A team might lose a powerful incentive to win in a round-robin contest if its final rank does not depend on the outcome of the matches still to be played. The current paper introduces a classification scheme to identify these weakly (where one team is indifferent) or strongly (where both teams are indifferent) stakeless games. The probability of such matches can serve as a novel fairness criterion to compare and evaluate timetabling alternatives. An optimal sequence of games with respect to the proposed metric increases the utility of all stakeholders at almost no price if the scheduling constraints are appropriately defined. Its application is illustrated through the 2021/22 season of the UEFA Champions League. According to our simulation model, the same schedule is optimal across all groups and the option followed in four of the eight groups is the best under a wide set of parameters. Avoiding strongly stakeless matches is verified to be a likely goal in the computer draw of the fixture that remains hidden from the public.

翻译：如果一个球队的最终排名不取决于仍然要比赛的比赛结果,一个球队可能会失去在圆柱比赛中获胜的强大动力。 本文引入了一个分类办法, 以识别这些弱小的( 一个球队漠不关心的)或强势的( 两个球队漠不关心的)无赌博游戏。 这种比赛的概率可以作为一个新的公平标准, 用来比较和评估计时替代方法。 如果适当界定了时间安排限制, 与拟议指标有关的最优游戏顺序几乎可以免费提高所有利益攸关方的效用。 它的应用通过欧洲欧洲足联冠军联盟的2021/22年的赛季加以说明。 根据我们的模拟模型, 所有球队的同一时间表是最佳的, 8个球队中的4个队所遵循的选项在一套广泛的参数下是最好的。 避免高度无赌注的比赛被证实是计算机中隐藏在公众面前的固定装置的一个可能目标。