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Fair rotation: who sits out, and why partners should change

Players judge a club night on two things: how much they got to play, and whether the games were close. Both come down to how you rotate.

Share out sitting out

When there are more players than places, someone sits out. It feels fair when everyone takes a turn. It feels unfair when it is always the same people: the last to arrive, the newest members, or the ones who never complain.

• Count over the season, not just tonight. A player who sat out twice last week should not be first in line again this week.
• Keep two cases apart. A player you asked to sit out has had a turn. A player who chose to take a break or go home early has not.
• Say how you choose. A rule everyone knows, such as "whoever has sat out least plays", ends the discussion before it starts.

Why partners should change

If two players always play together, the evening turns into a night of fixed teams. Changing partners every round is better in three ways:

• It is more social. New members get to play with everyone, not only with the friends they came with.
• It is better training. Most of club doubles is about playing well with the partner you have been given.
• It shows each player's level. If a pair always plays together, a win says nothing about which of the two is stronger. When partners change, each player's own level shows over time.

The same goes for opponents. Meeting the same two people three times in one evening gets dull, even when the games are close.

Even sides, not random ones

Fair is not the same as random. When the two sides of a court are about equally strong, the game is close, and close games are the ones people remember. A random draw often gives one-sided games. Mixed levels on one court work well, as long as the two sides are about equally strong in total.

Some pairs need a rule

Some players should not be partners, or should not play against each other. Others want to play together, for example to train for a tournament. Write these down, but treat them as strong wishes, not fixed rules. With few players, keeping every rule can mean leaving a court empty.

How ShuttlePilot does it

• Even sides, few repeats. For each round, the app looks for the layout where the two sides of every court are closest in level. Repeats from the same evening count against a layout: partners who have already played together, opponents who have already met, and the same four players on one court again. Playing with the same partner again counts as much as a 50-point gap in rating between the two sides, so the app will accept a somewhat less even court to give someone a new partner. These are costs, not rules: with few players, repeats still happen.
• The gap is shown. Each planned court shows the difference between its two sides (Δ) before anyone goes on court.
• You decide who sits out. Each player shows "sat out 2 of 8" or similar, counted over all the club's sessions. The players who have sat out least are listed first, and the app can suggest who should sit out. Rounds a player missed by leaving early do not count, unless the club turns that on.
• The extra court is shared. When the numbers do not divide by four, the app tries to give the singles match or rotation to different players each round.
• Pair rules. You can ask for two players to be partners, not to be partners, or not to face each other. They are strong wishes, not guarantees.