What to bring to a pickup soccer game

Check the surface before you pick footwear. Artificial turf wants turf shoes or firm-ground cleats with short studs; indoor courts want flat-soled indoor shoes; grass takes standard firm-ground cleats. Long metal studs on turf are a rolled ankle waiting to happen — and many facilities ban them.

If you only own running shoes, you can still play on turf or indoors. You’ll lose a little grip in the cuts, not your place in the game.

Water — more than you think, especially on summer turf, which plays hotter than the air around it. Shin guards are smart even in casual games; ankles and shins take the most accidental contact in crowded small-sided play.

Bring two shirts, one light and one dark, so teams can split evenly when there are no bibs. It’s the oldest pickup convention there is, and it still saves ten minutes of arguing.

Cash. A kickr game is paid when you claim your spot — flat price, Apple Pay, refund back the same way if the game doesn’t run. Nobody passes a hat at the sideline.

A ball helps warmups but the game will have one. What actually matters is arriving about ten minutes early: the roster is set, the minimum is met, and the game kicks off on time when people are there for it.