Guides
For the person who runs the game.
Field-tested playbooks for organizing pickup soccer, from the team behind FC Pickup.
How to organize a weekly pickup soccer game that actually happens
A practical playbook for organizing recurring pickup soccer: picking a time and pitch, capping numbers, collecting RSVPs, and making the game run itself.
How to handle no-shows in pickup soccer (without being the bad guy)
No-shows are the #1 organizer complaint in pickup soccer. Here's a fair, automatic system: check-in windows, strike policies, and consequences nobody has to enforce by hand.
How to make pickup soccer teams fair (and end the argument)
Stacked teams ruin pickup games. Compare picking methods (captains, rotation, data-driven) and see how peer skill ratings make balanced teams automatic.
How to run a pickup soccer waitlist that fills every game
Full games with zero chasing: why capped games need a real waitlist, how automatic promotion works, and the timing rules that stop freed spots going to waste.
House rules for pickup soccer: a starter set that prevents arguments
A field-tested set of pickup soccer house rules (game format, subs, contact level, disputes, and attendance) plus how to make the rules enforce themselves.
How to collect money for pickup soccer without chasing Venmos
You front the field money every week and spend the next seven days chasing $10 payments. Here's how to set a per-player fee, pick a collection method, and stop eating the cost when people drop.
How to handle guests and +1s in pickup soccer
Someone's cousin is in town and wants to play. Here's how to fit guests into a capped game without breaking your headcount, your waitlist, or your no-show accountability.
Pickup soccer attendance tracking: who keeps a standing spot in your group
The organizer's recurring decision is who gets a guaranteed spot. Here's how to make it on attendance and reliability data instead of gut feel, and export the numbers when you need them.
Why pickup soccer groups die (and how to keep yours alive)
Groups don't usually collapse because people stop wanting to play. They collapse because the one person doing the admin runs out of patience. Here's what actually burns organizers out, and how to remove each cause.
The best app for running a pickup soccer group: an honest comparison
WhatsApp, free team apps, pickup marketplaces, and paid organizer tools all solve different problems. Here's what each one is actually good at, where each breaks, and how to tell which one your group needs.