ECNL playing minutes

[Anonymous]

Do all 18 players get on the field every game? Do some players only play a couple minutes? What is the distribution on your team of playing time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do all 18 players get on the field every game? Do some players only play a couple minutes? What is the distribution on your team of playing time?

What age?

[Anonymous]

U13-U14

[Anonymous]

U15Bs. Roster is 21 kids. 18 players dress each game. Three do not play. All 18 players get at least half a game. Mid field and Forwards play right around half a game. Defenders play more because there aren't as many subs for those positions. Two keepers. Each play half a game.

[Anonymous]

A few things:

1) Many ECNL teams have more than 18 players.
2) Some ECNL teams bring less than 18 to games even though they could bring 18.
3) The substitution rules of ECNL discourage giving a lot of minutes to your bench. If you sub out a starter they can not go back in the same half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U15Bs. Roster is 21 kids. 18 players dress each game. Three do not play. All 18 players get at least half a game. Mid field and Forwards play right around half a game. Defenders play more because there aren't as many subs for those positions. Two keepers. Each play half a game.

Definitely not my experience. If you have 2 goalies generally only one plays whole game. The other six non starters generally play significantly less than half game. Some only 10 minutes or maybe even not at all.

[Anonymous]

Each club and team is different--there is no general rule. Some coaches try to make sure they use all their subs. Some have well over the 18 allowed on game roster on the squad so can't even bring everyone to the game. Some coaches will only sub when their favorites are injured, others try to sub tactically, others try to spread playing time around, while others are somewhere in between. ECNL does limit subs to not return in the half so don't expect subs to be rolling on and off constantly like some coaches do with the younger ones.

Whatever the coach tells you about playing time in tryouts is likely to be 100% false. You have to go watch a couple games if you want to know how they operate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Each club and team is different--there is no general rule.

Some clubs are pretty consistent in ensuring everyone gets reasonable playing time - at least 50% of the game. With others it tends to vary by coach. In my experience (two clubs) both have stuck to their stated policies pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

If your kid is only playing 10-20 minutes total at U13-14, moving clubs is likely not the answer. Your kid either needs to work harder and try to improve their game and thus earn more playing time, or your kid needs to be willing to move down to the second team. Other clubs’ top teams are not holding spots open for fringe players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

If your kid is only playing 10-20 minutes total at U13-14, moving clubs is likely not the answer. Your kid either needs to work harder and try to improve their game and thus earn more playing time, or your kid needs to be willing to move down to the second team. Other clubs’ top teams are not holding spots open for fringe players.

If your kid is playing less than 20 minutes and your team has 18 players then it means your kid is there to subsidize one other kid. Your coach may say your kid needs to work harder, why not just have a team with players then? Why not your kid is asked not to do the long trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

If your kid is only playing 10-20 minutes total at U13-14, moving clubs is likely not the answer. Your kid either needs to work harder and try to improve their game and thus earn more playing time, or your kid needs to be willing to move down to the second team. Other clubs’ top teams are not holding spots open for fringe players.

If your kid is playing less than 20 minutes and your team has 18 players then it means your kid is there to subsidize one other kid. Your coach may say your kid needs to work harder, why not just have a team with “fewer” players then? Why not your kid is asked not to do the long trip?

*fewe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

If your kid is only playing 10-20 minutes total at U13-14, moving clubs is likely not the answer. Your kid either needs to work harder and try to improve their game and thus earn more playing time, or your kid needs to be willing to move down to the second team. Other clubs’ top teams are not holding spots open for fringe players.

The starters are likely working hard already. If a kid can't earn playing time, extra work probably won't make a difference by the age. I would look to shifting clubs or dropping to a second team. There is no way I'd agree to that amount of driving for my kid to play 10 minutes; it's already bad enough when your kid is getting significant playing time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

Playing time should be earned, not just given because you showed up. If your kid doesn't get the level of playing time you hope for, I would suggest you do look elsewhere (either level down, or another club), and I don't mean that to come across harshly. Development occurs at practice and outside/additional training, not during official matches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Which club ensures 50% of playing time?
My kids got very little time (10 to 20 minutes total max) per game after long hours drive for away games, very frustrated.
I would like to know the club name and try out the club.

If your kid is only playing 10-20 minutes total at U13-14, moving clubs is likely not the answer. Your kid either needs to work harder and try to improve their game and thus earn more playing time, or your kid needs to be willing to move down to the second team. Other clubs’ top teams are not holding spots open for fringe players.

This is sort of true. The reality is your player really needs to talk with the coach to get an honest assessment and find out what shortcomings need to be addressed to gain more playing time. Depending on age of the child you may or may not need to be a part of the conversation.

But the first thing you need to accept is there IS a shortcoming that is keeping your player on the bench. You can do all the mental gymnastics that you want to make it "political", "coaches favorites", "team manager kid" etc but the result is the same. Don't accept answers like "work harder" Whatever the hell that even means.

You need actionable items. If decision making is to slow, then focus on stop over touching the ball and work on one/two touch passing. If decisions are fine but accuracy is lacking then your player needs to grind out working on technical skills. If work rate is mentioned then there is either a aggressiveness that is lacking or fitness is lacking.

But most things can be worked on if they are properly identified. Some things take more effort and time than others but it can only start with a sincere acceptance and a request for honest feedback. If you don't get that type of feedback then you should seek another club. If you do get that kind of unfiltered feedback then you have found the right place to be regardless of the current minute situation.