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Schedule FAQs
Below are some of the more frequently asked questions about customizing OOTP schedules:

  1. How do I load these schedules in game?
  2. Where do I put these schedules?
  3. What if I don't like any of the schedules that come with OOTP?
  4. Is there an easy way to get the correct schedule for my league configuration?
  5. I selected a single-league schedule, yet there is an All-Star Game day shown in the file. Why is that?
  6. I found a schedule I like but it does not have an All-Star break in the file. What do I do?
  7. I found a schedule I like but the configuration is a little different. Can I still use this?
  8. I found a schedule I like, but I want the dates of the schedule to start a little earlier/later than the schedule in the file. Can I do this?
  9. I want my season to start on a certain date each year and not the same day of week, how is this done?
  10. In game, I set the schedule to start on Wednesday, but when I start my season, I see it is Monday. What is going on?
  11. Can these schedules be used for leagues that have over 40 teams?
  12. I load the schedule, but I get an error that the schedule does not match my league?
  13. Are these schedules set up for regional travel?
  14. Can I change the order of how the teams play each other yearly?
How do I load these schedules in game?
To load an OOTP schedule file, just follow the instructions in the in-game Schedule Editor section of the online manual.

Where do I put these schedules?
Schedule files can be stored anywhere on your computer, but if you want OOTP to automatically load the files, they must be placed in the dataschedules directory within your OOTP installation.

What if I don't like any of the schedules that come with OOTP?
If none of the schedules suit your needs, you can create you own, or you could visit our forums and request a custom schedule from one of the fantastic schedule makers on the boards.

Is there an easy way to get the correct schedule for my league configuration?
If you're the sort who is very finicky about your schedule, one suggestion is to design your league on paper before creating it. Then, you can go into the dataschedules directory and see if there is a file that matches your league configuration. This would allow you to verify that there is a schedule that can fit your league before you get started.

I selected a single-league schedule, yet there is an All-Star Game day shown in the file. Why is that?
OOTP allows you to load a schedule by subleague if you wish, so All-Star Games are included in case the schedule is used by two separate subleagues. In a single league, you can ignore this because OOTP will not schedule an All-Star Game if only one subleague exists.

I found a schedule I like but it does not have an All-Star break in the file. What do I do?
You can schedule one in the game, but be cautious. This will move the games after this day down in the schedule and you may find games schedule for off-days that should have games scheduled. You could also open the schedule file, find the point you want your All-Star break, and add 7 to the day of all records after this point. This will give you a week break and allow the games to be played on the same day of the week after the break as defined on the original schedule.

I found a schedule I like but the configuration is a little different. Can I still use this?
Maybe. If the schedule you like has all the teams playing the same number of games against each other, but is set up for one or two divisions, and you want 3 or 4 divisions, you would simply need to change the file name and the tags in the file. For example, if you have a file that has 10 teams in one division playing each opponent 18 times for 162 games balanced, you could change the internal tag from this: ILN_BGY_G162_SL1_D1_T10_SL2_D1_T10_c to something like this: ILN_BGY_G162_SL1_D1_T6_D2_T4_SL2_D1_T6_D2_T4_c. Be careful, though, because you will get really weird schedules if you change it in reverse: multiple divisions to single if the schedule is unbalanced.

I found a schedule I like, but I want the dates of the schedule to start a little earlier/later than the schedule in the file. Can I do this?
Yes, but be cautious. You have a few options: if you only want the season to start on a different day of week then simply change the day of week to another day and the schedule will start on that day, but it will change the offset for the off days and All-Star break. If you want to change the date, but keep the schedule on the same day of week format, this can be done by changing the start day and start month. Please use for the start day the one of the following: 1, 8, 15, 22 or 29. This will represent the week number (1-5) and the league would start the next DAY_OF_WEEK as you requested in the file.

I want my season to start on a certain date each year and not the same day of week, how is this done?
In the file, change the start month and start day to the date you want the league to start. Delete the line that says DAY_OF_WEEK or change the value to 0.

In game, I set the schedule to start on Wednesday, but when I start my season, I see it is Monday. What is going on?
Check the file and see what the value in the DAY_OF_WEEK is. If it is "2", change it to "4", to start on Wednesday. The file loaded will ALWAYS override the values on the in game setup.

Can these schedules be used for leagues that have over 40 teams?
This can be done with a little work. You could load a schedule by sub-league and then load it again for the other sub-league. You just have to make sure that the structure is valid in the file. If you have the number of teams correct you can remove the SL2 tag in the file and renumber the divisions and you can load almost any schedule into the game with no problems.

I load the schedule, but I get an error that the schedule does not match my league?
You need to make sure that the divisions match the schedule exactly, and that the balanced schedule option is not selected in game if the tag in the file reads BGN.

Are these schedules set up for regional travel?
No. The schedules only know team numbers. You could get unexpected scheduling results like a road schedule of Boston, Texas, Seattle, and New York, played in that sequence for a 12 game road trip.

Can I change the order of how the teams play each other yearly?
The game will automatically do this for you, but you can easily edit the file. You can change the home and away columns, or simply change the order by going into an editor and replace all the home=1,2,3 tags with home=A,B,C and then just do the reverse, setting each of the alpha settings to a new home team number, then just do the same with the road tags. Make sure that you use the same value for home and road, though