The fixture pc has a near-mythical stature in soccer and conjures up photographs of a machine spitting out matches akin to the vidiprinter on a Saturday afternoon.
The truth is a bit more mundane – and complicated – with a complete host of points to cope with.
So, how does it handle to schedule 380 video games, involving 20 groups, and have in mind so many variables?
The Premier League has supplied a helpful perception into the way it all works.
When does the scheduling begin?
The method begins in the beginning of a calendar 12 months with EFL fixtures, worldwide dates and European commitments considered.
The Premier League works with Atos to find out the match days out there for league and FA Cup video games with the 2025-26 marketing campaign seeing 33 weekends and 5 midweek slots out there.
The golf equipment are additionally consulted upfront to find out any particular dates they want to play at house or away because of different occasions being staged at their house floor or work being performed over the summer time that will delay its availability.
Police forces are additionally included within the course of to make sure groups in shut proximity should not at house on the identical day, thus creating staffing points.
This season, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Fulham, Everton and Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United, Newcastle United and Sunderland, are paired and alternate house and away fixtures.
📣 ANNOUNCE 2025/26 PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES 📣
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 18, 2025
Enter the pc…
As soon as the above knowledge has been plugged into the pc, it units to work.
There are 4 fundamental rules the pc tries to observe:
- In any 5 matches there needs to be a break up of three house fixtures and two away; or two house fixtures and three away.
- A workforce won’t ever have greater than two house or away matches in a row and, wherever doable, groups can be house and away both facet of FA Cup ties.
- A membership won’t begin or end the season with two house or two away matches for causes of equity. Across the Christmas interval, if a workforce are at house on the primary spherical of matches after Christmas Day they are going to be away on New Yr’s Day or an equal date.
- The league additionally tries to take care of a Saturday home-away sequence all through the season wherever doable.
