How to manage equal playing time in Football (Soccer)

Equal Playing time Equation example:
Total number of Minutes available (game length x total positions)
50mins x 7 positions = 350 mins
350 minus the Goalkeepers minutes (350-50) = 300 mins
300 divided by the total number of available players (10).
300 divide by 10 = 30.
Each outfield player will play 30 minutes of the game.
All squad numbers are including not including Goalkeepers in minutes or team numbers Example: 5 A SIDE - 5 Players (Goalkeeper Plus 5 Players) = 32 Minutes each
5 A SIDE: (40-Minute Game)
5 Players (1 Sub) - 32 Mins each
6 Players (2 Subs) - 27 Mins each
7 Players (3 Subs) - 23 Mins each
8 Players (4 Subs) - 20 Mins each
7 A SIDE: (50-Minute Game)
7 Players (1 Sub) - 43 Mins each
8 Players (2 Subs) - 37.5 Mins each
9 Players (3 Subs) - 33 Mins each
10 Players (4 Subs) - 30 Mins each
11 Players (5 Subs) 27 Mins each
9 A SIDE: (60-Minute Game)
9 Players (1 Sub) - 53 minutes each
10 Players (2 Subs) - 48 minutes each
11 Players ( 3 Subs) - 43 minutes each
12 Players - (4 Subs) - 40 Minutes each
11 A SIDE: (80-Minute Game)
11 Players (1 Sub) - 73 minutes each
12 Players (2 Subs) - 66 minutes each
13 Players (3 Subs)- 61minutes each
14 Players (4 Subs) - 57 minutes each
15 Players (5 Subs) - 53 minutes each

[@garryclark6551]

Great glad to see i have been doing this roght. I have been doing this for 15 years on a spread sheet at development level. It works and it's great. Only problem is when a player calls off at late notice and you call in a replacement, you need to manage that, as parents are obsessed with game time 😂 and accusations of favouritism

[@andrecandeias6534]

Great job, congratulations for tbe channel and keep the good work 👍 What age group do you think we should stop equal play time? That's a suggestion for another video as well. Thanks

[@evcricket]

Well you timed this video perfectly. Thanks

[@CatalanSoccer]

Haha! Read your mind huh? 😂

[@razorg4421]

Great effort mate but truth is you're fighting losing battle ha ha

[@adammathias886]

Wouldn’t you also need a rate of substitutions? Like substituting ever 7 minutes?

[@alexamerman5357]

Love the concept,trying to explain to my parents is difficult

[@davidmartin790]

Don't talk to parents 😊

[@antoniolizaola4164]

Ok as a coach how do I keep control of time when you’re coaching the game

[@3dvirge763]

Did you try the mobile app Coach Amigo. Ik has a substitutions time module for during the match

[@leedshuaren]

Who said maths isn't useful in real life

[@hulaballoo9802]

Great idea but this is how clubs loose their best players by playing players that aren’t near the same level on the same time as better players.

[@premsworldfamily6616]

hi for u7 teams what would you say 7 children in a team more than enough? as my sons current coach is trying to add his friends son which would increase it to 8 players. This means my son loses 3 minutes of game time per game....just like to know peoples opinion would you give your childs minutes? or do you think its fair?

[@CatalanSoccer]

8 is fine for a squad size, it helps to have extra players available to cover injuries and absences etc. but for a match day 7 players is more than enough players for 4 outfield positions

[@guyanagold4869]

What age group do you feel equal game time should morph into fair game time? Another suggestion for you on getting your kids more game time. Why not play the 60 minute game. Then play an extra 20 minute development game with the same opponent? In this 20 minute game where scores don’t count in league you can try players in new positions

[@CatalanSoccer]

Be careful with extended or extra games. FA rules state kids should play a maximum number of minutes in a day. It’s very silly when you think how much kids can run around at school with their friends, but some people might not be happy with you doing it! For me, fair game time should be implemented at 11 a side once games are more competitive. But each to their own I guess 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@guyanagold4869]

@@CatalanSoccer in u12’s. Limit is 80 minutes per game. 120 minutes for a tournament. What i do doesn’t take kids past this limit. By playing equal game time in 60 minute league game & a 20 minute development game. You go from kids playing 40 minutes with 12 outfield players. To 53 minutes with 12 outfield players. Its also an opportunity to get your keeper outfield & improve their footwork. I do this with my u7’s. I often get them close to a full game every week. Over the season it sees a massive improvement

[@guyanagold4869]

I also use this to try kids in their least favourite positions in my u12’s team. I coach girls u12’s as well. They’re more resistant to new positions than boys. They get embarrassed by a mistake. In development games they’re more open to trying new things

[@CatalanSoccer]

Ah perfect! Sounds like you’ve done your homework! Like I said, strange rules when kids can play for hours in the garden/playground!

[@jameslloyd8728]

I wish our coach did equal play time

[@watchmen-nehemiah4v20]

My best player on a jr. High team is going to start game on the bench. When he goes out onto the pitch I will give him 5 minutes on and will then pull him out for the rest of the game. We may lose because of this decision as he is very skilled. This is called an attitude adjustment required that he worked hard for. Prior to the match, I will announce "not everyone is going to get even playing time today" . He has identified his other club team ( in front of other players lol ) as his "real" team. Also said to me that he doesnt give 100% for this team. Coaching soccer is exciting sometimes.

[@kakusei3672]

So your punishing your best player because he doesn't like your coaching structure. Who's the child here.

[@watchmen-nehemiah4v20]

@@kakusei3672 He is benched because he has chosen to not practice with effort. He is benched for being a bad influence on his teammates. He is benched because of not caring about being a team player. Team has begun playing better without him with much greater effort and more as a unit. His Dad pulled him off of our team after I discussed with him how his son refuses to work hard during practices.

[@watchmen-nehemiah4v20]

@@kakusei3672 He is benched for not working or trying hard in practices and for being a poor example to the other guys ( a bad apple ). He can dislike whatever he wants but there is no room for compromise on practicing with full effort.

[@kakusei3672]

@@watchmen-nehemiah4v20 sounds like he enjoys club soccer over HS soccer. I wonder why.

[@StinkyWizzleTits]

Sorry for a silly question but how do you implement equal play time during the game? Working out play time is one thing but keeping track of play time during a game is another. Noob coach here ;)

[@CatalanSoccer]

Try the app Subtime - great way to track your players minutes!

[@StinkyWizzleTits]

Awsome! Thank you ill check it out.@@CatalanSoccer

[@StinkyWizzleTits]

Testing it now. What a great app!

[@cynthiaspreckelsen2436]

I just moved from u11 to u12 ,only get 5 substitutions for entire game In our league and I have 15 kids on roster how do I calculate to attempt to make it fair

[@CatalanSoccer]

Use a rota system to ask 1 kid to miss a week. Over 15 weeks every kid will play 14 weeks and miss one each

[@snazzyd8866]

@@CatalanSoccer On top of that, I'd ask the one kid who is sitting out each week to watch from the sidelines with a clipboard, taking note of the things the team did right and where they strayed from the fundamentals.

[@arohamid]

I go Catalan Soccer and my coach is Sam and I’m Aro I go on Wednesdays