Frequently Asked Questions

1 

What makes this different from other NYC leagues?

Our safety-oriented rules and mixed-skill group result in a competitive but less intense energy on the field than most other leagues.

2

What makes this different from pickup/meetup games?

Consistency. We start on time. Our refs consistently enforce rules. You know who’s on your team before you arrive*. The league has a reserve list of subs who we’ll invite to play if needed, so we have a lot of protection against low-attendance forfeits.

3

Is this a league or a pickup game?

This is a league with referees, strict kickoff times, and preassigned teams*. 

4

What’s with the *s in the previous two answers?

We reassign rosters every two weeks to build camaraderie while keeping the game fresh. We also maintain a leaderboard of individual players’ goals, assists, and wins to add a little extra competition to the season.

5

What if I want to play with my friends?

If you listed a friend’s email when registering, we will put you on their team unless the following exception occurs:

• If a large group of players on either end of the skill spectrum all request to play together, we may have to break up the group in order to get a reasonably balanced skill level across teams in the league. We aren’t large enough (yet) to offer divisions and we can’t guarantee a fun experience if one team is greatly more or less skilled than the others.

Note that even when we reassign rosters, we’ll still keep friends together unless the above exception occurs.

6

I saw that you don’t use goalies. What’s up with that?

Our custom nets are as wide as typical league nets but only about half as tall. This eliminates the need for goalies (but you’ll probably want to use a formation with a deep sweeper position.) The nets are way bigger than pop-up nets used in pickup games so you have plenty of space to shoot at. There’s no frustration about opponents blocking a tiny net and no need for custom rules to prevent that.

7

What skill level are you looking for?

Here’s a rough breakdown of the skill levels in our league. Players in the “expert” category must be willing and able to adjust their play style to fit the rhythm of our mixed-skill group. Casual players are asked to affirm that they meet the minimum requirements listed below.

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Casual (20% of players): consistently bring the ball under control with your foot, complete passes to teammates, understand your role in at least one position.

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Core (50% of players): control the ball with all parts of your body, pass and shoot accurately, understand and play multiple positions.

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Expert (30% of players): master all control and striking techniques, understand advanced strategy and tactics

8

Is all physical contact against the rules in Sunday League?

Not at all! Sunday League is soccer, and soccer is a contact sport. It all comes down to the level of contact that counts as a foul, so see below!

9

OK, what counts as a foul in Sunday League NYC?

According to FIFA rules, a foul occurs when a player makes contact that is careless, reckless, or uses excessive force. Here’s what these terms mean at Sunday League.

• Avoid Being Careless: You are responsible for your body parts. Be aware of how you move your arms and legs and avoid actions that are unlikely to succeed in fair play (e.g. kicking at the ball when another player is in the way.)

• Avoid Being Reckless: You are responsible for the immediate consequences of your actions. If you collide into someone, you shouldn’t have been going that fast. Think of it like stopping distance on the highway. When players make contact, both of them should be entirely in control of their bodies during the action.

• Avoid Excessive Force: You are responsible to help keep everyone safe. You must avoid making contact with another player in a way that places them at undue risk of injury. In our league, referees particularly scrutinize contact that the other player wasn’t able to anticipate (e.g. colliding into them from behind), since the injury risk is far greater in that case.

FIFA also penalizes contact that impedes an opponent’s progress when you aren’t playing the ball. In most other leagues, referees only call this foul when a very obvious infraction occurs, such as pulling a shirt or holding someone around the waist with both arms. In Sunday League, referees penalize any use of the hands or arms that substantially impedes an opponent when you aren’t playing the ball. While these actions aren’t especially injury-inducing, they have a tendency to raise the temperature of the game beyond an appropriate level for our league.

10

What can I do to avoid injury in Sunday League?

The most important factor in your safety is playing within your limits. Our referees work hard to keep folks safe from each other, but only you can avoid hurting yourself. Particularly if you’re coming back from injury or after a long time away from the game, take your time to learn your limits. 

11

What should I wear at Sunday League?

We have two requirements and one recommendation:

1. You must wear shin guards and long athletic socks to completely cover them.

2. You must remove or appropriately cover any watches and any large jewelry that could catch on something. 

3. We recommend turf soccer shoes as opposed to tennis shoes, flat-soled soccer shoes, or cleats. For the surface we play on, these offer by far the best combination of grip when you need it and give when you don’t. Cleats generally offer too much grip, which can turn an otherwise harmless tumble into a torn ligament.