Using Fair-Play Sub Suggestions
Overview
During a live match, Squadd watches the clock and tracks how many minutes each player has on the pitch. When a player is heading for significantly less pitch time than their teammates, the app nudges you — and gives you a one-tap swap to fix it.
The ⇄ Swap Button
Every player row on the live match screen has a ⇄ button. Tapping it performs a fair-play swap instantly:
- The on-pitch player with the most accumulated minutes comes off
- The bench player with the fewest accumulated minutes comes on
The swap is recorded at the current match minute. Playing-time calculations update immediately.
⚠️ The swap executes without a confirmation step. If you tap the button on the wrong row, record a manual substitution to reverse it (+ Event → Substitution).
The ⚠️ Playing-Time Warning
A yellow ⚠️ warning appears next to any player projected to finish the match below 50% of total match time.
The warning activates after 40% of the match has elapsed — early enough to leave time to act, late enough to avoid false alarms for bench players who started late.
When you see the warning:
- Note which player is flagged
- Tap ⇄ on any on-pitch player to bring on the under-served player automatically, or
- Use + Event → Substitution to make a specific tactical swap
How the Suggested Swap Is Calculated
The algorithm is simple and consistent:
Off: whichever player currently on the pitch has the highest minute count since kick-off
On: whichever bench player has the lowest minute count since kick-off
Goalkeepers are excluded from this calculation — the ⇄ button will never select a GK as the outgoing player. To substitute a goalkeeper, use the manual substitution route.
Following vs. Overriding the Suggestion
The ⇄ suggestion is optimised for fairness, not tactics. There will be times when the fairest swap isn't the right one:
- Your captain is the highest-minutes player but needs to stay on in the final 10 minutes
- A specific tactical substitution takes priority over the fairness algorithm
- A player needs to come off due to injury regardless of their minute count
In these cases, use + Event → Substitution to choose specific players manually. The fairness tracker continues to run and will reflect the new minutes distribution after any sub.
Sub Window Reminders
If you built a rotation plan in the lineup builder, Squadd also reminds you as each planned sub window approaches (at 25%, 50%, and 75% of match time by default). The reminder is a prompt — you can act on it, skip it, or substitute different players than the plan suggests.
Turning Off Fair-Play Helpers
If you coach a more competitive age group and prefer to manage substitutions without these prompts, go to Settings → Optional modules and toggle Fair-play helpers off. This removes the ⇄ button and ⚠️ warnings from the live match screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ⇄ more than once in quick succession?
Yes — each tap records a separate substitution event. If you need two swaps at once, tap ⇄ twice.
The ⇄ button brought on a player I didn't want — what do I do?
Record a manual substitution (+ Event → Substitution) to reverse it: put the unintended player back on the bench and bring back the original player.
A parent asked why their child played fewer minutes — the ⇄ button should have fixed that, right?
The ⇄ button is there as a tool, not an automatic system — it only acts when you tap it. If a player ended up short on minutes, it may be that the ⚠️ warning appeared but you were focused on the match. The projected minutes are visible before the match in the lineup builder to help plan ahead.
Does the suggestion account for position when swapping?
Not in default mode — it's purely minutes-based. If Detailed Positions is enabled, the algorithm does prefer position-matching swaps (swapping a defender for a defender where possible).