League FAQ
Jump to Section
1. Registration Basics
2. Payment Basics
3. Signing up as a Team Captain
4. Signing up as Free Agent
5. Scheduling
6. League Rules
1. Registration Basics
I just discovered you guys, is it too late for me to sign up a Team, or join a team as a Free Agent?
We play year-round and will have new leagues open for registration and starting soon. Registration for upcoming seasons is typically open at least a month or two in advance, and typically closes on the Signup Deadline at least a week prior to the start date. If you’re interested in playing right away, check out all the ways to connect with Captains as a Free Agent, including as a sub for leagues already in progress.
I just moved to KC and I don't know enough people to put together a team but I want to play, what should I do?
Sign up as a Free Agent to be added to the pool of players Captains can invite when they’re looking for additional team players, and then join our “Soccer KC Free Agents & Captains” on Facebook too. It is FREE to sign up as a free agent – you will only be asked to pay your part of team dues if you join a team. This is a great way to meet new people – many of our teams recruit Free Agents every season.
I know a ton of people who want to play but I am not sure about being a Captain. I'm nervous asking people for money and also scared of not being able to get enough players from week to week.
Being a Captain can sound intimidating, but we make it easy in three ways: no deposit needed to sign up, 100% Team Money Back Guarantee, and the ability to recruit Free Agents from your online team dashboard at any time. Plus, we’re always here to support our Captains via email and phone throughout the season.
1. NO MONEY DOWN – There is no deposit required to register your team and start inviting teammates. Our TeamPayer tool allows you to invite and simultaneously invoice teammates for their share of team dues, which are then paid directly to the club and lower your team balance accordingly.
2. NO RISK – If you decide to cancel team registration for any reason by the Signup Deadline, let us know and we will refund everyone.
3. GET PLAYERS – After registering a team, you’ll have access to our “Recruit Free Agents” button which will show you a list of players who are looking for teams – just click to invite them to play for your team!
Check out our Tools for Captains page for even more info on managing your team, paying dues, and finding players. If all that seems too much for you, ask a teammate to sign up the team and take the reins instead 🙂
How old do I have to be to play?
All leagues require participants to be 18 or older.
What are the ages of most of the people who play?
People of all ages and skill levels play! We have 55-year-old former semi-pros, 20-year-old players new to the game, 31-year-old weekend warriors just looking to stay in shape, 26-year-old phenoms, 39-year-olds who’ve played pickup for years, you get the idea.
What are the rules of the league?
View all of our league rules here. There is no slide tackling and no offside.
How do I create a profile on Soccer KC's website?
To create a profile, you must register for a league. After your first registration, you will have an single profile on our website for your registrations on all future teams, leagues, and seasons.
There are three ways to complete registration for a league:
- Register as a Team Captain and create a team.
- Register as a Free Agent – you’ll be added to pool of players for Captains to invite.
- Accept an invitation from a Team Captain via email.
What if my team invitation link doesn't work?
When a Captain creates a team, they can send email invitations to friends and coworkers with a link that will allow them to join the team directly. These links expire after a certain length of time though, at which point players may get an error saying the link is no longer valid. Don’t worry, if this happens players can still sign up for the team by:
- Having your Captain log in and send a new invite to an active email address.
- Email info@soccerkc.org and let us know the league and team you’re trying to join.
2. Payment Basics
What do my league registration dues include?
Soccer league registration typically includes:
- 8 Guaranteed Games
- 1-2 Playoff or Consolation Games
- 25 Minute Halves + Halftime
- Brand New Premium Artificial Grass Turf Field
- Championship T-Shirts for League Winners
- Engraved Team Trophy for League Winners
- Trained, Paid Referees
- Quality Turf-Specific Game Balls
- On-Site Field Managers
- League Scheduling & Customer Support
- Support for Youth Community Programs
Check your specific league details for any modification to these items.
Soccer KC reserves the right to change the length of a season due to excessive rainouts, field scheduling issues, and other unforeseen circumstances. We also reserve the right to change of day, time and location of games in order to complete games.
Do you offer refunds?
No, all registration fees are non-refundable after a league’s Signup Deadline (or 6 days prior to the Start Date, whichever comes first). Our refund information is outlined in the player waiver, which is agreed to during the registration process. Registering for a team or league is a commitment to participate in the full season. A player’s or team’s decision not to participate in a league they have registered for is not grounds for a refund. If players or teams choose not to participate after they have registered and before the season starts, they may request a credit to use towards a future league. Refunds are also not given if a player moves, due to a change in work schedule, or any other non-league related changes. Participation in adult sports, even at the social level, may result in injury unfortunately. Soccer KC does not refund players’ fees if they are injured.
3. Signing up as a Team Captain
IMPORTANT: Read our Tools for Captains page for full details on paying team dues, managing your team, and finding players. These FAQs do not cover all essential information or tips you’ll need as a Captain.
How much do I have to pay to register my team?
