# Substitution Manager — Fairplay made easy

> Free, offline junior soccer substitution and player time management app. (iPhone/iPad app by Damien Donnelly.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitution-manager/id6745534315 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Damien Donnelly](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727897144)
- Category: Sports, Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.5 · 88 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-05-19
- Data updated: 2026-09-05
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitution-manager/id6745534315/reviews.md

## What is Substitution Manager?

Sub Manager is a free sideline toolkit for junior football: fair playing time and effortless subs, a tactics board that plays back, broadcast-style match capture, and a complete referee kit, all in one app, no account needed.

Built for coaches, parents and volunteers who'd rather watch the game than a spreadsheet.

FAIR PLAYING TIME, SORTED
- Every player's field and bench time tracked automatically
- Drag-and-drop subs, with your formation updating live
- Gentle alerts when someone's been on the bench too long
- Log goals and cards with a tap
- From 5-a-side to full 11-player squads, with early futsal support

THE TACTICS BOARD
- Move any player with your finger. Bring the ball to someone and it sticks, move too fast and it runs loose
- Your lines fade on their own, so the board clears itself between points
- Show the ground each side covers, the shot that is on, the passes that are open, the offside line, and the space nobody is close enough to cover
- Give the other team a way of playing and see what it costs you: high press, low block, park the bus, stretch and counter, total football
- Set the scoreline you want to talk about, and watch a side chasing a goal come out at you

GAMECAM
- Film matches in up to 4K/60 with a broadcast-style scoreboard burned into the video
- Automatic goal highlights, or save the last 30 seconds with a tap
- Face blur for safe sharing of junior footage
- On-device match analysis: possession, territory and momentum, nothing uploaded

REFEREE MODE, A COMPLETE OFFICIATING KIT, FREE
- Clock, cards, subs, coin toss and penalty shootouts from your phone or Apple Watch
- Speak, don't tap: dictate an incident from phone or watch, transcribed on the device into structured match data
- Movement heat map and fitness tracking from your watch (opt-in)
- A full match report you can amend afterwards, and career stats across every match you officiate

COACH TOGETHER
- Co-Coach: share your live match with the bench over Bluetooth, subs, cards and score in sync, no internet needed
- Broadcast a live score that nearby supporters can follow

AFTER THE WHISTLE
- Instant match reports and a shareable full-time recap
- Season stats that tell the truth: playing time, net goal impact, goals per field minute
- Player cards to share with parents, as an image or a print-ready PDF

PRIVATE BY DESIGN
- No accounts, no subscriptions, no internet required
- 100% free and fully local, your data stays on your phone
- Optional one-time purchase: the Apple Watch companion app
- Connects with Club Manager for roster sync and backup, if your club uses it
- Fully localized in 40 languages

Made by coaches and parents who care about fun, fairness and development.

## Key features

- Automatic player time tracking
- Drag-and-drop live substitutions
- Player bench time alerts
- Cards and goals logging
- Instant match reports
- Offline functionality
- No account required

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Watch Companion | $5.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (7 of 7)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substitution-manager/id6745534315/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Best Free App for a Coach

*2026-02-24*

Searched around a lot for a nice soccer game management app but this is by far the best app I have used. No sign-ins, no premiums, and it just does everything you need.

**Developer response:** Thanks a lot for the feedback and support!

### 5/5 — Love the app

*2025-11-03, version 1.0.6*

Great app and does a brilliant job at managing play time and prepare line up.
I would love if I could edit a game later as well (to add previous games but also add assist later as they are not always captured on the spot).

### 5/5 — A lifesaver for busy team managers!

*2025-06-06, version 1.0.2*

This app has made organising subs for our team so much easier. I love that it keeps track of how long players have been in and out.

### 5/5 — Use it for any sport! ⚽️🏀🏉

*2025-06-06, version 1.0.2*

I’ve used this for school AFL and it’s awesome to just drag bench player to a field player for a quick switch. Kids love the countdown visuals to when they are back on. A staple for any sports. Makes any person a great sub manager!

### 5/5 — Love the Stats

*2025-06-05, version 1.0.2*

Love the haptic feedback.

### 5/5 — So easy to use.

*2025-06-05, version 1.0.2*

For a free app this great. Helps manage player positions and fair rotations.

