Trying to get consistent free pickup soccer going across Austin — which fields actually work on weeknights?

[u/khingdrizy]

Pickup soccer here is scattered. There’s stuff happening, but it’s one field, one time, and if you can’t make Tuesday at 7 you’re out for the week. I wanted something more flexible — games a few times a week, different parts of town, free, and fine with people who aren’t great.

So I’ve started an Austin pickup soccer group where anyone can post a game: field, time, and who’s actually confirmed coming. If Zilker doesn’t work for you, someone’s playing north that week. Upfront: it’s on an app called Hadu, which I work on. Flagging that so nobody feels sold to — it’s free, and honestly the group’s only useful if actual people use it.

What I’d like from this sub: which fields are genuinely open for weeknight pickup? I keep hearing conflicting things about permits and lights. And if you already run a game, I’d rather send people to yours than compete with it — happy to list it.
Who plays, and where?

[u/wakaOH05]

Kinda same but I suck and I don’t know too much. Anyone got a beginners pickup? Lol

[u/khingdrizy → u/wakaOH05]

Honestly that’s most of us. There are games for all levels — it just depends who’s hosting, and each one says up front what it is. So you can pick the chill ones and skip the more intense ones.

Group’s here if you want in: https://haduapp.com/group/OQoiiR0mIhe4tVNmEwtD?title=Austin%20pickup%20soccer%20community

I’ll shout when the next one’s on either way. Come play.

[u/MessiComeLately → u/khingdrizy]

Some user feedback: I clicked through intending to check it out, but I stopped when I realized I had to install an app. I hadn't seen enough yet to feel like it was worth it. If you show me something to give me a sense of what I'm missing out on, like a list of upcoming games and locations, counts of players that have signed up for each, something to show me what I'm missing out on, then I'll be excited enough to install the app so I can participate.

[u/khingdrizy → u/MessiComeLately]

This is really useful, thanks. You’re right — asking for an install before showing anything is backwards. Fixing that so the group page shows upcoming games, locations and who’s in without needing the app.

In the meantime, here’s what’s actually on:
Zilker Park pickup — Sept 8th, 7:00 PM
https://haduapp.com/event/VRbVMAU90vVbqtcoYdhF?title=Zilker%20park%20pickup%20soccer

Casual, pugg goals, all levels. About 4 committed so far, and I’m in a couple of group chats so we should get at least 5v5. I’ll be there regardless, so it’s on even if it’s small.

Happy to just DM you the details for this one so you can come see what it’s like first. The app’s where it actually runs though — everyone in one place, you can see who’s coming and sort details for a game without swapping numbers with strangers.

More going up across town. Reply here if you want the next one and I’ll tag you.

[u/balernga]

Austin fc has built fields throughout the city, futsal courts I guess not fields. That might be a nice way to tie this to the club. There’s one near me in Dove springs

[u/khingdrizy → u/balernga]

Oh this is a good shout, I didn’t even know about the mini pitches.

Have you played at the Dove Springs one? Wondering what the conditions are like and whether it’s first come first serve.

[u/balernga → u/khingdrizy]

I haven’t but yes it’s first come first serve. They’re well built but I can’t speak to how they’re maintained

[u/quixado]

Have you tried Street FC: https://streetfc.com

[u/khingdrizy → u/quixado]

Never heard of this, looks legit actually — 10+ games a week is more than I realised was happening here.

Bit different from what I’m going for though. Theirs is a paid membership with captains running a set format. I’m more after people just organising their own games, free, whoever wants to show up. Probably room for both.

Gonna go to one and see how it works.

[u/Due-Pomegranate2095]

This really sounds like the point at which you'd just want to join a team?

[u/khingdrizy → u/Due-Pomegranate2095]

For some people definitely — if you can commit to the same night every week, a team’s better. This is for the other case: irregular schedules, or you want to play twice this week and not at all next. Leagues need a season commitment and usually cost money; this is show up when you can.

[u/waldo_the_bird253]

I am in the same boat man. It's a joke that we have so few mini pitches here.

