From: jawebb@hydra.unm.edu (James Webb)
Subject: Scheduling Format
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 15:03:52 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

		Figuring the 1992 NFL Schedule
		------------------------------

	As soon as the final game of the 1991 NFL regular season
(Chicago at San Francisco on December 23) has been completed, it
will be possible to determine the 1992 opponents of the 28 teams.

	At the March, 1990, Owner's Meeting, the NFL announced it will
play its 16-game schedule over 17 weeks in 1990 and 1991, and a 16-game
schedule over 18 weeks in 1992 and 1993.

	The 16-over-17 format provided each team one open weekend.  The
16-over-18 format will provide each team with two open weekends.

	Each 1992 team schedule is based on a "common opponent" formula
initiated for the 1978 season and most recently modified in 1987.  Under
the common opponent format, the first- through fourth- place teams in a
division play at least 12 of their 16 games the following season against
common opponents, and the fifth-place team in the division plays at
least 10 common opponent games.  It is not a position scheduling format
in which the strong play the strong and the weak play the weak.

	For years, the NFL had been seeking a more easily understood and
balanced schedule that would provide both competitive equality and a
variety of opponents.  Under the old rotation scheduling system in
effect from 1970-77, non-division opponents were determined by a pre-set
formula.  This often resulted in competitive imbalances.

	With common opponents as the basis for scheduling, a more
competitive and equitable method of determining division champions and
postseason playoff representatives has developed.  Teams battling for a
division title are playing at least 75 percent of their games gainst
common opponents.

	In 1987, NFL owners passed a bylaw proposal designed to modify
the common opponent scheduling format in the hopes of creating even more
equity.  Since then, the pairings with non-division opponents have been:

				Pairings in
	Prior Year's		Non-Division
	   Finish		Games Within		Previous Pairings
	in Division		Conference		     1978-86
	-----------		------------		-----------------
	     1			  1-1-2-3		     1-1-4-4
	     2			  1-2-3-4		     2-2-3-3
	     3			  1-3-3-4		     2-2-3-3
	     4			  2-3-4-4		     1-1-4-4

	Under the common opponent format, schedules of any NFL team are
figured according to one of the following three formulas. (The reference
point for the figuring is the team's final division standing.  Ties for
a position in divisions are broken according to the tie-breaking
procedures of the NFL.  The chart on the following page is included for
use as you go through each step.)

A. First- through fourth-place teams in a five-team division (AFC East,
   AFC West, NFC East, NFC Central).

	1) Home-and-home round-robin within the division (8 games).

	2) One game each with the first- through fourth-place teams in a
	   division of the other conference (4 games).  In 1992, the AFC
	   East will play the NFC West, the AFC Central will play the
	   NFC Central, and the AFC West will play the NFC East.

	3) The first-place team plays the first-place teams in the other
	   divisions within the conference plus a second- and
	   third-place team within the conference.  The second-place
	   team plays the second-place teams in the other divisions
	   within the conference plus a first- and a fourth-place team
	   within the conference.  The third-place team plays the
	   third-place teams in the other divisions within the conference
	   plus a first- and a fourth-place team within the conference.
	   The fourth-place team plays the fourth-place teams in the
	   other divisions within the conference plus a second- and
	   third-place team within the conference (4 games).

	This completes the 16-game schedule.


B. First- through fourth-place teams in a four-team division (AFC Central,
   NFC West).

	1) Home-and-home round-robin within the division (6 games).

	2) One game with each of the fifth-place teams in the
	   conference (2 games).

	3) The same procedure that is listed in step A2 (4 games).

	4) The same procedure that is listed in step A3 (4 games).

	This completes the 16-game schedule.


C. The fifth-place teams in a division (AFC East, AFC West, NFC East,
   NFC Central).

	1) Home-and-home round-robin within the division (8 games).

	2) One game with each team in the four-team division of the
	   conference (4 games).

	3) A home-and-home with the other fifth-place team in the
	   conference (2 games).

	4) One game each with the fifth-place teams in the other
	   conference (2 games).

	This completes the 16-game schedule.

	The 1992 Opponent Breakdown chart on the following page does not
include the round-robin games within the division.  Those are
automatically scheduled on a home-and-away basis.


			1992 Opponent Breakdown
			-----------------------

        AE                    AC                   AW
     AFC East            AFC Central            AFC West
    Home  Away            Home Away            Home  Away
------------------------------------------------------------
AE1  AW1  AC1         AC1  AE1 AW1         AW1  AC1  AE1
     AC2  AW3              AW2 AE3              AE2  AC3
     --------              AW5 AE5              --------
     NW2  NW1              -------              NE2  NE1
     NW4  NW3              NC2 NC1              NE4  NE3
                           NC4 NC3

AE2  AW2  AC2         AC2  AE2 AW2         AW2  AC2  AE2
     AC4  AW1              AW4 AE1              AE4  AC1
     --------              AE5 AW5              --------
     NW1  NW2              -------              NE1  NE2
     NW3  NW4              NC1 NC2              NE3  NE4
                           NC3 NC4

AE3  AW3  AC3         AC3  AE3 AW3         AW3  AC3  AE3
     AC1  AW4              AW1 AE4              AE1  AC4
     --------              AW5 AE5              --------
     NW2  NW1              -------              NE2  NE1
     NW4  NW3              NC2 NC1              NE4  NE3
                           NC4 NC3

AE4  AW4  AC4         AC4  AE4 AW4         AW4  AC4  AE4
     AC3  AW2              AW3 AE2              AE3  AC2
     --------              AE5 AW5              --------
     NW1  NW2              -------              NE1  NE2
     NW3  NW4              NC1 NC2              NE3  NE4
                           NC3 NC4

AE5  AC1  AC2                              AW5  AC2  AC1
     AC3  AC4                                   AC4  AC3
     AW5  AW5                                   AE5  AE5
     --------                                   --------
     NE5  NC5                                   NC5  NE5


------------------------------------------------------------------------


        NE                    NC                   NW
     NFC East            NFC Central            NFC West
    Home  Away            Home Away            Home  Away
---------------------------------------------------------------
NE1  NC1  NW1         NC1  NW1 NE1         NW1  NE1  NC1
     NW2  NC3              NE2 NW3              NC2  NE3
     --------              -------              NC5  NE5
     AW1  AW2              AC1 AC2              --------
     AW3  AW4              AC3 AC4              AE1  AE2
                                                AE3  AE5

NE2  NC2  NW2         NC2  NW2 NE2         NW2  NE2  NC2
     NW4  NC1              NE4 NW1              NC4  NE1
     --------              -------              NE5  NC5
     AW2  AW1              AC2 AC1              --------
     AW4  AW3              AC4 AC3              AE2  AE1
                                                AE4  AE3

NE3  NC3  NW3         NC3  NW3 NE3         NW3  NE3  NC3
     NW1  NC4              NE1 NW4              NC1  NE4
     --------              -------              NC5  NE5
     AW1  AW2              AC1 AC2              --------
     AW3  AW4              AC3 AC4              AE1  AE2
                                                AE3  AE4

NE4  NC4  NW4         NC4  NW4 NE4         NW4  NE4  NC4
     NW3  NC2              NE3 NW2              NC3  NE2
     --------              -------              NE5  NC5
     AW2  AW1              AC2 AC1              --------
     AW4  AW3              AC4 AC3              AE2  AE1
                                                AE4  AE3

NE5  NW1  NW2	      NC5  NW2 NW1
     NW3  NW4		   NW4 NW3
     NC5  NC5		   NE5 NE5
     --------		   -------
     AW5  AE5		   AE5 AW5