Understanding Projected Minutes and the Fairness Score
Overview
Squadd calculates projected minutes and a Fairness score both before the match (on the lineup screen) and during it (on the live match screen). Understanding what these numbers mean helps you make better substitution decisions and ensure every player gets a fair share of pitch time.
Projected Minutes (Pre-Match)
On the lineup screen, the Projected Minutes section shows how many minutes each player is expected to play if the rotation plan runs exactly as suggested.
Alfie Morgan 45 min
Priya Sharma 45 min
Jack Davies 40 min
Liam O'Brien 40 min
Caitlin Hughes 35 min
Mia Patel 35 min
These are calculated from:
- Total match duration (e.g. 60 minutes)
- The planned substitution windows (25%, 50%, 75% of match time)
- Who starts and who is on the bench
- Any players you've locked (locked players get the full match duration)
Projected minutes update in real time as you make swaps, change the formation, or lock/unlock players.
The Fairness Score (Pre-Match)
The Fairness score is shown as a coloured percentage badge (e.g. Fairness 87%) on the lineup screen.
It measures how evenly pitch time is distributed across the squad:
| Score | Minutes spread | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 0 minutes | Perfect parity |
| 85–99% | Up to 4 minutes | Excellent |
| 70–84% | 4–8 minutes | Good |
| 50–69% | 8–13 minutes | Fair — worth reviewing |
| Below 50% | Over 13 minutes | Large spread — Squadd shows a warning |
A score of 70% or above is generally acceptable at grassroots level. Aim for 80%+ if equal playing time is a priority for your team or age group.
What lowers the Fairness score
- Locking players: Each locked player gets full match time, pulling ahead of rotating players
- Odd squad sizes: Some numbers don't divide evenly across a rotation, creating a natural spread
- Small squads: Fewer bench players means fewer rotation options
Live Projected Minutes (During the Match)
During a live match, Squadd recalculates projected minutes continuously based on:
- Who is currently on the pitch
- How many minutes have elapsed
- How many minutes remain
The live view shows each player's current running total alongside their projected final minutes if no further subs are made.
The 50% playing time warning
A ⚠️ warning appears next to any player projected to finish the match with less than 50% of total match time.
- The warning only activates after 40% of the match has elapsed — before that point, it's too early to act on
- A player who starts on the bench will naturally project low early in the match; the warning kicks in when it's becoming urgent
Use the ⇄ fair-play swap button to address warnings quickly — it brings on the player with the fewest projected minutes and takes off the player with the most.
Season Minutes (Longer-Term Fairness)
The rotation algorithm also accounts for season minutes — the cumulative pitch time each player has accumulated across all fixtures this season. Players with fewer season minutes are prioritised in the starting lineup.
This means a player who missed the last two matches due to illness will be placed in the starting XI automatically, because the algorithm recognises their minutes debt.
Season minutes are drawn from the Stats tab and refresh after each match is recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always aim for a Fairness score of 100%?
Not necessarily. A score of 70–80% is perfectly reasonable for most grassroots teams. Chasing 100% can lead to unnatural rotation patterns that disrupt team shape or put players in unfamiliar positions. Use it as a guide, not a target to hit exactly.
The Fairness score is 60% and I can't get it higher — why?
This usually happens when several players are locked (e.g. returning from injury, or a trialist who needs to play a full half). Each lock reduces the rotation flexibility. Accept the trade-off or unlock a player to improve the score.
A parent is asking why their child played fewer minutes than another — what should I say?
The algorithm accounts for season minutes across all fixtures. A player who has played more minutes across the season will naturally get fewer minutes in a given match to restore balance. The fairness calculation works across the whole season, not just match-by-match.
Can I see a player's season minutes total anywhere?
Yes — on the Stats tab, the Minutes column shows each player's cumulative season total. This column is coach-only and not visible to parents.