MiniRoos rules by age: players, subs, match length and pitch size

Pitch sizes for 7-a-side and 9-a-side are given as a best size with a smallest and largest allowed, shown in brackets. The 7-a-side penalty area is 5 m deep and 12 m wide, and the 9-a-side one is 10 m deep and 20 m wide. 4-a-side has no penalty area.

MiniRoos uses rolling substitutions: a player who comes off can go back on later, and changes can be made while the ball is in play, as long as the player is off the field before the substitute goes on. The substitutes column above is the most players you can have on the bench.

Players may be rotated on and off the field at any time during the game.MiniRoos National Playing Formats, Football Australia

Football Australia also asks coaches to make equal playing time a priority for every player, whatever their age, gender or ability. The equal playing time guide covers what that means in practice.

• No offside at any MiniRoos age.
• Under 6 and 7: when the ball is restarted from the goal line, the other team drops back to halfway.
• Under 8 to 11: on a goal kick, the other team stays outside the penalty area, 10 m back, until the ball is in play.
• No scores or ladders are published. Football Victoria puts it simply: “No results are recorded in MiniRoos.”

With a full bench, a 9-a-side team of 14 has 9 players on for 50 minutes, which is 450 player-minutes to share: about 32 minutes each. A 7-a-side team of 11 shares 280 minutes, about 25 each. The 9-a-side substitution planner and 7-a-side substitution planner turn that into a minute-by-minute list of who comes on for whom. Set the halves to match your age group (2 × 20 or 2 × 25 minutes).

For the team sheet, the 9-a-side lineup builder opens on a 3-3-2 and the 7-a-side lineup builder on a 2-3-1. For 4-a-side, pick 4-a-side with no keeper in the equal playing time calculator.