Spare Pool & Subs
Manage your substitute player pool, handle sub requests, track usage, and keep your games fully staffed with fair cross-team rules.
Spare Pool Setup
- Navigate to your league dashboard and open the Spare Pool section to create or manage your sub list.
- Add players to the spare pool manually by entering their name and contact info, or invite them via email to self-register.
- Organize your spare pool by skill level, position, or division so teams can find the right sub quickly.
- Set eligibility rules to control which players can sub for which teams (e.g., same division only, skill level restrictions).
- Players in the spare pool receive a profile page showing their availability, past sub history, and contact info.
Pro tip: Invite players from your waitlist to join the spare pool — it keeps them engaged with the league while they wait for a roster spot.
Player Availability
- Spare players can log in and mark themselves as available or unavailable for specific game dates.
- The availability calendar shows upcoming games that need subs alongside the player's schedule.
- Players can set recurring availability (e.g., available every Tuesday and Thursday) to save time.
- Teams browsing the spare pool see a live availability indicator next to each player's name.
- Admins can view a summary of available subs for any given game date at a glance.
Pro tip: Send a weekly availability reminder to your spare pool on Mondays so they update their schedule before teams start looking for subs.
Sub Request Notifications
- When a team needs a substitute, captains can send a sub request directly from the game details page.
- Choose to notify the entire spare pool, a specific skill level group, or hand-pick individual players.
- Notifications are sent via email and SMS with the game details: date, time, venue, and the requesting team.
- The first player to accept the request is confirmed and both the team captain and player are notified.
- If no one accepts within your configured deadline, the system can automatically expand the request to more players.
Pro tip: Set a 24-hour response deadline on sub requests so you have time to expand the search if no one responds quickly.
Sub Tracking & Limits
- RocketHockey automatically tracks every sub appearance, recording which player subbed for which team and when.
- Set per-season sub limits to cap how many games a spare player can play (e.g., max 5 games per season).
- Set per-week limits to prevent a single sub from playing every night and dominating the spare pool.
- The system warns captains when they try to add a sub who has reached their limit.
- View sub usage reports to see which players are subbing the most and for which teams.
Pro tip: Review sub usage reports at mid-season to ensure no single player is dominating the spare pool — balanced sub distribution keeps the league fair.
Cross-Team Sub Rules
- Configure whether rostered players can sub for other teams within the same division or only in other divisions.
- Set blackout rules to prevent subs from playing for a team they will face later in the season.
- Restrict subs from playing for more than one team in the same week to maintain competitive balance.
- Define skill-level restrictions so higher-division players cannot sub down into lower divisions.
- All cross-team sub rules are enforced automatically — captains see clear error messages if a sub violates a rule.
Pro tip: The most common cross-team rule is "no subbing down" — preventing higher-level players from subbing in lower divisions keeps games competitive and fair.
Need more help with subs?
Our support team can help you set up the perfect spare pool configuration for your league.
Contact Support