Pocket Gaffer
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4 ways coaches run matchday subs.

Which one are you using this Sunday? Most coaches don’t need more software. They need to stop the Sunday scramble.

Method 01

Managing subs in your head

You start with good intentions, glance at the clock and try to remember who came off when.

Where it breaks down

  • The game gets tense and your attention goes to coaching, not the clock.
  • Twenty minutes pass and the bench hasn’t moved.
  • Panic subs in the last few minutes to “even it out”.
  • An awkward car-park chat with a parent whose child barely got a kick.

Verdict: Free, but high stress and no proof it was fair.

Method 02

Notes app or paper team sheet

You write a rotation plan before kick-off.

Where it breaks down

  • Someone arrives late or picks up a knock and the plan collapses.
  • Paper turns to mush in the rain; unlocking Notes mid-game is fiddly.
  • Nothing carries over to next week.

Verdict: Plans survive until the first whistle.

Method 03

Team availability apps

Parents reply mid-week so you know who’s coming on Sunday.

Where it breaks down

  • Brilliant for the group chat and availability.
  • Not built to run substitutions or count live minutes once the game starts.
  • You’re back to doing the maths in your head.

Verdict: Gets them to the pitch. Doesn’t get you through the match.

Method 04

Generic substitution timers

Stopwatch-style apps that time players on and off.

Where it breaks down

  • Often built for many sports, with more menus than you want on a cold touchline.
  • Many focus on one game at a time rather than fairness across the season.
  • Not set up around UK youth formats like 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9.

Verdict: Useful clocks, but you still own the fairness decisions.

Side by side

What each option covers on a typical matchday.

Touchline needIn your headPaper / NotesAvailability appsGeneric timersPocket Gaffer
Know who’s available
Live minutes per player
Tells you who’s due on next
Several subs in one tap
Fair across the whole season
FA formats & Power Play
Squad from a photo or WhatsApp list
Hand the match to a stand-in, no login
Guest players start neutral
Live link for parents
Match report for parents
Speak your match report
Player reports for parents (mid & end of season)

Partly = depends on the app or takes manual effort. Features vary between apps; check each one for yourself.

Give your brain a rest this weekend.

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