The Coaches' Room
3v3•U7•Squad Management

How do you keep track of which child has played which games?

Asked by DorsetOlivia
2179 views 4 replies
With multiple pitches, mixed teams and no normal substitute pattern, our coaches are losing track of total involvement. I do not want a complicated spreadsheet on matchday, but I also do not want the confident children accidentally getting two extra games every week because they are always ready. Has anyone found a really simple method?

VERIFIED COACH RESPONSE

Verified Coach avatar

@CoachRyanC

UEFA C Coach

Grassroots session design

Why are Verified Coach details private?
I would keep the tracking very basic. You do not need a stopwatch for every child. A simple grid with the players down one side and each round across the top is enough. Put a tick when they play that round. That lets one adult see quickly if somebody has accidentally missed two games or if the same eager child has played every round while another took a break. Do the planning before the first game and only change the sheet when the groups actually change. I would measure opportunities in games rather than exact seconds. With six-to-ten-minute matches, one extra round matters more than whether somebody played 34 minutes and somebody else played 36. The system should help the football run, not turn a U7 festival into administration.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Join the football discussion. 4 replies

N

NickS

Parent

Please do not introduce exact minute accounting unless there is a real problem. The coaches will spend more time timing than watching.
L

luke_again

Coach

Agreed. The grid is only there to catch obvious gaps, not prove everyone had identical seconds.
J

just_here

Parent

Same here. We track games, not minutes. If someone has one fewer tick, they go in the next round.
E

EarlyStartUK

Club Volunteer / Official

We use a laminated grid and a dry-wipe pen. Child gets a tick for each round. Takes seconds.

HAVE A QUESTION TOO?

Ask about your own situation.