FairPlay Coach
FairPlay Coach
Quick-reference FA rules for U15 – U16 — match duration, substitutions, pitch size, ball size, and equal playing time guidance.
Try the Free Rotation App →At U15–U16, the football begins to resemble senior grassroots in structure. Longer matches, near-full-size pitches, and squad sizes that can exceed 18 players. Many leagues at this age group are competitive and results-focused — but the FA still expects coaches to provide every registered player with meaningful match time across a season.
FA guidance: fair season-long distribution of playing time is expected. Clubs should be able to demonstrate that all squad members receive meaningful match opportunities.
With 80-minute matches and potentially 18 players on the squad, managing cumulative season minutes is a real administrative challenge. Many coaches at U15–U16 lose track of who has played across a busy winter fixture schedule — and end up discovering in March that three players have barely featured all season.
FairPlay Coach tracks each player's minutes across every match in the season — not just the current game. The season stats view shows cumulative pitch time, goals, and appearances for every player, giving coaches the data to make fair squad decisions week to week rather than relying on memory.
Try It Free — No Account Needed →FA guidelines recommend 2 halves of 40 minutes (80 minutes total) for U15 and U16. Exact match lengths may vary between competitions — some leagues play 2 x 35 or 2 x 45 minutes.
Most leagues allow 5 substitutions at U15–U16. Whether substituted players can re-enter depends on the specific competition — rolling subs are common in grassroots leagues but may not apply in cup competitions.
U15 and U16 typically play on near-full-size or full-size pitches (90–120m × 45–90m). Some grassroots leagues use slightly smaller pitches depending on ground availability.
Strict equal time is not mandated at U15–U16, but FA guidelines expect clubs to demonstrate that all registered players receive meaningful match opportunities across the season. Coaching decisions should still prioritise development alongside competitive aims.
Manual tracking via spreadsheet is common but error-prone. Apps like FairPlay Coach automatically record minutes played per player in each match and accumulate them across the full season — giving coaches clear data for squad selection decisions.