NOTHING! There is no deposit due. You can register your team with no money down, and then invite and invoice your teammates for their share of team dues using our TeamPayer tool. As a Captain, you are responsible for making sure a minimum of $200 is paid toward your team’s dues by your league’s Signup Deadline, and that your team dues are paid in full by the Payment Deadline, typically midnight the day before your second game. However, if for instance, you invoice your teammates for their share of team dues, and at least $200 is paid by the Signup Deadline, and then your team’s full dues are covered by additional teammates’ payments by the Payment Deadline, you will not be charged any money 🙂
When do my team dues have to be paid in full?
Team dues must be paid in full by the Payment Deadline, typically the day before your second game at midnight. The exact date per league is listed toward the bottom of your Manage Team page. All leagues also require a minimum of $200 paid toward a team’s dues by the Signup Deadline to confirm a team’s spot.
How do I split my team balance with teammates?
Use our TeamPayer tool to invite all of your teammates and invoice them for their share of team dues.
What is TeamPayer?
TeamPayer is a way to help your teammates pay for their team fee without you having to worry about collecting cash, Venmo, PayPal, or checks. View more info on TeamPayer.
Is it possible I could lose my $200 minimum team payment?
Yes, your team’s minimum payment of $200 toward full team dues is non-refundable after the Signup Deadline, secures your spot in a league, and serves as a commitment to play the season (many of our leagues have limited spots available). A lot of organizational effort goes into planning for and renting appropriate field space and creating schedules based on an even or odd number of teams in a league, so when a team withdraws, cancels, or abandons their registration for any reason, it results in a lot of additional work for our organizers, as well as unexpected schedule and standings changes for other teams already committed to playing. A team’s minimum payment and/or dues will be refunded only if Soccer KC cancels a league entirely, or if a team is not offered a position in a league/division determined to be appropriate for the team. Remember, if you register a team and then decide not to play for any reason, just let us know anytime before the Signup Deadline and we’ll refund any dues paid up to that point as part of our 100% Team Money Back Guarantee. There’s no risk in registering and trying to get a team together.
Can I get an invoice to get my company to pay for some or all of my team?
Yes. Printable invoices are available from your Player Page via the “View Invoice” text link above the “Manage Team” button.
4. Signing up as a Free Agent
What is a Free Agent signup?
Free Agents are players who don’t have a team yet but are looking to play on one. Part of our job is to connect players who sign up as Free Agents with Captains who are looking for additional players for their team – it’s a win-win! When you click the “Free Agent” button on a league, you will be asked to describe yourself and what type of team you’re looking for. Captains from that league will then be able to view this info and invite you to join their team. It does not cost anything to sign up for the Free Agent pool; you will only be asked to pay your share of team dues if you agree to join a team.
When could I expect to be invited to join a Team?
It all depends how many Captains are looking for players during that particular season, in the specific league you signed up for as a Free Agent. Typically, as the league Signup Deadline approaches, Captains more actively recruit Free Agents to join their team. But the sooner you sign up, the better your chances of being invited to join a team, since some Captains begin building their roster early on. You can also post in our “Soccer KC Free Agents & Captains” Facebook group to connect with Captains.
My friend and I both want to play and sign-up together, how can we do that?
When you sign up as a Free Agent, be sure to include info or details about friends you may want to play with. Captains are often looking for several new players, so this could help your chances of being invited to join a team.
What type of footware is recommended?
In general, we recommend regular molded grass cleats for our artificial grass turf fields. However, players are free to wear any boot they’d like, as long as they don’t have metal studs. Some players wear turf cleats, a few even wear flats. Our artificial grass fields are fairly thick (like real grass) and have a rubber pellet base.
Are shin guards required?
Shin guards are highly recommended for both leagues and pickup, but they are not a requirement to play.
What color shirt should I wear?
After you have been invited to join a team, your Captain will advise you what color shirt to wear to games.
I'm not sure if I should play, I'm not that good...
While at least a tiny bit of experience playing soccer is recommended by no means do you have to be “good”! Our Coed league is very accommodating to players without much experience, players with no experience but who are either athletic or willing to put forth their best effort, or those who haven’t played in a while. And the club atmosphere in general is welcoming and friendly.
I want to play, but may have to miss a game because of work/vacation/etc.
If you have to miss a game or two, that’s not a problem. Captains typically carry extra people on their rosters since not everyone will be able to make the game every week. However, if you need to miss more than half the season, it’s probably best to play in pickup games for now.
5. Scheduling
When can I see a schedule for my league?
Generally we post a schedule for the first week of the league about 2-6 days prior to the start date. After the first game of the league, we’ll create and post a schedule for the full season.
Why the two separate schedule release dates?
Waiting to release the full season schedule gives us the chance to potentially accommodate any teams who may register a little late. By only scheduling the first week, we can add them without going back and changing all of your game times to accommodate them. It also allows us to make any necessary adjustments to league details if necessary.
Do you ever cancel for rain?
We play in rainy or wet conditions on our turf fields. So if you’ve seen some rain and are wondering if games are still on, the answer is YES! If there is lightning in the area, the Field Manager will delay play and advise players on site. We will make every effort to give at least two hours notice via text and email if we need to cancel for any reason. Players may also sign up for text message cancellation updates through their online dashboard. Typically an email and/or text message will go out as soon as possible to all players on the team roster if activities are cancelled for any reason.
How do you determine who makes the playoffs?
The top four teams make the playoffs for game #9. This will be determined by the live standings after game #8.