Pickup Soccer at Colleges
If you're living in a college town that's relatively cut off from big cities, you'll know that sense of a close-knit community. You're stuck with these same people wherever you go but eventually many become really great friends. This can definitely be a positive thing and it applies to soccer communities in this type of setting.
Students, faculty, and staff who like to play soccer often go to the same fields throughout their time on campus. The pickup game rules and customs are passed on from previous generations. Like most good things in life, better behaviors tend to stick around longer. Not only that but behaviors are contagious, so new guys and girls that join these games don't take long to learn what to do and what not to do. When basically everyone knows each other and knows the 'right' way to play, they tend to respect one other more. Ultimately, a great environment is created for the game and the natural thing to do is to come back for more!
Miami University is an example of such a place. Since the number of soccer facilities are very limited (only two dedicated ones), the effects of being in a small town could be clearly felt.
Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Here at the Oxford campus of Miami University, students can easily access two main facilities for pickup soccer: Cook Field and the Rec Sports Center Court #4.
A big artificial turf, multi-purpose field located on the east side of campus. It could be divided into three 8 v 8 fields (as seen in the photos above). The atmosphere is phenomenal, especially around this time of year when the field is surrounded by the fall foliage. One thing we like about Cook Field is that the full-sized goals have wheels on them so you could move them to desired locations without too much effort. A few dorms are just steps away from the field; what a lucky bunch.
Rec Sports Center Court #4
Situated inside the Rec Sports Center complex, this hardwood indoor soccer court is loved by many students. It's the only place on campus where they can get away from the cold to play a game of pickup soccer. The majority of the games played at 'the Rec' are as 5 v 5 (though intramural league games are played as 4 v 4).
General tips on etiquette followed by the Miami community:
use futsal (low-bounce) ball instead of regular size 5 soccer ball
shirts vs. skins (shirtless) for simple differentiation
no shooting behind the halfway line
the ball is out of play if, a) it hits the side netting, b) it goes above the top red line on the wall
first to 3 goals (2 goals if there are 4+ teams)
last one to take a knee becomes the first goalkeeper
rotation of goalkeepers after every goal
goalkeeper cannot use hands from a back pass
after every goal, restart is from the back (not the center spot)
Once you get used to these rules, you'll realize that they make sense and keep the games flowing pretty smoothly. And as always, no dangerous plays.
So if you're in a college town like Miami, see whether you could apply some of these rules to the pickup games there. As explained earlier, behaviors catch on easily in an environment like this. Go out there, have fun, and be a positive influence for all.
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