000151422 001__ 151422 000151422 005__ 20251017144643.0 000151422 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1007/s10479-025-06497-9 000151422 0248_ $$2sideral$$a143059 000151422 037__ $$aART-2025-143059 000151422 041__ $$aeng 000151422 100__ $$aLaliena, Pablo 000151422 245__ $$aDraw procedures for balanced 3-team group rounds in sports competitions 000151422 260__ $$c2025 000151422 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000151422 5203_ $$aWe propose procedures for draws in sports tournaments that will achieve balanced groups of size 3. We start by developing an efficient algorithm that finds all possible balanced groupings; that is, allocations of teams to groups such that the strength of all groups lies between two bounds. The algorithm uses comparison results to discard large sets of unfeasible allocations and backtracking. We then define pot-and-ball draws that randomly pick one of the balanced groupings. Our draw procedures ensure that all groups are of (virtually) identical competitive levels, thereby enhancing the overall fairness and interest of the tournament. 000151422 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2020-116873GB-I00$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/MICINN/TED2021-130702B-I00 000151422 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000151422 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000151422 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-7615-2559$$aLópez, F. Javier$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000151422 7102_ $$12007$$2265$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Métodos Estadísticos$$cÁrea Estadís. Investig. Opera. 000151422 773__ $$g346 (2025), 2065–2092$$pAnn. oper. res.$$tANNALS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH$$x0254-5330 000151422 8564_ $$s603346$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/151422/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000151422 8564_ $$s1414944$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/151422/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000151422 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:151422$$particulos$$pdriver 000151422 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:33:07 000151422 980__ $$aARTICLE