Swiss Teams - triples
I have been testing the EBU Swiss Teams program for an upcoming event. I used UK format, 10 teams (to make life easy), 2 sessions each of 3 matches. 8 boards per round, IMP scoring (to make entering results easy). I then made sure that team 9 kept losing so were in the triple more than once.
On the first round of the second session Team 9 played in the triple and were assigned boards 25-28 from the second set of boards. On the second round of the second session Team 9 were again in the triple and were assigned the same boards. (I had set the first board for triple table 3 to board 25).
I thought the program would assign boards 25-28 in match 1/4, 29-32 in match 2/5/6 and 33-36 in match 3 but it didn't.
I'm sure I am making a mistake but not sure what!
Can anyone help please?
Comments
First of all I'm not sure how you get a triple with 10 teams! However, assuming you mean 9 teams, the usual arrangement is that teams don't play in the triple more than once and the triple set of boards is used for each match in the session. If you do want them to play in the triple, you need to redeal the boards (or have boards 41-44 ready to take their place).
A further point. If running 2 sessions with 3 matches in each session, one of the rounds in each session will be a short triple, thus increasing the number of teams in a triple. Consider 4/2 rounds or 2/4 rounds playing long triples each time. Personally I prefer Australian Teams. Less players moving about and only one section of Bridgemates, say section A.
Another possibility is to run it as multiple teams if you get an odd number of teams - 8x2x3-board rounds give you a six-board match against each team, which can be VPd and match-won awards given.
Sadly, there is no easy way to do Triples - the constraints means that you always need a spare independant triple set which is always placed on Table 3 of the Triple. This triple set is repeatedly used and only needs redealing if you allow a team to play more than once in the Triple. So the fact it was 25-28 and that 25-28 was in play in session 2 is pure coincidence - the 25-28 in the Triple is an entirely different set from the 25-28 in the set of 1-48.
Also your idea of the Triple being from set 1-48 as 25-28, then 29-32, 33-36 is not feasible - it would mean that the team playing on Table 3 (and 2) in the Triple, would know the boards for the next match!!!
The recommended method with 6 x 8 board matches, is to set the Triple set on Table 3 to start at Board 49. This way you can use 49-56 for a long Triple and 49-52, 53-56 for a short Triple.
So you havent actually made a mistake in the setup - its just confusing using a Triple set that is in between the range of your normal set of boards. Hope that helps
Also, although we run Australians mostly these days, it is MUCH easier to manage the Triple in UK Swiss Teams. In Australian, you have to keep a note of the tables in the Triple, 'tell players not to start yet', and swap the Bridgemates and boards at the tables which can be placed anywhere in the room. With UK the Triple is always at the highest 3 tables so you can get the 3 teams to move there and have much closer control over the Bridgemates which are always kept there, and Boards for the Triple. So in your example, Tables 4 - 6 are used.