Fines for youth and junior teams, without the money
· 5 min read
The fines tradition is good for a squad. Charging children for it is not. The fix is simple and it keeps everything that made it work.
The short answer
Youth and junior teams should run a fines system on points rather than money, because any system requiring cash excludes children whose families cannot easily provide it. A points based fine table keeps the leaderboard, the banter and the accountability intact while removing both the cost and the safeguarding problem of adults collecting money from children.
Why money is the wrong currency for a junior side
Three separate problems, and any one of them is enough. A child whose family is struggling cannot pay, will not say so, and will quietly stop turning up. A coach collecting cash from children creates a safeguarding question that no club wants to have to answer. And parents who were never consulted about a fines system will, reasonably, object to being asked for money by somebody they have not met.
None of that is a reason to drop the tradition. The thing that makes a fines system work is not the money. It is the list, the leaderboard and the fact that everyone can see it.
What to use instead
- Points. One point for routine offences, three for the bigger ones, exactly the structure money would have had.
- A visible table. The whole squad can see who is top, which is the part that actually changes behaviour.
- A reset. Wipe it at the end of the season, or at the halfway point if somebody is running away with it.
- A reward at the bottom, not a punishment at the top. The lowest points total gets to pick the end of season game.
What to fine for, and what not to
Fine for the things a child controls: turning up late, forgetting kit, leaving the cones out, phones during a team talk, not shaking hands at the end. Those are choices, and a point for each one is a reasonable nudge.
Do not fine for anything to do with ability. No points for a missed penalty, a dropped catch or an own goal. In adult football those fines are funny because everyone involved knows they can play a bit. For a twelve year old a public point for missing a penalty is just a record of being bad at football, and it will put them off the sport rather than the mistake.
Bring the parents in before you start
Send one message explaining the system before the first point is issued. Say what it is, say explicitly that no money is involved, and say the table resets. Nearly every objection a parent would have is answered by those three facts delivered in advance rather than after their child comes home top of a list.
It is also worth naming who issues points. The same rule as the adult game applies: one or two people confirm, so it never becomes whichever coach is most irritated that week.
The forfeits that work for juniors
Keep them tiny and keep them communal. Carrying the bibs, collecting the cones, leading the warm up, being last to pick a team. The ones that work are chores and small responsibilities rather than anything that singles a child out in front of the group.
Avoid anything physical. Press ups and extra laps as punishment turn exercise into a penalty, which is the opposite of what a youth side is trying to teach.
Running it without a spreadsheet
Fine Club can be switched from money to points per club, so the rulebook, the table and the leaderboard all work exactly as they do for an adult side while the currency is points and nobody pays a penny. Set it once when you create the club. Free on iOS and Android, and the app itself is for ages 18 and over, so it is the coach who runs it rather than the players.
Common questions
Should junior football teams have fines?
A fines system is good for a junior squad provided the currency is points rather than money. Points keep the leaderboard and the accountability while removing the cost barrier and the safeguarding problem of adults collecting cash from children.
What should youth teams be fined for?
Only things a child controls, such as lateness, forgotten kit, not helping pack away, phones during a team talk, or not shaking hands at the end. Never anything related to ability, because a public penalty for a missed penalty just records being bad at football.
How do you explain a fines system to parents?
One message before the first point is issued, saying what the system is, stating clearly that no money is involved, and confirming that the table resets at the end of the season. Those three facts in advance answer almost every objection.
What forfeits are suitable for a youth team?
Small communal chores: carrying the bibs, collecting cones, leading the warm up. Avoid physical punishments such as extra laps, because they turn exercise into something a child learns to dread.
Run your fines in the app, not a notes app
Fine Club keeps your rulebook, the pot and the leaderboard in one place, so nobody has to chase a pound by hand. Free on iOS and Android.