1. Decide what “fair” means for your team
The FA’s Grassroots Code asks adults in youth football to strive to give fair playing time to all children. That principle still needs a practical team definition: the relevant age group, competition rules, club policy and the children’s experience all matter.
Fairness is easier to explain when the coach states the approach before selection decisions become contentious. Avoid guaranteeing exact minutes that real match conditions may make impossible.
2. Weigh the benefits and trade-offs openly
| Potential benefit | Practical trade-off | Coach response |
|---|---|---|
| More children receive meaningful match involvement. | Identical minutes may be difficult when periods stop at different times. | Plan in periods and record actual changes. |
| Players experience different roles and football problems. | Constant movement can remove useful role continuity. | Change a small number of roles at a time. |
| Selection feels less dependent on current ability. | Different attendance patterns can make season totals uneven. | Review attendance and playing time separately. |
| Parents and players can understand a visible principle. | A rigid promise may conflict with local rules or an unexpected match event. | Explain the principle and the permitted exceptions. |
| Coaches are less likely to rely on memory or the scoreline. | Tracking can become an end in itself. | Use the record to support judgement, not replace it. |
3. Review the match and the season separately
One match can show who started, rested and returned. A longer review can reveal repeated patterns: the same player starting every game, one child spending most of their time in goal, or late substitutions that looked fair on paper but produced little involvement.
- Before the match, write each player’s planned periods and roles.
- During the match, record material changes to the plan.
- After the match, compare planned and actual involvement.
- Every few fixtures, look for repeated starting, resting, goalkeeper and positional patterns.
- Ask age-appropriate football questions so players can describe their experience.
4. Handle exceptions without hiding the principle
- Confirm competition and club policy before setting expectations.
- Separate availability and punctuality from playing-time records.
- Do not use medical, welfare, behavioural or safeguarding information as app notes.
- Explain football decisions calmly without discussing another child’s information.
- Correct an accidental imbalance in future planning instead of pretending it did not happen.
- Escalate non-football concerns through the club’s approved process.
Printable fair playing-time decision sheet
- Our team’s playing-time principle is written in plain language.
- League, competition and club expectations are confirmed.
- All available players have a planned start, rest and return point.
- Goalkeeper and less familiar roles are included in the fairness review.
- Actual changes will be recorded when they differ from the plan.
- Match fairness and longer-term patterns will be reviewed separately.
- Players have an age-appropriate opportunity to be heard.
- Parents know how to ask a question through the agreed route.
How Grassroots Coach can help
The Teamsheet Builder can make starting positions, bench cover and period-by-period rotations visible before kick-off. Match records and squad views can help a coach compare planned and recorded participation over time. The app does not decide what is fair or guarantee equal minutes.
Official sources
Rules-dependent guidance was checked against these primary sources. Confirm the latest FA, league and County FA position before delivery.
- The Grassroots Code for adults in youth footballThe Football Association · checked 20 July 2026 · review by 20 January 2027
- Listening to children guidanceEngland Football · checked 20 July 2026 · review by 20 January 2027
Keep the plan and the football record together.
See the relevant Grassroots Coach workflow, or return to the Coaching Resources hub for another practical guide.