New Player Information
WELCOME!
You’ve signed up to Play 5-a-Side & you’ve got your team, so what happens next?
We are so glad that you’ve taken the plunge and joined one of our 5-a-Side social leagues! All of our leagues have teams who have signed up in different ways, from groups of friends who sign up together, whole teams of ladies, work colleagues and those who sign up as individuals! What makes our leagues so great is that everybody has joined for the same reason, because of the love of football. Before you play your first match, there are a few things you need to know to make it easier for you and your new team:
Payments
Match fees need to be paid upfront before each match. Your team can easily split the cost of the matches yourselves through our user-friendly online payment system. Players can sign in and pay their share individually.
Facebook Groups
Each of our leagues has a Facebook group so all teams and referees can communicate with one another before or after matches. This group is also a great source in finding subs for when your team might be short by one or two players. You’ll be sent the link to your Facebook group in your welcome email.
Communication
It is important you communicate as a team. Play 5-a-Side will create a WhatsApp group for your team but as players you need to discuss with one another your positions and availability. If you feel your team could do with more players then please let us know, we can add another player from our waiting list
Uniform & Kit
There is no set uniform for this league but we ask for teams to wear matching coloured shirts or bring overhead bibs. Play 5-A-Side will have a spare set of bibs in case team colours clash on the night.
Health & Safety
No jewellery is allowed except a plain wedding band/medical bracelet but must be taped. All other jewellery including fitness trackers and ear piercings must be removed before you take the pitch. Please also make sure you wear appropriate trainers/football boots when playing your matches, each location may have different footwear requirements for their playing surface. Shin pads are advised, but not compulsory.
Concessions & Forfeits
During your first season you won’t need to worry about forfeit fees. If you need to concede a match due to player availability you will not be charged but you would still need to inform Play 5-a-Side before 5pm on the day of your match. Forfeit fees will come into place when you start your second season with Play 5-a-Side after you have become adjusted to the league and you’re satisfied with the number of players within your team.
Team Captain
Each team requires a team captain to be selected before the first game. This role won’t take up any more of your time, you’d just be our point of contact for the team. Team captains will have to let Play 5-a-Side know of any forfeits, player requests, or issues your team is experiencing within the league.
Links & Contact
You can easily view your league table on Magic League, our user-friendly portal, where you can set your availability, see all of your past and future fixtures and manage your payments. Just go to ‘Login’ at the top of the page and it will take you to your Magic League profile.
To have been placed in a team with Play 5-a-Side, you would have already created your Magic League account on our website. If you have trouble logging in, just press ‘forgot password’ and type the email address that you would have used when signing up to Play 5-a-Side.
If you need to speak to one of the team, we are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
- Email: info@play-5-a-side.co.uk
- Phone: 01256 644049
We are active on Social Media, so don’t forget to follow our Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn pages!
How Our Leagues Work
So, how do our leagues work? We’ve listed a rundown of what to expect when playing in our leagues.
- Seasons will run between 8-14 weeks depending on the number of teams in your league. Once a season finishes, the season starts the following week. Your team will automatically be entered into the next season unless you inform us of your team’s departure.
- All our matches are 36 minutes long. Matches are split into 2×18 minute halves, with teams being given a minute break between each quarter.
- Matches will always take place on the same night at the same venue. There may be times where the regular venue is temporarily unavailable and we have to relocate but we will notify all teams in advance.
- You don’t need to provide an umpire. Unlike competitive Football leagues where it is the teams responsibility to provide an umpire, Play 5-A-Side has you covered.
- All our leagues have a league coordinator who attends matches every week. They are your point of contact on the night, so if any problems occur, please speak to the coordinator as it is their duty to make sure you have a fun night of Football.
- Most of our leagues have multiple divisions so you have the advantage of playing with other teams of similar ability. Our multiple divisions also give teams the opportunity to move up and down each season.
- We understand not everyone can make matches each week, so teams are able to help out other teams when needed. This is to help prevent team forfeits and keep everyone playing as much Football as possible. If your team needs subs one week, just leave a message on your league Facebook group to see who is available to help you out.
- Season fees for our leagues are to be paid weekly and is done via our online payment system. Teams have the option of splitting their season fee amongst each other so payment is not left to one individual.
REVIEWS
I love playing football, I had been looking for a friendly social league for a long time and this was it. It’s a great way to get out of the house, keep fit and make friends. I had not played football since leaving school (18 years to be exact)! But it didn’t take long for me to remember. This is my ‘me time’, as most mums will know ‘me time’ is hard to come by, but for me this is time well spent.
5 star review from Trustpilot
Rhian Jacob-Moffatt
