Playing time in youth football: what the rules say

What the rules say

Limits, not minimums. The FA’s Standard Code for mini soccer and youth competitions (opens in a new tab) sets a maximum number of minutes per game and per day for each age group. These are caps. They are not an amount any child is owed, and the Code sets no minimum. Our guides to mini soccer rules and youth football from Under 12 list the figures.

Under 7. Under 7 plays 3v3 with no substitutions. England Football’s 3v3 guidance (opens in a new tab) describes games of 6 to 10 minutes, with players moving between pitches on a carousel, building up a recommended 30 to 40 minutes of playing time for each player.

Under 8 to Under 11. The FA’s Mini-Soccer and Youth Futsal Handbook (opens in a new tab) says all team members should receive equal playing time where possible, with a best practice recommendation of at least 50% per player for each game. It also says children should not exceed the maximum playing time for their age in any one day, and that the club and/or the child’s parent or carer are responsible for making sure they do not.

Under 12 and older. The Standard Code sets the maximums but no figure for how much each player should play. England Football’s coaching guidance on equal playing time (opens in a new tab), which is not tied to an age group, describes it as an approach a coach can choose and explain to players and parents at the start of the season, not as a rule.

What clubs and leagues can add

A league can set its own playing-time requirements within the national maximums, and a club can have a policy or code of conduct that goes further than the national rules. Ask which league the team plays in, and check whether its rules say anything about playing time. Ask the club whether it has a policy on playing time and whether the team’s coach has explained their approach. If there is one, ask to see it. That gives you something specific to raise if what happens on matchday does not match it.

Raising it

If you are comfortable talking to the coach, start there. Pick a quiet moment away from matchday and away from the children, and ask how playing time is decided, what the coach’s approach is, and whether there is anything your child can work on.

If you are not comfortable talking to the coach, if the conversation did not settle it, or if the coach is the problem, go to the club. Raise it with a club officer such as the secretary or chair, or a different officer if the coach holds one of those roles, and use the club’s complaints procedure if it has one. Our guide to club committee roles explains who does what.

When it is a welfare matter

Ordinarily, how much a child plays is a selection matter. How a child is treated can be a welfare matter. If your child is being singled out, belittled, or repeatedly excluded to humiliate or isolate them, raise it with the club welfare officer rather than as a question about selection.

In England, The FA’s guidance gives these routes, and you can use any of them:

• The club welfare officer, who is the club’s named safeguarding contact, or the league’s welfare officer.
• The County FA’s Designated Safeguarding Officer.
• The FA’s safeguarding team.
• The NSPCC helpline.

You do not have to report through the club first. If the concern is about the club welfare officer or someone on the committee, go straight to the County FA or The FA. If you think a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm, contact your local authority’s children’s social care. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

Our guide to safeguarding in grassroots football explains how safeguarding works in clubs.

When moving clubs may be the answer

If the club’s approach to playing time does not suit your child and talking has not changed it, moving is a reasonable choice. Our guide to changing football clubs explains how registration and timing work. Before you commit, ask a new club how it decides playing time. You can search for clubs near you by age group and match day.