I need a social schedule for 4 teams of 3.

[raj3664]

I think what I need is a social schedule for 4 teams of 3.  Here is what I'm trying to do.  We have 12 teams in a gym playing basketball.  I want to keep 3 teams together each day at a basket.  For example, 1 plays 2; 2 plays 3; 3 plays 1.  But this must be a round robin tournament so every team will end up playing each other.  Can this be done?

[Ian Wakeling]

If I understand correctly, then there is no solution to the problem above.  If you divide 12 teams into 4 groups of three then you can only have four rounds before you need to start repeating pairs of teams that have already met at a basket.  This schedule is an example of four such rounds, also it gives a possible fifth round where you would schedule 4 teams to meet at each of three baskets.  Of course if you want everyone to play everyone else, then this would mean playing all 6 possible matches at each basket in the fifth round.

Alternatively, it would be possible to have an 11 round schedule (4 groups of 3) where every team played each other exactly twice.

Ian.