Does my child have the right to play in matches?

Yes, if the child has been called up for the match. Under section 1 of the Swedish FA’s competition regulations for children’s and youth football, every player gathered for a match has the right to take part in the play, and under section 5 the substitutes shall be brought on. How long the child plays is a recommendation that varies with the format.

Must everyone get equal playing time in children’s football?

No, not under any rule. The Swedish FA recommends equal playing time in 3v3 and 5v5 (ages 6–9), at least two thirds in 7v7 and 9v9 (ages 10–14) and at least half the match in 11v11 (from 15). Some districts promise a minimum: the Gothenburg FA applies a playing-time guarantee of at least 2 of 3 periods or 1 of 2 halves.

Can the coach give the best players more time from age 13?

A little, according to the Swedish FA. The FA sees no reason for stacking up to age 12 and describes the years from 13 as a grey area where, for example, those who have trained the most may get a little more. At the same time the format sheet recommends at least two thirds for everyone in 9v9 (ages 13–14), and the FA says systematic stacking has a downside in dropout.

For parents

The right to play is a rule – the minutes are a recommendation

By Gustav, founder of Breakout · 6 min read

If your child has been called up for a match, they have the right to take part in the play. That is a rule (Swedish FA competition regulations for children’s and youth football, section 1). How much they play is a recommendation: equal playing time in 3v3 and 5v5, at least two thirds in 7v7 and 9v9, at least half the match in 11v11. Districts and clubs may have added more.

The right to take part is a rule

The Swedish FA’s competition regulations for children’s and youth football cover ages 6 to 19 and came into force on 1 January 2019. Section 1 says: “All children’s and youth players gathered for a match in their age class have the right to take part in the play. Participation in the play should follow what is set out in the Swedish FA’s recommendations for children’s and youth football.”

The first sentence is a rule: the child has the right to play. The second is a “should” that leaves the amount to the FA’s recommendations. Section 5 says the same about the bench: “All substitutes shall, unless otherwise stated in the Swedish FA’s competition provisions, be brought on during the match, and a substituted player may return to the play.” A called-up child who sits out the whole match is therefore a breach of the rules. A child who plays one period of three in 7v7 is not, but that falls below the recommendation.

Watch out for the Swedish word “speltid”, playing time. In the competition regulations (section 3), in the Laws of the Game and in the districts’ regulations it means the length of the match, for example 3 × 20 minutes in 7v7. It says nothing about how long your child should play.

The amount is a recommendation that changes with the format

The recommendations are in the Swedish FA’s 2025 match format sheets, in the column headed “Recommendations”:

3v3 (ages 6–7): “Equal playing time for all.”
5v5 (ages 8–9): “Equal playing time for all.”
7v7 (ages 10–12): “Everyone plays at least 2/3 of the playing time (2 of 3 periods)”.
9v9 (ages 13–14): the same, at least 2/3 of the playing time.
11v11 (age 15 and up): “Everyone plays at least half the match.”

Your district and club may have other figures

The Swedish FA’s template for a club’s player development plan under its Quality Club programme (2023) suggests at least two thirds in 5v5 and equal playing time in 9v9. The 2025 format sheets are more recent.

Districts can go further. The Gothenburg FA writes in its 2026 match guide (p. 21): “In Gothenburg football we apply a playing-time guarantee. It guarantees every player at least 2 of 3 or 1 of 2 periods/halves.” The guarantee is in the match guide, not in the district’s competition regulations. The district’s competition matrix recommends a squad size: 10 players in 7v7, 12 in 9v9 and 14 in 11v11.

The Stockholm FA has no rule on minutes per player, but allows at most five substitutes in 9v9 and 11v11 (competition regulations 2026, chapter 4, section 5).

Squad size decides whether the recommendation can be followed. Our own arithmetic: a 9v9 match is 3 × 25 minutes, so 675 player-minutes with nine on the pitch. Two thirds for 14 players needs 700. With 12 or 13 players it adds up, and the format sheet recommends four substitutes, which makes 13. Check your own district’s regulations.

Playing time is part of what makes football fun

In an American study of young football players, parents and coaches (Visek et al. 2015), playing time shared third place out of 81 factors in what makes sport fun (4.55 out of 5), behind trying your best and a coach who treats players with respect. Winning came 48th. Among parents, 93 per cent called playing time very-to-extremely important; among players, 80 per cent.

Research on dropout is more cautious. A review of 14 studies (Temple & Crane 2016) lists lack of opportunity to play among the environmental factors associated with dropout. In a Swedish study of district-team players (Brusvik & Söderström 2025), little playing time recurs in the accounts of quitting, intertwined with other things.

Stacking cuts both ways. The Swedish FA: “It is not only those who are left out who tend to quit football. It also applies to those who get to play more.” There is more on stacking in the guide on streaming.

From 13, playing time may differ – within limits

The Swedish FA’s head of children’s and youth football (10 questions on stacking, 2021): “In children’s football up to 12 I do not see any reason for it. For young people from 13 up to senior age it becomes more of a grey area.” Some may get a little more playing time, “for example those who have trained the most”, but “if it happens systematically and repeatedly, there is a downside in dropout and stunted development”.

Our reading: the grey area does not replace the format sheet. In 9v9 (ages 13–14), at least two thirds for everyone is still recommended. It is the minutes above that which may differ. The Swedish Sports Confederation’s guidelines for children’s and youth sport (p. 22) draw a similar line: the result may matter in the moment but must not have “long-term consequences”.

Clubs’ own policies vary. Two examples, not norms: one club’s template gives at least half the match from ages 8–9, conditional on training attendance, and states: “Over time, total playing time should be fairly distributed.” That is below the format sheet’s equal playing time for 5v5. Mullsjö IF writes: “If the player does not start the match, the player starts the next match instead.” In the league, whoever trains more may play more; in tournaments, playing time is equal.

Recurring in the policies: at least half the match, a link to training attendance, and rotating who starts.

Count before you raise it

This is our advice, not rules. First read the team’s or the club’s playing-time policy. If there is none, the format recommendation is your benchmark.

Then count. Note how many periods or halves your child has played over four or five matches before you say anything. One match says little; a pattern says more.

Do not raise it at the match. Ask for a conversation at another time and ask the coach: “What do they need to do to play more?” It does not sound like an accusation.

If the team breaks its own policy, or a called-up child does not get to play at all, go to the club’s youth coordinator. Refer to section 1 of the competition regulations and to the format recommendation. Keep them apart: the right to take part is a rule, the minutes are a recommendation.

In Breakout the coach can report minutes per player after each match and see how playing time is spread across the team, and the player sees their own season.

Common follow-up questions

Does my child have the right to play in matches?: Yes, if the child has been called up for the match. Under section 1 of the Swedish FA’s competition regulations for children’s and youth football, every player gathered for a match has the right to take part in the play, and under section 5 the substitutes shall be brought on. How long the child plays is a recommendation that varies with the format.
Must everyone get equal playing time in children’s football?: No, not under any rule. The Swedish FA recommends equal playing time in 3v3 and 5v5 (ages 6–9), at least two thirds in 7v7 and 9v9 (ages 10–14) and at least half the match in 11v11 (from 15). Some districts promise a minimum: the Gothenburg FA applies a playing-time guarantee of at least 2 of 3 periods or 1 of 2 halves.
Can the coach give the best players more time from age 13?: A little, according to the Swedish FA. The FA sees no reason for stacking up to age 12 and describes the years from 13 as a grey area where, for example, those who have trained the most may get a little more. At the same time the format sheet recommends at least two thirds for everyone in 9v9 (ages 13–14), and the FA says systematic stacking has a downside in dropout.