Matchday Planner
Equal playing time calculator for grassroots football
Enter your squad's first names, choose your format, match length and shape, and get a fair rotation, a dugout substitution checklist and a printable team sheet.
Match setup
Any length your league, cup or friendly plays — type it in.
4 rotation periods in a 60 minute match.
Build your own shape
1 goalkeeper + 6 outfield = 7 players — matches your format.
Squad
0 available today
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Can play: Centre back, Centre midfield, Striker.
Fair game time, without the Sunday morning maths
Grassroots youth football is built on everyone getting a proper go. In the UK, FA youth guidance expects roughly equal playing time across a season at Under 7 to Under 12, and most league codes of conduct say the same. Doing that in your head on the touchline, with a keeper who never wants to come out of goal and two players arriving late, is where it falls apart.
Type your squad's first names once and this planner remembers them on your phone. Mark who is available today, tap the format and match length your league plays, and you get a period-by-period rotation, a clear "off and on" checklist for the dugout, and the minutes each player finished with.
How the rotation is worked out
- Pure equal minutes — the clock comes first. Every available player rotates on and off evenly, wherever they are needed. Best for Under 7 to Under 10, where players should try every position.
- Position-balanced equal minutes — still aims for equal minutes, but each period is filled by players tagged for those roles, so you never end up with nobody covering the back.
- Goalkeepers — one keeper can play the full match while the outfield minutes are shared, or your keepers can split the shirt and pick up outfield time as well.
- Any match length — 30 minute development fixtures, 4x15 minute quarters, 3x20 minute thirds, a 35 minute tournament group game. Set the total and how often you rotate.
Questions coaches ask
How do I work out equal playing time in youth football?
Multiply the number of players on the pitch by the match length to get the total minutes available, then divide by the number of players available. In a 7v7 game of 60 minutes that is 420 minutes shared between, say, 10 players — 42 minutes each. This planner does the maths and builds the substitution order for you.
Does my goalkeeper have to play the whole match?
No. Choose 'One keeper all match' if you only have one player who will go in goal, and the planner shares the outfield minutes equally between everyone else. Choose 'Keepers share the shirt' and the goalkeeping spot is split between your keepers, with each of them also getting outfield minutes.
Can I use my own formation?
Yes. Pick one of the popular grassroots shapes or use the custom builder to set your own number of defenders, midfielders and attackers. The planner checks your shape adds up to the format you are playing.
What if our league plays quarters or thirds?
Set any total match time your league or tournament uses and choose halves, thirds, quarters or a custom rotation interval such as every 10 minutes. The planner splits the minutes and builds a rotation for each period.
What is the difference between pure equal minutes and position-balanced?
Pure equal minutes rotates everyone evenly and ignores positions, which is ideal for U7 to U10 where players should try every role. Position-balanced still targets equal minutes but fills each period with players tagged for those roles, so you are not left with four attackers and no defenders.
Sort the training session too
Build a full session plan for your next training night — warm up to match, with coaching points and timings — from a library of over 1,000 drills.