Option for Automated Locking Dates/Time set for Team Matches

This is another request I have made before but am asking again :)

Is it possible to please introduce the OPTION to have automated locking dates for team match challenges.  Whether it be 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, or NO set automated locking date, so both teams have the option to choose which suits and no one has to chase up opponents to say are you ready to lock and then wait and wait til they respond. Also, it will stop the dirty play of teams sneaking in higher rated players and deleting lower rated players AFTER their opponent has locked, which is unethical... 

How many times kokino in the world league has to send out alerts to teams to hurry up and lock, they are late... there are many matches involved in tournaments and many tournaments drag on and on because of late locking... But to me, the more important benefit is that it will stop sneaky/shifty tactics by teams to modify their team's registration after their opponent has locked... especially in tournament games...

And other admins have to spend endless hours chasing up opponents to lock their side, if they can find which admin to chase up...

Another plus is that both teams are fully aware how much time EXACTLY they have to get their team registered and it is perfectly fair as equal time is available for both to do this... none of this sneaky business of taking advantage of extending the time to improve their line up. Automated locking date and time would make it equally fair for both sides.

Thanks...

I think its a good thing to have as an option to lock on a set time. I personally wouldn't use the feature but it would be a good idea for those that would :)

Great ideas!

Yeah this is something that really needs to be done.

I can imagine a few admins wouldn't want to use the feature because they like to play dirty and keep modifying their teams registration AFTER their opponent has locked...

I agree

Team Romania agree

The proposal of deadlines for accepting and starting games have been addressed to chess.com before, however, still not implemented.
I support these parts of your proposal.

But, I don't agree upon the need of disallow teams to get more people onboard or managing the troup setup (it's like in soccer or other team sports, where you always want to get the best ones onboard) to the games as long as their rosters are open for registration. I believe it would be enough if it was possible to define a deadlines for accepting and starting the matches, but that in such cases should it perheps not be possible to locking the rosters manually since they would be locked automatically when the system automatically locking the teams rosters and starting the match(es). So if you set the deadlines for accepting and starting games, then is it no need of locking any rosters....since that will be done automatically when it's time to start the games.

Johan, I am not saying teams can't add or delete players....   just that it shouldn't be done by a team after the other team has locked... it should be done all beforehand a set locking date and time and both sides have exactly the same amount of time and know how much time they have left to get their sides registered properly... I never asked to disallow teams to get more on board.... just not after the other team locked.

This change, along with sending the challenges automatically for World League Matches (according to the pre.defined schedule) has been requested to Chess.com several times and by several means.

At any rate, I completely agree with the proposal (again.. :)) as it would save a lot of management time in tournaments like the world league and would be more fair in any other matches.

Yes, one important element I did neglect to say and meant to was that teams have the option to manually lock BEFORE the automated set date and time, if they so choose...

Agree...But there is no time for ''staff'' to do this

They should make official, national teams long time ago and all other things coming with...

Why there is no time for staff to do this if they have time to introduce other features? Not asking them to drop everything and do it right now, but to try to do it soon as it really will make a lot of people's lives here easier... admins that is... premium members especially :p

This proposal would help automate a regularly occurring process, which would in the long run save everyone time and effort.  But in order to make the process uniform for all teams, won't we need to agree how much lead time is sufficient to get a team together for a match?  I do not have much experience with this.  How much notice of a new challenge is typically given before the lockdown date?

I think for the World League Games tournament games it is usually around 1 week...

I know for the TM Championship Tournament games it is usually 1 week also.

But for all other non tournament team match challenges, that is totally up to the team leaders to decide and agree on.. that is why I suggested there be a range of choices of timeframes to choose from... 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, plus also the option of not having an automated date set, for those who prefer to decide themselves in due course, which I imagine would be the minority. Most would love having equal time, a fairer locking system, and lose the hassles of chasing up opponent's leader to lock, which can take ages sometimes if they don't respond the first time or just aren't around. Seen that happen enough times. So whoever sends the challenge discusses with their opponent what timeframe they should play, except for the tournament games, which they would know to set for 1 week, no need to discuss.

I suggest the time always be 1200 GMT, unless someone else can suggest a better time.

Good idea......

It would be useful... but team matches can be dull if people take too long and no people join

if no people join, you can still cancel the match :)

Good idea.

Robert (Team Poland)