How to plan equal playing time (calculating minutes)

Planning ahead for equal playing time is vital to ensuring that players get equal playing team throughout the course of matches and throughout the course of seasons. 

What is equal playing time in football?

We totally accept that equal playing time for each game may not always be possible due to injuries for example, it is also important to state that coaches can aim to achieve equal playing time over the course of season rather than at each specific fixture. This guide is specifically for coaches aiming to give players equal playing time at a specific game which we feel is best for youth players. 

Please see below 2 methods for calculating equal playing time for an upcoming match.

 1. We have a designated Goalkeeper. 

Take your format number so 9v9 as an example, minus the GK leaves 8 outfield positions, multiply that by the length of your game, then divide that figure by how many outfield players you actually have available on the day.

Format number (minus GK) x Match Length ÷ Number of actual outfield players

e.g 9v9, 8 players x 80 Minutes = 640 Minutes ÷ 14 Outfield players = 45 Minutes per player in that specific game

2. We rotate outfield players in goal. 

Take your format number and multiply it by the length of your game, then divide the number by how many players you actually have.  

Format number x Match Length ÷ Number of actual outfield players

e.g 9v9, 9 players x 80 Minutes = 720 Minutes ÷ 14 Outfield players = 51 Minutes per player in that specific game 

Take a look at our player minutes tracker sheet by CLICKING HERE