Game Time and Rotation Policy

Leichhardt Saints is a community club. Every junior who registers, trains and turns up is entitled to a fair share of the game. This policy sets out what that means in practice, how coaches and managers should handle rotation when a squad is bigger than the match sheet, and what to do if you think it isn’t being applied.

It applies to every Leichhardt Saints team. The junior rules are firm commitments. The senior section sets expectations rather than entitlements.

1. What juniors are entitled to

Every junior player from Under 6 to Under 18 is entitled to an equal share of game time across the season.

This applies to all junior teams, in every division, regardless of ability. It applies to our graded Division 1 and 2 teams as much as to our friendship-based teams.

Equal time is measured across the season, not within a single match. A player who sits out one week is not owed compensation the following week – they are owed their place in the rotation, and their equal share by season’s end.

We prioritise development and enjoyment over winning at all costs in our junior ranks. Coaches who cannot reconcile a selection decision with that principle should ring their age coordinator before the game, not explain it afterwards.

2. How rotation works

This section applies when a team has more players available than can be named on the game-day match sheet.

The queue. No player sits out a second match until every other player in the squad has sat out once. Once a player sits out, they go to the back of the queue.

Absences count. If a player misses a match for their own reasons (travel, illness, another commitment) that counts as their turn in the queue. Coaches are not expected to hold a place open, and a player who misses several matches will not finish the season with an equal share.

Keep a record. Coaches and managers must maintain a running record of who has sat out and when. It does not need to be elaborate – a note in the team app is enough. It must be available to any parent who asks.

Tell people in advance. Where practical, a player who is sitting out should know before match day, not on arrival at the ground.

3. When the rotation can be adjusted

A coach or manager may move a player down the queue if the player:

  • regularly fails to attend weekly training
  • regularly arrives less than 15 minutes before kick-off
  • displays poor sportsmanship or misconduct

“Regularly” means a pattern, not a single instance. One missed training session or one late arrival is not grounds for reduced game time.

Rotation must not be used as a disciplinary tool for anything else. A player’s perceived ability, their parents’ involvement in the club, personal relationships, and how much a coach wants to win a particular match must never influence rotation decisions.

4. Finals

Finals are the one point in the season where equal time gives way to selection. Two rules apply.

If the whole squad fits on the match sheet, everyone plays. Every available player is named, and every named player takes the field. Minutes are at the coach’s discretion and need not be equal.

If the squad is larger than the match sheet allows, the following order determines who misses out:

  1. players who have regularly missed training during the season
  2. players who have played the fewest matches during the season
  3. the player next in the regular rotation queue

Anyone who will miss a finals match must be told before finals weekend begins, with the reason, by the coach – not on the day, and not by text an hour before kick-off.

5. Senior teams

All Age and Over Age teams are competitive, and squads are selected on the day. Equal time is not an automatic entitlement at senior level.

We do expect the spirit of it. Any registered player who trains regularly and makes themselves available should see meaningful game time across a season. A player who trains all winter and never gets off the bench has been let down, whatever the ladder says.

6. Training expectations

One session a week is enough. We know Inner West families are busy. One training session per week is a satisfactory commitment for any junior team.

Second sessions are optional. Some competitive junior and senior teams choose to train twice. These sessions are strictly optional, and for juniors, not attending a second session must not affect selection or game time in any way.

Extra sessions need club approval. Our access to King George Park, Balmain Road Sporting Ground, Rozelle Parklands and Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt is limited and allocated by the council. Any coach wanting to run an additional session must clear it with the club first, so we can confirm field availability and insurance cover.

7. If you have a concern

Game time and selection are not member protection matters. They are handled like this:

  1. Talk to your coach or manager first. Most concerns are a misunderstanding about the queue and are resolved in a two-minute conversation.
  2. If that doesn’t resolve it, contact your age coordinator.
  3. If it still isn’t resolved, contact the committee. Contact Us

Coaches facing a difficult rotation call are encouraged to raise it with their age coordinator or the committee before making the decision, not after.

You do not need to prove a concern before raising it. We would rather hear about something early.

Related policies: Grading Policy · Code of Conduct · Heading and Concussion Policy