How matches are created

Every match belongs to an event and they are always created in the context of an event. Typically,  if the event has one or more draws then matches are created by the system when the event organiser confirms a draw.

Draw matches

Typical examples of this would be confirming a tournament draw or confirming a set of box draws in a league. On confirmation, every possible match is set up whether the players are known or not (for a normal draw, for example, the finals match would be set up, but the players would not yet be known). This allows the matches to be allocated a court time (a booking) or have other attributes associated with them (e.g. play-by time or annotation of the match round). When a draw is recalled, all matches are cancelled. Recalling a draw is potentially very impactful as it could be changed "shape" dramatically,  not just by, say, a change in the number of players involved, but even in the type of draw (from one that does not have a plate to one that does, for example). So keeping the old matches around could be quite irrelevant.

Apart from when you recall a draw, matches in a draw cannot be deleted. They are set in stone and will remain for ever more. Neither match participants nor event organisers can remove them. All that can be done is to change their state (say from pending to completed). There is an "aborted" state that signals to the system that they will not be played due to one of the players leaving the draw. They can also be scored and they can be court booked.

Friendly matches

There is another kind of event that does not have draws and allows joiners of that event to freely create their own matches. Typically, this is to enable friendly matches. For this kind of event, matches can be removed. Matches are created in a number of situations.

1. When someone books a friendly with another in the Booking Centre. Two things happen here: First a match is created with the two players set as opponents; Second that match is immediately booked into the slot from where this action was called up.
2. When some-one accepts an invitation from another. When an invitation is accepted the court slot is selected at the same time. Again, two things happen: The match is created and the match is then booked.
3. When someone creates a friendly match from My matches. A friendly match can be created with any number of players (supporting doubles match, for example). When this is done the user can select a booking as a consequence (but not as a necessity).

Friendly matches nearly always have a booking. But, as in the 3rd example above, this need not be the case. You could set up a friendly match with some-one and not book it to indicate the intention to play each other but you have not yet decided when. You can also cancel a booking against any match (friendly or draw) and the match will stand. For friendlies you can remove it completely or you could rebook it.

Guest matches

Friendly matches can only be set up by players who are joiners to the "friendlies event". This allows players to "leave" the friendlies so as to be out of the loop for arranging matches and invitations. Whoever sets up a friendly is also one of the players in the friendly. Unless you are an organiser of the event.

Event organisers can set up matches on behalf of other players. There may be a situation where neither player can self-serve and some-one else needs to set the match up and, if necessary, book it. Only event organisers can do this. Matches are created in this way using method 3 above, where any player can be chosen - even members who are not "joiners" of the event.

If, in addition to being the event organiser the user is a club official a completely new user can be set up (i.e. one who has not registered on ManageMyMatch). This would be useful when wanting to set up a match with guests that are visiting a club. For example, an exhibition match. This capability is all within the "create match" window on selecting the "Guest" option for electing the match players.