Can League Master run Pyramid Leagues?
Quite why anyone would want to use this system is beyond us, but they do.

Can League Master run Split Rule Leagues?
A misguided way of trying to keep the top players together?

Can we use a rule system where the top two players in each box move up the same number of boxes?
Not a standard way of doing things and not currently supported.

Is League Master multi-user?
Er, no!

Is the LeagueWeb service independant of the main League Master Program?
You can run League Master without using LeagueWeb, but you can't use LeagueWeb without League Master!

Can I enter the Match Points rather than the Game Score when Entering Results?
A range of error checking and calculations depend on how you enter scores.

Why enter the score at all? Wouldn't it be easier to just add up the points in your head and enter this?
If you have always run your leagues by hand, you might ask this question. Once you started using League Master, you will know the answer!

How does League Master separate players who end up with the same total score?
It has to be done and we have picked as good a way as any.

How are the positions within any box worked out?
Once a new league has been created, why is one player higher up the box than another?

The total scores and results seem to be wrong for a particular player or box?
It could be the program, but it is usually a misunderstanding of your rules.

I am sure that entered a particular score, but the program seems to have changed it?
League Master will do that, but only for good reasons!

The simple answer is no. Since leagues have always been done by hand and with no standard way of doing them, a number of methods have arisen over the years to try and solve what some people see as failings in other methods. Running leagues as a pyramid is one such method used, but the benefits in using it seem questionable. One of the main arguments for it seems to be that you do not end up repeating a match against the same player two periods running. Players not wanting a rematch of a closely fought game? Doesn't seem much of a justification, does it? However, what do you think? Why not tell us?

Well, it was not originally designed to do so, but yes, it is actually quite easy to make it. (A split rule league is one where the players in the top boxes can only move up or down 1 box, but the other players can move up or down 2 or more.) The problem again is much like Pyramid Leagues. Why would you want to do it? The problem arises when you have a few players at the top of the league who are much better than the rest. If someone in Box 1 goes down to Box 3, they may find the matches so easy that although they go straight back up to Box 1 again, they spend a less than exciting period winning easy matches. However, look at it the other way. Someone ends up in Box 1 who will not win a match, but it gives them a chance to play players they would not normally do. Most people relish this opportunity and it might be considered arrogance by the best players not to allow someone this chance!

The simple answer is no. When we were designing League Master, we spoke to many clubs about the way they ran their leagues and saw methods that you would just not believe - some were straight out of an asylum! It was very obvious that there was no 'standard' way of doing job and if we were to cater for every method, we would be programming until the cows came home.

So we sat down with the SRA and tried to work out some basic standards that people could use. By far the most commonly used way for players to move up and down the leagues was where the winner moves up one more box than the second placed player. Not only does it seem fairer that the winner moves up more than the second placed player, but it also means that a player who is only just better than the other players in his box, does not get out of his depth too quickly.

So, assuming there are enough players in the box, you can have the winner going up 1 with second staying where he is, or have the winner going up 2, second going up 1 and third staying where he is.

Give it a try and we bet no one complains for long!

No. Although you can store the data files anywhere you like - locally or on your network - you cannot have two copies of the program accessing the data at once.

Yes, they are completely independant and you can run League Master without any use of the web site display system.

Yes and No. If a player wins 3-1, then this might equate to 6-2 in points, depending upon what scoring rules you use. Some clubs have the players enter these points, so as to be able to add up their points as the league progresses and thereby know their position in the particular box at any time.

While this may appear to be a useful method, it does have three drawbacks:

• When entering the result, a player is unlikely to make a mistake over the actual match score. However, converting the match score to points is one more step and far more likely to create an error - an error that is not as obvious as getting the match score wrong.
• If you decide to try a slightly different scoring system (something that is easy to do with League Master) you are asking for confusion. However, regardless of the scoring system used, the actual match score will always be the same.
• It is generally far more relevant, when looking at other matches, to know that the person you are about to play lost 3-0 against a player you beat. Having to work backwards to discover this result is awkward.

Of course, you can make out similar arguments the other way. So what do you do?
We have designed League Master around entering the actual game score for good reason (see next FAQ) and it is this that must be entered into the Results Entry form. However, you have the option of printing out a results entry report where both games and points can be entered at the same time.

The problem is that while it obviously takes a little longer, it is essential for the following reasons:

• League Master cannot separate players who have the same total unless you enter the individual scores.
• League Master cannot automatically add extra points for a player playing all his matches unless you enter the individual scores.
• League Master cannot check for mistakes unless you enter the individual scores.
• If you wish to display the league results on your web site, you must have entered the data into League Master first.

We are confident that with the keyboard short cuts available and the overall design of the results entry system, you will have no problem adjusting and although it seems like more work, you will end up processing the leagues in a fraction of the time it takes at the moment.

There is basically one main system and then a default situation that catches any that the main system cannot separate. This has been changed since the help file was created and now works as follows:

Once the actual scores have been worked out, they are put into points order. The program looks down the list and finds any groups of players with the same score. It then takes any group it finds, creates a new 'virtual' box with only these players in it and then works out the scores for each player.

A simple example of this is where two players have the same score, but if Player A beat Player B (or won more games in their match), then Player A will be placed above Player B in the results.

This system almost invariably separates the players without any difficulty. However, if two players still have the same score, then it is decided by where they originally were in the box.

Other systems could be added (such as number of actual matches won) but in the end it is a time issue. However, if you have any thoughts, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

The exact way the positions are arrived at is dependent upon the rules used. However, if we use a box with 6 players in as an example, the basic principal will become obvious. In our example, we will also assume that the winner moves up 2 boxes and the second player moves up 1 box.

In this case, any box is made up as follows:

Obviously, people entering or leaving the league will mess this up, but generally this is how it works.

Of course, it does bring up the question of why should Player A, who might have lost all his matches and dropped down two boxes, be placed higher than Player B, who has won all his matches and moved up two? One answer is that prior to this league period, Player A was 4 boxes higher up the league than Player B and is therefore probably the better player. Another answer is that we can't think of a better way of doing it!

It is also worth remembering that even if you won your box and would expect to go up 2 boxes, you could end up going nowhere if a few new people entered the leagues above you.

If you are sure that it is an error by the program, then please send us an email including all the results for the box concerned and a list of the points set in your rules. (Select the particular league in the Current Leagues box, right-click, select Rules and then click on the Points tab.)

However, before you do, please check the following:

• There is a difference between entering 'N' for not playing a match and '0' for not winning any games. N usually get no points, whereas 0 usually gets at least 1. Check your rules.
• Are the actual scores written down valid? For instance, in a given match, did only one player have a score entered against their name? Did you interpret this correctly?
• Have you allocated bonus points for playing all your matches and forgotten to include this when looking at the program results?

League Master goes to some length to stop you entering invalid results and at the same time, help you where possible. All match scores come in pairs and some are valid and some are not. So, a score of 3-2 is valid, as is N-N if the match was not played, but a score of 3-3 is not valid (they cannot both win), nor is N-2 since if one player did not play the match, the other one can't have played either.

If you enter a 2 in one square and then enter N in the matching square (an invalid result), the program will remove the original 2 automatically.

However, by default Auto Fill is turned on (Auto Fill is on the Options menu of the Results Entry form). Auto Fill tries to be even smarter and if you enter an N, W or L, which only have one matching value, it will fill this in for you.

Try entering results with Auto Fill on and off to see which works better for you.