Equal playing time in junior football: what the rules say

The MiniRoos playing formats say the same thing in their own words:

Equal playing time should be a priority ensuring all players regardless of age, gender and/or ability get to take the field.MiniRoos National Playing Formats, Football Australia

The template allows exceptions for injury, poor attitude or a breach of the code of conduct, and time lost that way is not made up in later games. State federations can add their own guidance. Football Victoria's MiniRoos guidelines say that, ideally, all players receive equal game time “either on a weekly basis, or over the course of the season.”

Minutes each = players on the field × match length ÷ squad size. This assumes everyone, the keeper included, rotates, which is what the template asks for at MiniRoos ages.

When the numbers don't divide evenly, some players get a minute more than others. Swap who gets the extra minute from week to week so it evens out over the season.

• Plan the changes before kick-off. Write down who comes on for whom and when, so you are not counting minutes from the sideline.
• Use rolling subs. MiniRoos lets players come off and go back on at any time, so you can change every few minutes instead of only at half-time.
• Rotate the starters. Starting on the bench is easier to take when everyone does it in turn.
• Share the goalkeeper. At MiniRoos ages the template has players take turns in goal too, so give the keeper minutes in the plan like everyone else.
• Tell the parents. Sharing the plan in the team chat before the game heads off most questions about minutes.

The equal playing time calculator does the counting: pick the format, the halves and the squad, and it gives a minute-by-minute substitution list and each player's total. The MiniRoos rules by age guide has the match lengths for each age group.