To Clone or Not to Clone......It's a Question

[D.J.Petrou]

To Clone or Not to Clone???
These are my thoughts after creating many matches from scratch and cloning matches Plus having helped many, many Match directors fix their new or cloned matches.
Is it really quicker and better?
The question keeps coming up about cloning matches. Cloning was instituted for clubs who may run the same match week after week and to give them an easy way to make new matches. The truth is that there are many items in the cloned match that need to be changed (Dates, Time, squads, etc) and if they are not the match will not work correctly.
After years of helping MD’s with match creation and clone problems I decided to put the cloning to the test on the timer and see how much time is saved versus creating new matches.
Here are the screen shots of step for both matches and the results to follow.
Here is the basic cloning process as I do it. Your process may be different.

1. Find the match and clone it.
   

   

2. Here you will have to rename the match along with changing all the dates and anything else that will be different in the match. Do Not forget anything…It’s important.
   

   

3. Now go into the Edit Registration section and modify the Reg form for the cloned match.
   

   

4. After fixing the Reg form Now correct the Squadding info. This pic is basic squads.
   

   

5. Here the squads are named and checked.
   

   
   
   That is the completion of Cloning your match and making sure everything matches for the new match.
   Now onto creating a new match.

6. Create the new match and fill in the creation form. It really is simple and you only have to choose one or two more things than fixing the cloned match. Also if your browser autofills like mine all the club data will be there.
   

   

7. Create the registration form from scratch.
   

   

8. Now create the Squad schedule. It is just a few clicks……
   

   
   
   Well, you are done with creating a new match so lets see what the results are between the two……

The cloning time!

The new match creation time!

Wow, The difference from cloning to creating a new match was only 1 minute and 11 seconds!!!
When I personally look at this and I review all the Customer support I know of in my head, I will be creating new matches and not cloning. It is very easy to skip a date or section in the cloned match and that can cause you problems with registration opening or closing or even when the match is held.
When creating from new you go down the list and create everything you need, it is difficult to skip anything.
An extra minute is a great safety and cheap insurance before you load and make ready for your next match!!!

We also do not recommend that you clone/create matches farther out than 2 months. We definitely do not recommend cloning important higher level matches. (Level II, Area Champs, etc.) OR create matches for a complete year in say “January”
We have found that web site changes on old cloned/created matches can create problems with registration and posting of scores as web site updates are made.

See you on the Scoring Tablet,
D.J.