### 5/5 — Subs made easy!

*2025-05-28, version 1.0.1*

I manage teen soccer with 5 subs, now I can enjoy the game rather than trying work out how to fairly allocate subs on the go

## Frequently asked questions about Substitution Manager

### How does Substitution Manager ensure fair playing time?

Substitution Manager automatically tracks each player's field time, eliminating guesswork and ensuring equitable distribution. It provides helpful alerts when a player reaches their maximum bench time, promoting fairness.

### Can I make substitutions easily during a game with Substitution Manager?

Yes, the app features a drag-and-drop interface for making live substitutions with zero fuss. Your team's formation updates instantly on screen as you make changes.

### Does Substitution Manager require an internet connection?

No, Substitution Manager is 100% free and fully local, meaning it does not require an internet connection to function. This makes it ideal for use on the sidelines.

### What kind of reports can I generate with Substitution Manager?

You can generate instant match reports that include game summaries, match events, goals scored, and team data. These reports can be shared in seconds after the game.

### Is Substitution Manager free to use?

Yes, Substitution Manager is 100% free and has no subscriptions or hidden costs. It is designed to be accessible for all coaches and parents.

### What devices is Substitution Manager available on?

Substitution Manager is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed to be compatible with Apple's mobile operating systems.

### How often is Substitution Manager updated?

The latest version of Substitution Manager is 1.1, and it was last updated on December 5, 2025. Updates typically focus on improving features and user experience.

### Does Substitution Manager track cards and goals?

Yes, you can easily log yellow/red cards and goals during the match by simply tapping on the screen. This information is then included in your instant match reports.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.8.0 — 2026-08-26

The tactics board

Stop describing the shape and show it. Open the board mid-match, draw with your finger, then put it down and get back to the game. It stays clear of buttons so you can read it at arm's length, and you choose what it shows once, before the whistle.

- Move any player with your finger. Bring the ball to someone and it sticks; move too fast and it runs loose, like a real dribble.
- Your lines fade on their own, so the board clears itself between points.
- Switch on the ground each side covers, the shot that is on from where the ball is, the passes that are open, the offside line the defence is holding, and the pockets of space nobody is close enough to cover.

The other team plays too

Give the other team a way of playing and see what it costs you: swarm the ball, high press, low block, park the bus, stretch and counter, total football, or world class. Leave them as statues if you would rather place them yourself.

- Say how much they should respect any one of your players, from "let them have it" to "never let them turn".
- Set the scoreline you want to talk about, and watch a side chasing a goal come out at you.

It is all worked out from where the players are standing, so the same picture always plays the same way.

Plus fixes and polish across stats and charts.

All of it free, all of it offline. Thanks for playing with us!

### 1.6.1 — 2026-08-12

Plan your substitutions
- Stage a whole batch of subs on the bench, then send them all at once, no new screen to learn
- Playing time is now protected automatically after every sub, so a flurry of changes can't wreck your rotation
- Two new stats, Average Stint and Shortest Stint, show your rotation health at a glance

The coaching mirror
- A new stats screen that opens with what you decided, not just how it turned out

GameCam gets sharper
- Highlight tracking is far more accurate at locking onto the right player in your goal clips
- Saved a clip? We'll point you to a free tool for turning it into a shareable highlight reel, no login required

Referee mode goes deeper
- Misconduct reason codes for every card, with the law explained in plain language right on screen
- Full fitness tracking from your phone alone, Apple Watch optional
- One tap shares your match data with a mentor for coaching, movement map and fitness together
- Kickoff and full-time whistle alerts, saved match formats, and more

Plus full watch spectator mode, tougher roster recovery, and a long list of smaller fixes and polish.

All of it, free. Thanks for playing with us!

### 1.6.0 — 2026-07-25

GameCam — film smarter
- Capture stabilization for steadier handheld footage
- A manual score overlay burned right into your video — control it from your Apple Watch
- Automatic goal & own-goal highlights with a rolling buffer, plus battery and thermal management for long games

Referee mode — a complete officiating kit, free
- Run the whole match from your phone or Apple Watch: clock, cards, subs, coin toss, and penalty shootouts
- Movement heat map — see where you covered the pitch from your Watch's GPS. Opt-in, and it stays private — nothing uploaded
- A live match card on the home screen, plus watch fitness (heart rate, distance, calories) for every match
- Cleaner match reports — kick-off times, a shareable score card, and swipe-to-delete
- Configurable Apple Watch Ultra Action Button — and referee mode is now fully translated into all 40 supported languages
- Speak, don't tap: dictate an incident from phone or watch — transcribed on-device into structured match data, nothing uploaded

Futsal (experimental)
- Early futsal support, with the correct pitch geometry and rules

Full-Time recap
- A celebratory, shareable recap at the full-time whistle.

