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Soccer Playing Time Rotation Generator

Plan fair soccer substitutions: see who plays where in each block and how many minutes every player gets.

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How to use it

  1. Choose the format (5, 7, 9 or 11 a side), 2 halves or 4 quarters, and the length of each period in minutes.
  2. Choose how often you make subs. The interval must divide the game length evenly, so 4 quarters of 12 minutes works with subs every 6 minutes.
  3. Enter player names, one per line. The order of the list is the order players rotate on and off.
  4. Choose a rotating keeper, or a fixed keeper and who it is.
  5. Edit the positions if you like, one per line, with the keeper first. Then make the plan.
  6. Save the plan on this device, share a link, print it or download a CSV file.

How it works

  • Each block takes the next group of players in the list and wraps back to the top. Players take positions in the order you entered them. Everyone else is on the Bench.
  • With a fixed keeper, that player stays in goal for the whole game and leaves the cycle. The other players rotate through the remaining S - 1 positions.

Number of blocks

B=TI
B
number of blocks
T
total game minutes
I
minutes between substitutions

Worked example

486=8

48 game minutes divided into 6-minute intervals gives 8 blocks.

Minutes for one player

M=b×I
M
the player’s total minutes
b
blocks played by this player
I
minutes in each block

Worked example

6×6=36

6 blocks of 6 minutes gives this player 36 minutes of playing time.

Equal participation cycle

E=Pgcd(P,S)
E
blocks in one equal-participation cycle
P
players in the rotating group
S
positions in that group

Worked example

101=10

gcd means the largest whole number that divides both counts. For 10 players and 7 positions, it is 1. The cycle therefore needs 10 blocks. Fitting 10 blocks into 48 minutes would need 4.8-minute intervals. Enter 4.8 minutes or 4:48 (minutes:seconds) in the form; intervals must use a whole number of seconds.

Rotation calculation

Choosing the next player

p=(b×S+k)modP
p
player index, starting at 0
b
block index, starting at 0
S
rotating field positions
k
position index, starting at 0
P
players in the rotating group

“mod” means keep the remainder after division. It wraps the rotation back to the start of the player list.

Players are numbered in list order from 0 to P - 1, and S is the number of players on the field. Block b puts on the players numbered (b x S + k) mod P for k = 0 to S - 1. In plain terms, each block takes the next S players in the list and wraps back to the top. Slot k gets the k-th position in your position list. Everyone else is on the Bench.

Worked example

players
10
on field
7
6-minute blocks
8

Settings: 7 a side, players 1 to 10, 4 quarters of 12 minutes, subs every 6 minutes, rotating keeper.

First 6-minute block

  • Player 1
  • Player 2
  • Player 3
  • Player 4
  • Player 5
  • Player 6
  • Player 7

Bench

  • Player 8
  • Player 9
  • Player 10

The 48 minute game makes 8 blocks of 6 minutes. Players 1 to 6 play 36 minutes and players 7 to 10 play 30 minutes.

Bench by block

Bench by block: B1 8, 9, 10; B2 5, 6, 7; B3 2, 3, 4; B4 9, 10, 1; B5 6, 7, 8; B6 3, 4, 5; B7 10, 1, 2; B8 7, 8, 9. No one sits two blocks in a row.

Hint: 10 blocks of 4.8 min gives everyone 33.6 min.

Frequently asked questions

How do I give every player equal minutes in 7 a side?

Use a number of blocks that is a multiple of P divided by the greatest common divisor of P and 7. With 10 players that is 10 blocks, so a 48 minute game would need blocks of 4.8 minutes and everyone would play 33.6 minutes. The hint under each plan shows this for your squad.

How often should I make subs in youth soccer?

Follow your league, school or association rules on substitutions. The tool accepts any whole minute interval that divides the game evenly. Shorter intervals make more blocks, which usually spreads minutes more evenly but means more changes during play.

Should the keeper rotate in junior games?

That is a coaching decision within your league rules. Choose a rotating keeper to move the keeper position through the squad like any other position, or a fixed keeper to keep one player in goal while everyone else rotates.

Why do some players get more minutes than others?

When the number of blocks is not a multiple of the equal-minutes number in the hint, the players at the top of the list get one extra block. Changing the order of names between games moves those extra minutes to different players.

What does Bench mean in the plan?

Bench means the player sits out that block. The plan never benches a player for two blocks in a row when there are no more substitutes than players on the field.

Is my team information stored?

The plan is made in your browser. Save keeps it on this device until you delete it. A share link contains the names and settings, so anyone with the link can read them.

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