Tournament designs: responses to questions

Matt Fayers and Julian D. A. Wiseman

The author sometimes receives questions about tournament designs. These questions are generally forwarded to somebody with competence in the appropriate branch of mathematics. Prior to November 2011 the answers were not published; henceforth they will appear here.

Typically these designs have not been as thoroughly optimised as those of the main designs.

Two teams of six

Question (17 Nov 2011): two teams of six players; each player to partner teammates once; and oppose opponents once or twice twice.

Solution: label the players in one team A, …, F, and the players in the other team a, …, f. Then play as follows.

AB:cf CF:de DE:ab
AC:db DB:ef EF:ac
AD:ec EC:fb FB:ad
AE:fd FD:bc BC:ae
AF:be BE:cd CD:af

Each player plays twice against each member of the opposing team except for the opponent with the same letter, and partners each teammate once.