Bibs On questions for grassroots football coaches
Answers for grassroots coaches: what Bibs On is, ages U5 to U16, Free vs Pro pricing, FA age checks, ChatGPT, Claude, Football DNA, and who the plans belong to.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
- What is Bibs On?
- A session planner for grassroots football, U5 to U16. Tonight's aim and the group in front of you go in; a runnable plan comes out, with diagrams that match the words and checks against FA guidance for that year.
- Who is Bibs On for?
- Volunteer grassroots coaches in the UK, usually a parent or assistant who plans one or two sessions a week. It is built for ordinary numbers, a half-pitch, and limited time before training.
- Can I plan a 1-to-1 session, or train my own child?
- Yes, on every plan. Choose one to three players and say what each one needs, like a weaker left foot or being braver in the tackle, or pick one aim such as passing for all of them. You play in: each activity says whether you feed, keep goal or defend, and how hard to try. With Pro you can save the players you coach every week, with their notes.
- What ages does Bibs On cover?
- U5 to U16 at launch. Heading limits, small-sided format ceilings and adult-to-child ratio reminders follow FA guidance for the exact year group. The product does not claim FA or UEFA affiliation or approval.
- How much does Bibs On cost?
- Free gives you a free session every week for your first two weeks after signup, then 1 new session and 3 drills a month; the monthly drill allowance applies throughout. Sign up with an email address; no card. Pro is £4.99 a month or £39.99 a year for unlimited planning, PDF export and saved players for 1-to-1 coaching. Clubs pay once a season for their coaches' seats, so coaches never put in a card.
- How do I cancel Pro?
- If you have Pro on the website, open Account and tap Cancel Pro. If you pay in the iPhone or Android app, cancel in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings. Pro stays on until the end of the period you have paid for. Cancel during your free days on the website and you are not charged.
- Does Bibs On check FA guidance?
- Yes, as checks, not as a qualification. Heading, format and ratio rules follow FA youth guidance for the age you selected. We are not affiliated with The FA or UEFA, and sessions are not reviewed by a qualified coach before you see them.
- Does Bibs On pick from a library of drills?
- No, there isn't one. Every activity gets written for the aim and the numbers you put in, then checked against FA guidance for the age. Turn up with twelve and you get a different session to the one you'd get with eight.
- Will I get the same session every week?
- No. You'll get three to five activities depending on the age and how long you've got, and you can have it start with a game or finish on a practice instead of a match. Ask for the same thing with the same group two weeks running and it'll feel familiar though. There's only so many ways to coach finishing with twelve.
- How is this different from ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini?
- General chatbots can help draft ideas and diagrams; capabilities depend on the model and tools you use. Bibs On uses stored player counts to keep the plan and pitch diagram together when attendance changes, with age checks and a Run session screen beside the pitch.
- Can ChatGPT plan a grassroots football session?
- Yes. It can help draft a session, and its tools can create images. You still need to review the result for your group and current guidance. Bibs On provides attendance controls, diagrams derived from the same setup, age checks and a screen for running the session.
- Is there an app for volunteer grassroots football coaches in the UK?
- Bibs On is on the App Store. It is a session planner for UK volunteer coaches of U5 to U16. Plan on the web or on your phone. One account. The plan fits who turned up, and Run session is one activity at a time beside the pitch.
- Does Bibs On work on iPhone beside the pitch?
- Yes. It's on the App Store. Plan at home, then open Run session on your phone: one activity at a time, a timer, and a large Next. The same account works on the web and iPhone.
- How is this different from Football DNA?
- Football DNA offers a video library and tools to build sessions. Bibs On writes a plan for the players, pitch and equipment you have tonight, and it updates when the numbers change.
- Do you store children's data?
- Team sheets and saved squads store first names only. Pro coaches can also save private-coaching players with a first name, age group and current coaching note. These are visible only to the coach; names do not enter generated plans or shared exports. We do not ask for photos, dates of birth or child contact details. Delete sheets and saved players whenever you like. Sheets made without an account are deleted after 90 days.
- Which football formats can I use?
- Choose 3v3, 4v4, 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 9-a-side or 11-a-side. Set the number of periods and minutes per period to match your fixture.
- Do I need an account to build a team sheet?
- No. Paste first names and build a sheet for free in your browser. A free account lets you save a squad to use again next week.
- Can I save my squad and pick the teams myself?
- Yes. Save a squad once with a free account, then each week tick who is coming and add anyone extra. At 3v3 and 4v4 you can pick the teams yourself, any size, or let the team sheet split them, and name them. Everyone plays every game with no substitutes. Against another club each team gets its own pitch, so thirteen can be five teams on five pitches. A squad keeps first names only.
- How does the team sheet handle keepers and substitutions?
- From 5-a-side up it shares the minutes as evenly as the numbers allow and lists who comes on and off at each change. Keepers can take turns, be shared by a few, or be one player all game, and time in goal counts as time played. If someone pulls out or goes off injured, the same parents' link updates.
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