No Chart, Multiple Elimination Racing
Drawing Procedures
by Stan Pope, Morton, IL
a Volunteer Scouter for W. D. Boyce Council, BSA, Peoria, IL
Summary
In the context of No-Chart Multiple Elimination racing, heat pairings can be tricky. This page describes a variety of schemes to accomplish heat pairings.
Here are the criteria of concern:
- The number of byes in a score-group's racing during one round must be less than the number of lanes being used.
- Avoid more than one bye per heat.
- To the extent practical, minimize the effect of the queue sequence on the heat pairings. ("Queue sequence" is the order, i.e. sequence, of the participants in a score group that are yet to race in the current round.)
- Assign racing lanes and heat pairings "by lot", i.e. randomly.
- Since there is a small advantage to being at tail end of the line, avoid having the same people among the last few repeatedly.
The "Simple" methods make no attempt to further mix the queue. They just assure that the "bye" rules are satisfied.
The "A", "B" and "C" methods are slightly more complicated, but they do a better job of mixing the queue sequence by including more participants in each draw. The "B" method is somewhat superior to "A". The "C" method is superior to "B" in that it both mixes the line and decreases the "end of line advantage" effect!
"2-Lane Method C" or "3-Lane Method C" is recommended.
2-Lane Simple
- Applicability:
- 2 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Two: "Lane 1", "Lane 2"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 2 or more racers remain in the group, have the next two draw and race in the lane drawn.
-
If 1 racer remain in the group, he draws and races alone in the lane drawn.
Table form, 2-Lane Simple
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 3 or more | All | Next 2 | 2 | 2 less
|
| 2 | All | 2 | 2 | 0
|
| 1 | All | 1 | 1 | 0
|
2-Lane Method A
- Applicability:
- 2 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Three: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Next Heat"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 3 or more racers remain in the group, have the first three each draw a token. The one who draws "Next Heat" returns to the front of the queue to be in the next drawing; each who drew a number races in the lane drawn.
-
If 2 or 1 racers remain in the group, remove the "Next Heat" token, and have each of them draw a token. They race in the lane drawn.
Table form, 2-Lane Method A
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Next Heat"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 5 or more | All | Next 3 | 2 | 2 less
|
| 4 | All | Next 3 | 2 | 2
|
| 3 | All | All 3 | 2 | 1
|
| 2 | Remove "Next Heat" | 2 | 2 | 0
|
| 1 | Remove "Next Heat" | 1 | 1 | 0
|
2-Lane Method B
- Applicability:
- 2 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Four: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Next Heat", "Next Heat"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 3 or more racers remain in the group, have the first four (or three, only three are left) each draw a token. Those who draw "Next Heat" return to the front of the queue to be in the next drawing; each who drew a number races in the lane drawn.
-
If 2 or 1 racers remain in the group, remove the "Next Heat" tokens, and have each of them draw a token. They race in the lane drawn.
Table form, 2-Lane Method B
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Next Heat", "Next Heat"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 5 or more | All | Next 4 | 2 | 2 less
|
| 4 | All | All 4 | 2 | 2
|
| 3 | All | All 3 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2
|
| 2 | Remove both "Next Heat" | 2 | 2 | 0
|
| 1 | Remove both "Next Heat" | 1 | 1 | 0
|
2-Lane Method C
- Applicability:
- 2 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Four: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "End of Line", "End of Line"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 3 or more racers remain in the group, have the first four (or three, only three are left) each draw a token. Those who draw "End of Line" return to the end of the queue; each who drew a number races in the lane drawn.
-
If 2 or 1 racers remain in the group, remove the "End of Line" tokens, and have each of them draw a token. They race in the lane drawn.
Table form, 2-Lane Method C
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "End of Line", "End of Line"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 5 or more | All | Next 4 | 2 | 2 less
|
| 4 | All | All 4 | 2 | 2
|
| 3 | All | All 3 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2
|
| 2 | Remove both "End of Line" | 2 | 2 | 0
|
| 1 | Remove both "End of Line" | 1 | 1 | 0
|
3-Lane Simple
- Applicability:
- 3 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Three: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 5 or more racers remain in the group, have the next three each draw a token and race in the lane drawn.
-
If 4 racers remain in the group, have the next two each draw a token and race in the lane drawn.
-
If 2 or 3 racers remain in the group, have each of them draw a token. They race in the lane drawn.
