How to play soccer
Soccer is the easiest team sport to join: all you need is a ball, a patch of grass and enough people for two teams. Pickup games run in parks almost everywhere, from 5-a-side on small pitches to full 11-a-side on weekends.
The basics
- Two teams try to put the ball in the other goal; the team with more goals wins.
- Only the goalkeeper may use their hands, and only inside their own penalty area.
- Pickup games are often 5, 6 or 7 a side on a smaller field, with small goals or no fixed keeper.
- When the ball goes over the sideline, the other team throws it back in with both hands over the head.
- Most pickup games play without offside, or only "no cherry-picking" near the goal.
- Games run to a time (often 10 to 15 minutes) or a number of goals, then the next team comes on.
What you need
- Shoes with studs for grass (firm ground) or flat soles for turf and courts.
- Shin guards: optional in pickup, worth it in bigger games.
- A light and a dark shirt, so the teams can tell each other apart.
- A ball (size 5 for adults), and water.
How a pickup game works
Players show up, put their bags in a pile, and split into two teams by shirt colour or by two captains picking. With more players than spots, a third team waits and the winner stays on. There is no referee, so players call their own fouls and the team that was fouled restarts with a free kick.
Pickup etiquette
- Call your own fouls and accept the call; arguing ends games.
- No slide tackles in pickup: nobody wants to miss work on Monday.
- Pass to the new player; it is how a game keeps people coming back.
- Take a turn in goal when nobody wants to.
Your first games
- Ask "can I join?" before the game starts or between games; most groups say yes.
- Play simple: pass, move, and talk ("man on", "time").
- Bring both a dark and a light shirt so you can join either team.
Questions
How many players do you need for pickup soccer?
Eight to ten is enough for a 4 or 5 a side game on a small field. Many parks have regular groups of 20 or more on weekends.
Is there offside in pickup soccer?
Usually not. Most groups only ask that nobody waits by the other goal all game.
What shoes should I wear?
Studded boots on grass, turf shoes on artificial turf, and flat indoor shoes on courts. Running shoes work for a first game.
The cities with the most soccer fields on JOGO.
How many calories does soccer burn?
Work it out for your weight on JOGO Fuel, free.