Youth soccer lineup generator: equal playing time, no kid benched twice in a row

Lineup

Playing time

How it works

Fair time. The planner counts how many periods each child is there for and how many they sit. It then searches thousands of arrangements and keeps the one where bench turns are spread most evenly, counting a child who sat last game as already owed some time on the field.

Rules that always hold. Nobody is in two places in one period, nobody plays while absent, and nobody is put in a position you ruled out. Beyond that it prefers, in order: every position filled, equal time, no one benched twice running, one period at most in goal, a change of position, and balanced strength.

Checked. The test suite validates every lineup against those rules and compares the search with an exhaustive search of every possible lineup on small teams.

Limits. It plans whole periods, not minute-by-minute rotations. It does not know your league's rules, but you can pick a minimum-play rule (half the game, three quarters, every period) and the page flags any child who falls short. Check the rule itself with your league. The skill numbers are only the ones you type.

Common questions

How do I make sure every kid gets equal playing time?

Add the roster and the positions on the field. The planner counts the periods each child is available and spreads the bench turns so that nobody plays more than one period more than anybody else. A child who arrives late or leaves early is only counted for the periods they are there.

Can it stop a kid sitting out two periods in a row?

Yes. Sitting two periods running is penalised far more heavily than any other preference, so the planner avoids it whenever the numbers allow. With a very large roster it can be impossible, and then the page names who sits twice instead of hiding it.

How do I share goalkeeper time?

Leave the keeper limit at one period. Every child allowed in goal then takes at most one period there, and if too few children are allowed the page tells you which ones must repeat.

What if some kids are stronger than others?

Give each child a skill from 1 to 5. With strength balance on, the planner keeps the total skill on the field about the same in every period, so your strongest players are not all on the bench together. Turn it off if you do not rate your players.

How do I keep it fair across the whole season?

After each game press Copy next game's roster. It adds a sat: number for each child who sat. Paste it in next time and those children are first in line to play.

Is my team's information uploaded?

No. Names and ratings stay in your browser. There are no accounts, no ads and no email addresses. A shared setup link carries the roster inside the link itself, so only share it with people on your team.