Article 11.8.5 of the CBA addresses the process for rotating strings:

Except for titled chairs, non-substitute section strings shall revolve using the "bicycle chain" method which  operates in the following pattern: The first non-titled player in the section sitting outside second stand moves  to inside second stand. The inside second stand player moves to inside third stand. The inside third stand  player moves to inside fourth stand. The inside fourth stand player moves to outside fourth stand. The outside  fourth stand player moves to outside third stand. The outside third stand player moves to outside second  stand. 

This system shall only include probationary and tenured members of the section. All substitute musicians,  except for those substituting in any titled chair, shall not participate in the revolving string pattern. 

Prior to the first series of a season, the string rotation for all series is created. The “bicycle chain” looks like this:

A season rotational chart for the first violins looks like this for the first four series:

Note: musicians are represented by letters, and those letters move from series to series. Seating numbers never change, however.

When a rostered musician declines a series, he/she is moved up by seating number–not by bicycle chain. In this case, musicians A and F have declined the series:

Remaining musicians are moved up by seat number, not by bicycle rotation:

Seats 9 and 10 will be filled by substitute musicians.

Importantly, the rotation set at the start of the season never changes during a program year, unless there are new hires or a resignation. If a player was moved up because of an absence, that player may find him/herself in the exact same seat during the following series.

The 2023-2026 CBA notes that, with some exceptions, violinists are not assigned specific sections, playing in both the first and second violin sections. This adds a layer of complexity to the process, and we are still developing a system for fully implementing this process equitably.

It is important to understand that, once the rotation is set prior to the start of a season, it remains in place for the entire season. In the case of an absence, a section violinist will move up by seating number within the section and will never move from, say, violin 1 to violin 2.