Case study: problem formulation and solution for a real-world sports scheduling problem

This case study paper describes a problem faced every year by the Devon Cricket League in England. Every league match requires two officiating umpires. There are various preferences relating to the deployment of umpires that fall short of being definite constraints. The requirement was to produce a computer system that would allocate umpires in a satisfactory manner without the need for human interaction, since the users of the system will be unqualified amateurs. This necessitated the construction of a very complex objective function, using imprecise and ill-defined information. The biggest challenge was thus one of problem formulation; the solution technique was relatively straightforward. The system has been put into successful use and it is expected that its use will continue indefinitely. The work raises ethical issues regarding work done for customers who are inexperienced amateurs.