Plus lots of fixes, polish and improvements. Thanks for playing with us!

### 1.5.0 — 2026-07-08

GAMECAM — FILM YOUR MATCH, BROADCAST-STYLE
Turn your phone into a sideline match camera. Record up to 4K/60 with a clean scoreboard baked into the video: team names, score and match clock. Goals, cards and big moments are clipped automatically — or tap to save the last 30 seconds to your camera roll. Face blur makes sharing safe: blur everyone or just the opposition, even on 4K recordings. Works fully offline, no login needed. The app checks what your iPhone can actually handle and recommends the best setting. Editable team acronyms and score bug, with automatic team-color detection.

POST-MATCH ANALYSIS
Tap Analyze on any saved match for possession, territory and quick stats — all computed on your phone, nothing uploaded. Tap your goals on the timeline to anchor the analysis to what really happened. Analyses are saved automatically, and you can share a branded results card.

ON-DEVICE MATCH AI (EXPERIMENTAL)
Turn it on and the app tracks players and the ball live, showing possession and a match momentum panel from kickoff to now. Press and hold "Show AI" to see what it sees and burn the momentum graphic into your recording. Everything runs on your device — nothing is uploaded, ever. Your recording always comes first: the AI eases off if things get heavy. It's early days for this one, so tell us what you think.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Now context-aware: it weighs goals, assists, clean-sheet defending, keeper heroics and comebacks — and shows the reasoning behind every pick.

BETTER STATS
New Net Goal Impact, plus goals scored and conceded per field minute. Goals now only count for players actually on the pitch, making defensive and goalkeeper stats far more accurate. Also: a dedicated goalkeeper plan, opponent goal tracking, and leaderboards for up to 16 players.

PLAYER CARDS
Open any player's full season stats straight from the in-game player sheet, and share a branded Player Card as an image or print-ready PDF — for the player's parent or guardian, or club officials.

CO-COACH
Share your live match with a nearby co-coach, or follow another coach's game. Subs, cards and score sync live over Bluetooth — no internet needed.

WATCH A LIVE SCORE NEARBY
Follow a nearby match with live subs, cards and a clock that keeps ticking even if the coach's phone sleeps. Broadcasting is now on by default: at your first kickoff the app explains what's shared (team acronym, score and clock — never player names) and asks once. Discovery is much steadier, each team can have its own broadcast acronym, and the screen stays awake only while a match is in session.

ALSO IN THIS RELEASE
A friendly first-run welcome, one-tap mic mute, upright landscape filming, a quick zoom bar, complete coverage of all 40 supported languages, and dozens of performance and reliability fixes.

### 1.4.0 — 2026-06-15

v1.4.0 (iOS) — What's New
Bring Your Assistant Onto the Sideline
Co-Coach Mode — a live, private second screen for your bench

Share a real-time mirror of your field with an assistant coach over Bluetooth — no internet, no accounts, and player names stay private to the paired device.

Your assistant sees exactly what you see: positions, bench order, fair-play time, keeper, cards, and the live clock.

They can suggest goals, assists, substitutions, cards, injuries, and opponent goals — you stay in full control and approve every change with one tap.

New: Let Your Assistant Do More

Drag players freely as a visual scratch pad to sketch positions and talk through shape — nothing changes on your end until you say so.

Drop one player onto another to suggest a position swap.

Suggest starting or stopping the clock when play turns — and if you approve a moment late, the time is intelligently corrected back to when it actually happened, so playing minutes stay accurate.

Fixes & Polish

Fixed an issue that could prevent CSV match exports from sharing correctly.

Stability and reliability improvements throughout.
App Store Ready
Version 1.4.0 (Build 48)

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| [Soccer Playing Time Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soccer-playing-time-tracker/id6758028778) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Sports |
| [SubTime Club Manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtime-club-manager/id6618584311) | — | Free | Sports |

## More apps by Damien Donnelly

- [Game On Futbol](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/game-on-futbol/id6476825623)

All apps by Damien Donnelly: https://appshunter.io/developer/1727897144

## Related topics

[substitution manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/substitution-manager) · [gafferpal](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gafferpal)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-05.*
