Use team name syntax when setting up a competition

A default naming convention is defined by specifying a format using one or more substitution patterns.

Simply click on a substitution pattern from the list of all available patterns to have the pattern automatically inserted into the ‘Team name format’ text field, or copy-and-paste or manually type a pattern into the ‘Team name format’ text field.

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You can view the list of all available substitution patterns by clicking on 'Show Patterns'.

What are substitution patterns?

Substitution patterns, as the name suggests, are patterns that are substituted for "real" values by the application when an entry is submitted.

For example, the substitution pattern {{pc--lname}} ("primary contact last name") will be replaced by the value "Smith" for an entry whose primary contact is named "Rita Smith".

Patterns with placeholders

A substitution pattern may contain a placeholder (<?>). You must replace a placeholder with some meaningful value for the substitution pattern to work correctly. A pattern's description will contain instructions on how to correctly replace a placeholder.

For example, the substitution pattern {{plyr:<?>--fname}} ("player first name") expects a player's number or a player's position in place of its placeholder. Therefore, the pattern {{plyr:3--fname}} will be replaced by the value "Gerard" for an entry whose third player is named "Gerard Jones". Similarly, the pattern {{plyr:skip--fname}} will be replaced by the value "Jane" for an entry whose skip is named "Jane Doe".

Combining patterns

Substitution patterns can be combined, and also mixed with static text, to create meaningful team names. For example, the format:

...combines four substitution patterns interspersed with static text to generate team names like:

Fallback replacement

If the application is unable to successfully substitute a pattern with a "real" value, it will use the fallback value ### to perform the substitution. This will typically occur when a pattern requires a value from an entry that the entry is unable to provide. For example, using the pattern {{plyr:lead--fname}} on an entry that doesn't identify its lead; or {{plyr:5--fname}} on an entry that has less than five players.