Unlike in a pairings bid group, when awarding a reserve block the N-PBS Scheduler does not perform any optimization, such as substitution, swapping, or shuffling, nor does the N-PBS Scheduler enter denial mode. However, Coverage Awards may occur to ensure proper coverage. The N-PBS Scheduler tries to give people a reserve block that attempts to honor as many reserve bid preferences as possible.
When the N-PBS Scheduler starts processing a Reserve bid group, it reads the first line Start Reserve and checks to see if a legal reserve line can be built. Then if possible, a legal reserve block is built.
The N-PBS Scheduler reads the first bid preference then attempts to build a reserve schedule honoring this bid preference.
The N-PBS Scheduler will read all subsequent bid preferences, in order from top to bottom, and attempts to build a reserve block honoring as many of these preferences as possible keeping any preferences already honored.
For example, if the first bid preference is honored, but the first and second together cannot be honored, the second preference is denied and the N-PBS Scheduler reads the third preference and attempts to honor preference 1 and 3. This process is continued until all bid preferences have been attempted.
This type of processing awards the best possible Reserve block using the bid preferences provided by the bidder.