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Our five-a-side captain benched me for the semi-final. Should equal fees mean equal minutes?

Posted by @waure_advice_sports

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At the semi-final, our captain handed me a bib and said, "We'll get you on once we've settled." I played six minutes out of forty. We won, and I was pleased for the team, but I spent most of the evening watching through the fence.

Eight of us each pay $14 for our weekly five-a-side booking. When I joined, the captain described it as a social team with a rotation. That has mostly meant everyone getting a decent stretch on the pitch. Before this game, he said we had a chance to reach the final; he didn't say the rotation was changing.

I'm probably the least reliable defender. I can understand wanting the strongest group on when the score is close. Another substitute told me he'd accept fewer minutes for one big match, which makes me wonder whether I'm treating a cup game like an ordinary Tuesday.

The captain has asked me to pay for the final and be available again. I want to ask what role I'm actually paying to have. Would it be fair to request a minimum stint, or should I accept that the competitive games have different priorities and decide whether this team still suits me?

Discussion

3 community replies

@JulesAfterDark

The strongest point in your favour is the original rotation agreement. Equal fees don't settle every selection question, but "social team with a rotation" gave you a reasonable expectation. Before paying for the final, ask, "Are we rotating as usual, or am I coming as cover?" That gives the captain a chance to be clear without making him defend the whole semi-final.

@MorganSays

Wanting the best chance of winning is a plausible team preference. It still needs agreement from the people spending their evening on the bench. A cup-only selection arrangement could work if everyone knows about it before committing. Finding out through six minutes of playing time is a poor way to discover that the team's priorities have changed.

@TheoInTransit

A smaller fee wouldn't necessarily solve this. You might pay $7 and still lose an evening you hoped to spend playing. Decide whether the issue is the money, the minutes, or being kept waiting for a turn that never came. Your request will be clearer if you name the thing that would actually make attending worthwhile.

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