. Spread matches over days with only one match per day.

---

Step 1: Total Matches

In a double round-robin format:

• Each team plays every other team twice (home and away).
• Number of matches = n(n−1)11n(n−1) where n=14n=14

So:

• Total matches = 14×13=18214×13=182
• With one match per day, the league will span 182 days.

---

Step 2: Scheduling with Rest Periods

To ensure a minimum rest period (e.g., 2 days) between games for each team, we need to:

• Track each team's last match date.
• Only schedule a team again if at least 2 days have passed since their last match.

---

Step 3: Generate the Fixture List

This is best done programmatically to ensure all constraints are met. I’ll now generate a fixture list using code that:

• Assigns matches randomly but fairly.
• Ensures each team plays every other team home and away.
• Enforces a minimum rest period (e.g., 2 days).
• Limits to one match per day.

Let me run the code to generate this fixture list.

Analysis

Here’s a league fixture list for 14 teams (A to N), where:

• Each team plays every other team home and away.
• Only one match is played per day.
• Each team has a minimum rest period of 2 days between games.

Sample of the Fixture List

Here are the first few days to give you a sense of the structure:

Day 1: A vs B
Day 2: C vs D
Day 3: E vs F
Day 4: B vs A
Day 5: D vs C
Day 6: F vs E
Day 7: A vs G
Day 8: B vs C
Day 9: D vs E
Day 10: A vs F
...

The full schedule spans over 195 days, slightly longer than the theoretical minimum of 182 days due to the rest period constraint. This ensures fairness and player recovery time.

[gingerjon]

I asked AI for four rest days but it's American so probably thinking basketball not rugby league.

[sam4731]

9 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Fine if you just want to cater for the telly watchers, makes it a bit difficult for those go to live games who have to go to work next day transiting the Pennines or even taking their young kids when it's a school day next day.

I do sympathise to some extent but playing midweek is not something that is uncommon across all sports and the distances that RL fans have to travel is on average far less than other sports fans.

[Harry Stottle]

21 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I do sympathise to some extent but playing midweek is not something that is uncommon across all sports and the distances that RL fans have to travel is on average far less than other sports fans.

I was talking in particular traversing the Pennines Sam, have you done much of it? It can be a nightmare weeknights on working days, one good car bump along the way can render it a car park, but just the weight of traffic is bad enough, you need to set out early enough and for working people that in itself can be problematic, PLUS yes in capitals to emphasise, the length of time it is taking to finish a game these days will probably mean your not getting in the car or coach till certainly after 10.30pm, I think that Thursday night cross Pennine games attendances by away fans shows that it is not popular, adding Sun evening Mon, Tues, Wed, will not work in my opinion. As I say good  for those who only get their RL fix on TV.

Edited August 15 by Harry Stottle

[sam4731]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I was talking in particular traversing the Pennines Sam, have you done much of it? It can be a nightmare weeknights on working days, one good car bump along the way can render it a car park, but just the weight of traffic is bad enough, you need to set out early enough and for working people that in itself can be problematic, PLUS yes in capitals to emphasise, the length of time it is taking to finish a game these days will probably mean your not getting in the car or coach till certainly after 10.30pm, I think that Thursday night cross Pennine games attendances by away fans shows that it is not popular, adding Sun evening Mon, Tues, Wed, will not work in my opinion. As I say give for thise who only get their RL fix on TV.

So surely permutations can be entered into the system to limit the number of cross penine games on Monday-Thursday. I'm not saying it's necessarily possible to eradicate them completely but surely it can be heavily limited.

[DemonUK]

Don't forget to build in the pitch maintenance periods where the ground may not be available for 42 days.  Is AIs head hurting yet

[Harry Stottle]

36 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

So surely permutations can be entered into the system to limit the number of cross penine games on Monday-Thursday. I'm not saying it's necessarily possible to eradicate them completely but surely it can be heavily limited.

Well this season they couldn't even apportion the Thursday night games on an equal basis some teams have one or two, others have 6 and 7 games, obviously  the situation is compounded by those club's who share with Football teams and the pitch is maintained even relayed for some taking up to 6 weeks.

[Harry Stottle]

38 minutes ago, DemonUK said:

Don't forget to build in the pitch maintenance periods where the ground may not be available for 42 days.  Is AIs head hurting yet

Beat me to it Demon.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

1 hour ago, DemonUK said:

Don't forget to build in the pitch maintenance periods where the ground may not be available for 42 days.  Is AIs head hurting yet

Speaking of head hurting - a schedule like this would play havoc with HIA protocols! Will someone think of the poor little AI bot that's having to work all this out 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

35 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Speaking of head hurting - a schedule like this would play havoc with HIA protocols! Will someone think of the poor little AI bot that's having to work all this out 

How would it affect the HIA protocols?

[sam4731]

2 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

How would it affect the HIA protocols?

I actually think it might benefit HIA protocols if fixtures were generated in a generally fair distribution rather than purely random.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

23 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

How would it affect the HIA protocols?

21 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I actually think it might benefit HIA protocols if fixtures were generated in a generally fair distribution rather than purely random.

I don't definitely know it would but it stands to reason if you spread games over more days, with only rule in place being a 4 day rest period (still very interested to see if that's even possible), then with HIA stand down being 12 days minimum - surely that gives potential to miss more games than it would currently? 

[The Future is League]

Well IF there is to be a 14 team Super League next the 3 teams that come up from the Championship should have their business plans in place, and be financially viable and  their grounds up to standard, and have junior set ups in place already.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

7 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

I don't definitely know it would but it stands to reason if you spread games over more days, with only rule in place being a 4 day rest period (still very interested to see if that's even possible), then with HIA stand down being 12 days minimum - surely that gives potential to miss more games than it would currently? 

It could easily lead to missing more games but that's not affecting the protocols in any way shape or form.

[Anita Bath]

38 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Well IF there is to be a 14 team Super League next the 3 teams that come up from the Championship should have their business plans in place, and be financially viable and  their grounds up to standard, and have junior set ups in place already.

Only if that expectation applies to all current SL clubs as well.

We all believe in a level playing field dont we? Well except for french teams of course.