-
If 1 racer remains in the group, and others from the group have just raced, then you messed up! It will not happen if the rules above are followed.
Table form, 3-Lane Simple
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 6 or more | All | Next 3 | 3 | 3 less
|
| 5 | All | Next 3 | 3 | 2
|
| 4 | All | Next 2 | 2 | 2
|
| 3 | All | 3 | 3 | 0
|
| 2 | All | 2 | 2 | 0
|
| 1 | All | 1 | 1 | 0
|
3-Lane Method A
- Applicability:
- 3 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Four: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3", "Next Heat"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 6 or more racers remain in the group, have the first four each draw a token. The racer who draws "Next Heat" returns to the front of the queue to be in the next drawing; the other three race in the lane drawn.
-
If 5 racers remain in the group, have the first three each draw a token. If one of them draws "Next Heat" he returns to the front of the queue to be in the next drawing; each who drew a number races in the lane drawn.
-
If 4 racers remain in the group, have the racers draw until 2 "lane number" tokens have been drawn. Those, if any, who draw "Next Heat" return to the queue, the others race in the lane drawn.
-
If 1, 2 or 3 racers remain in the group, Remove the "Next Heat" token and have each of them draw a token. They race in the lane drawn.
Note: If 1 racer remains in the group, and others from the group have just raced, then you messed up! It will not happen if the rules above are followed.
Table form, 3-Lane Method A
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3", "Next Heat"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 6 or more | All | Next 4 | 3 | 3 less
|
| 5 | All | Next 3 | 2 or3 | 2 or 3
|
| 4 | All | All until two lane number tokens drawn | 2 | 2
|
| 1, 2, or 3 | Remove "Next Heat" | All | All | 0
|
3-Lane Method B
- Applicability:
- 3 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Five: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3", "Next Heat", "Next Heat"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 5 or more racers remain in the group, have the first five each draw a token. The racers who draw "Next Heat" return to the front of the queue to be in the next drawing; the other three race in the lane drawn.
-
If 4 racers remain in the group, have the racers draw until 2 "lane number" tokens have been drawn. Those, if any, who draw "Next Heat" return to the queue, the others race in the lane drawn.
-
If 1, 2 or 3 racers remain in the group, remove both "Next Heat" tokens and have each of the remaining participants draw. They race in the lane drawn.
Note: if 1 racer remains in the group, and others from the group have just raced, then you messed up! It will not happen if the rules above are followed.
Table form, 3-Lane Method B
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3", "Next Heat", "Next Heat"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 5 or more | All | Next 5 | 3 | 3 less
|
| 4 | All | All until two lane number tokens drawn | 2 | 2
|
| 1, 2 or 3 | Remove both "Next Heat" | All | All | 0
|
3-Lane Method C
- Applicability:
- 3 Lanes
- Tokens:
- Five: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3", "End of Line", "End of Line"
- Drawing Rules:
- Apply the following rules at each draw:
-
If 5 or more racers remain in the group, have the first five each draw a token. The racers who draw "End of Line" return to the back of the queue; the other three race in the lane drawn.
-
If 4 racers remain in the group, have the racers draw until 2 "lane number" tokens have been drawn. Those, if any, who draw "End of Line" go the the back of the queue; the others race in the lane drawn.
-
If 1, 2 or 3 racers remain in the group, remove both "End of Line" tokens and have each of the remaining participants draw. They race in the lane drawn.
Note: if 1 racer remains in the group, and others from the group have just raced, then you messed up! It will not happen if the rules above are followed.
Table form, 3-Lane Method C
(Tokens: "Lane 1", "Lane 2", "Lane 3", "End of Line", "End of Line"):
Number
Remaining | Tokens
in Draw | How Many
Draw | Number in
This Heat | Number in Line
After This Heat
|
|---|
| 5 or more | All | Next 5 | 3 | 3 less
|
| 4 | All | All until two lane number tokens drawn | 2 | 2
|
| 3, 2 or 1 | Remove both "End of Line" | All | All | 0
|
N-Elim is not recommended for more than 3 at a time because of the complexity of "end of group" pairing.
No Chart N-Elimination Racing
Latest update: 4/2/2010 - Refine A and B methods, Add preferred C method.
Original printing: 8/28/99
Copyright © 1999, 2010 by Stan Pope. All rights reserved.