speelschemas

A speelschema is a plan of matches for a sports competition, listing which teams play each other, when and where. It serves as a map for how a competition unfolds, guiding organizers, teams, fans, broadcasters, and venues. In Dutch contexts the term is speelschema (plural speelschema's).

Typical elements include date and time, home and away teams, venue, round or matchday number, and sometimes broadcast channel, expected attendance, and notes.

Common formats include round-robin leagues (each team faces others home and away), knockout tournaments (single-elimination with brackets), and group-stage formats (teams divided into pools with round-robin within groups). In leagues, fixtures aim to balance travel, fairness, and rest periods. In knockout rounds, draw procedures determine pairings.

Creation uses algorithms or manual planning to satisfy constraints like venue availability, conflicts, travel minimization, and television slots. Updates occur due to postponements, weather, or security concerns; rescheduling may affect subsequent matchdays. Public release usually happens well in advance to support ticketing, travel planning, and broadcasts.

The term is widely used across sports, including football and basketball. In Dutch contexts it is the standard term; in English contexts it is often referred to as a fixture list or schedule. See also: fixture list, schedule, calendar.