Jumping packet

A jumping packet is an approach to scheduling packet-submission tournaments in which one particular packet is held in reserve to use in "impossible" matchups where a team would otherwise be playing on its own packet. The packet might be used for 1 or 2 games in each of several rounds.

With some amount of thought about which matchups take place in each round, and a good understanding from teams about not discussing the packet's content, the use of the jumping packet allows for packet-submission tournaments to be scheduled in the same way as non-submission tournaments, reducing or even totally eliminating the need for byes. The production of the extra packet should not be any burden on the editors - since it allows for cutting at least one round from the tournament schedule without reducing the number of games guaranteed to each team, a set with a jumping packet should contain the same number of total rounds as a set produced for a tournament that uses byes instead.

The jumping packet was first used at 2013 ACF Nationals.