Guides for coaches
Practical help for grassroots matchdays
Match reports, fair playing time, availability, line-ups and sharing results, written for the people who run the team.
How to write a grassroots match report parents actually read
A practical guide to writing grassroots match reports, with structure, tone for junior and adult teams, what to leave out, timing and length.
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Your first season as a volunteer coach or team manager
Advice for a new volunteer coach or team manager on safeguarding checks, qualifications, parents, playing time, light admin and looking after yourself.
The grassroots matchday checklist, from the week before to the final whistle
A step-by-step matchday checklist for grassroots coaches and volunteers, covering the week before, arrival, warm-up, the match itself and afterwards.
Fair playing time in junior football, and how to make it work on a Saturday
What fair playing time means in junior football, how to set a sensible minimum, and how to handle goalkeepers, late arrivals and parents' questions.
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Hockey matchday for club volunteers
A practical hockey matchday guide for club volunteers, covering umpires, quarters or halves, rolling substitutions, goals, corners and reports.
Managing availability without the chasing
How to find out who is available for a match without chasing every family, with early requests, one clear question, deadlines and polite reminders.
Match report templates and examples you can reuse every week
Three reusable match report templates for grassroots sport, a short post, a standard report and a detailed one, with junior and adult examples.
Netball match reports, quarter by quarter
How to write a netball match report that follows the quarters, credits defenders as well as shooters, and suits junior High 5 as well as 7-a-side.
Picking line-ups and publishing the squad
A practical guide to picking a line-up from who is available, rotating positions for juniors, choosing a captain and telling families about the squad.
Planning substitutions so every player gets fair minutes
Rolling or fixed subs, planning by periods, and a worked 7v7 substitution plan for a squad of ten over two 25-minute halves, with every player on for 35.
Running a junior rugby team on matchday
A practical guide for junior rugby coaches and volunteers covering age-grade rules, rolling replacements, recording tries and conversions, and welfare.
Sharing results professionally on social media
How grassroots teams can post results that look consistent and professional, with image sizes, captions, timing and junior safeguarding rules.
Youth football formats by age group, and what changes for the coach
The youth football pathway from 5v5 mini-soccer to 11v11, with what changes for the coach at each step, sensible squad sizes and a quick-reference table.