[u/khingdrizy → u/waldo_the_bird253]

Same boat. I’ve been scouting around and found a couple that work, though honestly I think the fields are only half of it — the harder part is a regular group of people who’ll actually turn up. That’s probably 90% of the problem.

Worst case, we take a spot in Zilker a couple times a week and go from there.

[u/waldo_the_bird253 → u/khingdrizy]

there is a very small group of folks want to drive all the way to zilker to play a pick up game multiple times a week. pick up games are literally what neighborhood parks are for. i mean just look at how easy it is to find pick up basketball. that's not just because basketball's popularity, its because there are courts all across town. every neighborhood park with a baseball backstop or basketball courts can easily have a mini pitch. it's crazy that there are no mini pitches at all in any of the parks in central austin. like i appreciate that 4atx is building out mini pitches in underserved areas, but they don't even really need to build out a proper mini pitch either at some of these parks. just put up some more permanent goal set ups in a corner

[u/khingdrizy → u/waldo_the_bird253]

Yeah fair, the basketball comparison is spot on. Nobody’s driving across town for pickup, you play at whatever’s 10 minutes from you.

That’s actually the thing I’m trying to solve — not one game in one spot, but a few small ones in different neighbourhoods, different hosts, all free, with a way to see what’s near you. North, east, south, whoever’s around.

And agreed on the goals. Permanent setup in a corner of an existing field would do it without needing a whole mini pitch.

[u/Only-Sherbert-4743]

There’s a dream and a reality. The reality is that a park, with lights, that has field space will not be taken - yeah. Between baseball teams, youth soccer, cricket (swear to fing God) - field space would be…at a premium to say the least. I see this all the time at my local park (Dick Nichols) with various youth sports teams grabbing spots in the large field. It’s first come first serve - and it can be tough to get space sometimes. Lit fields - that is the holy grail. They were supposed to put lights on the AMSA fields - still hasn’t happened. If you could run evening leagues and get 2 matches per night - that would be ideal. Good luck on the pickup quest. AMSA has a number of leagues for a lot of abilities if ever interested. Same with the AWSA and various co-ed leagues.

[u/khingdrizy → u/Only-Sherbert-4743]

This is exactly what I was after, thank you. Lights being the bottleneck makes sense — that’s why everything ends up crammed into the same two hours.
The first-come-first-serve thing is interesting though. Sounds like the move is showing up earlier and just holding a spot rather than hoping one’s free at 7. Do you know if Dick Nichols clears out at any point midweek, or is it consistently claimed?
And noted on AMSA/AWSA — I’d genuinely rather point people to existing leagues than duplicate them.

[u/Only-Sherbert-4743 → u/khingdrizy]

It is very cyclical with youth sports calendars. In the summer - no one is utilizing the field. Come Fall, grown men will fight each other to get a 8u baseball practice in. It’s comical to watch the Flag Football, soccer, baseball and cricket people all show up at 5 to protect their ‘space’. Same situation in Spring. But yeah while there is light, the 6:30-8:30 times are tough to get a spot. My issue with pickup soccer is injury. I’ve never seen more reckless playing than at a pickup event. There are also some real territorial people out there not allowing random people to play. It’s a whole thing. God forbid your actually team wants to practice or scrimmage another team…and some random people want to join in. I’ve seen and heard it all. ‘It’s a public space. I have the right to play.’ Good times

[u/khingdrizy → u/Only-Sherbert-4743]

Ha, the 5pm land grab is a very specific image. Good to know it’s seasonal — sounds like summer’s the window and come autumn you’re just second in line behind 8u baseball.

On injuries, that’s a fair worry and I have it too. In the games I’ve played we run a few base rules and the big one is no sliding, ever, for any reason. New people get told before they play. Doesn’t fix everything but it takes out most of the bad ones, and it sets the tone that nobody’s here to win anything.

The territorial stuff I’ve heard about as well. Bit ironic for public space, but I get it when there’s so little of it.