Ask any junior coach about their toughest conversations and game time comes up fast. A parent feels their child is sitting out too much. A player is always stuck in the same position. Usually the coach is trying to be fair — it’s just very hard to track.
Here’s a simple approach that works.
1. Pick your principle and say it out loud
Before the season, decide what “fair” means for your team:
- Equal time: everyone plays roughly the same across the season.
- Minimum time: everyone gets at least a set amount each game.
- Development-first: equal time plus rotating positions.
For most junior teams, equal time with rotating positions is the easiest to explain. Tell parents your principle in your first message. Many complaints disappear once the rules are clear.
2. Plan before the game, not during it
In-game decisions under pressure are where fairness slips. Plan who plays when once you know who’s available.
3. Track across the season
Fairness in one game isn’t fairness across ten. The player who sat out the first quarter last week should start this week. Keep a running record.
4. Rotate positions, too
Time on court isn’t the whole story. A player always in defence gets less chance to develop other skills. Build position variety into your plan.
5. Be honest about exceptions
If your approach includes exceptions — missing training, for example — say so up front and apply them consistently.
The spreadsheet problem
All of this is doable with a spreadsheet, but it takes time most volunteers don’t have. That’s why Squaddie builds fair lineups automatically from whoever’s available, spreads time and positions across the season, and lets you adjust before the game.
Try fair lineups free at squaddie.app.
