What are the pros and cons of pick up or drop in games?

Who doesn't like the idea of just showing up and play soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, flag football, rugby, cricket, softball,ultimate frisbee, etc... whenever they are available? Pick up or drop in games are amateur sports games played without formal teams and anyone can just show up and play. The most popular pick up games are team sports that doesn't require a lot of equipment like soccer, basketball, flag football, beach volleyball. However sports like Hockey provide several pick up games in cold countries like Canada.

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Pick up or Drop in Games have their advantages and disadvantages:

Pros of Pick Up or Drop in Games:

  • Flexibility:

    You don't need to belong to a team or league to play. This is ideal for people who don't have time to commit to team or leagues and practices. You just Show Up And Play whenever you feel like it. You can choose to go play based on your availabilities, location, and any other factor you choose.
  • Cost Effective:A lot of pick up games are free, and even when they are not, you can just select the one that you are interested in and go play. You pay exactly for what you play. The dressing code is relaxed in pick up games and you don't need to spend on expensive equipment to play.
  • Networking:

    You play with new teammates at almost every game and it is the perfect opportunity to meet new people and network.
  • Social:

    Most pick up or drop in games are Co-Ed or mixte with no regulation. This allows males and females to mingle around a team sports and there are plenty of opportunities for dating
  • Practice:

    Some players who play in leagues use pick up games as an occasion to practice more and stay in shape and be ready for their league games.
  • Experimentation:

    Pick Up games are not supervised by a coach and there are usually no referees. This allow players to try dribbles and tricks that they would not be normally allowed to do during a league game.
  • Fun:

    Some rules are not enforced during pick up games (offside in soccer, travelling in Basketball, etc..): This allow the game to flow and a lot of games are scored making it fun for players.
  • Co-Ed:

    Pick up games are mixed or co-ed and players from all sexes , ages can join, men and women who are willing to play can mix together and play. It is the best way to experiment Co-Ed Games with no reglementation about the number of men and women per team.

Cons of Pick Up or Drop in Games:

  • Less Reliable:

    A lot of pick up or drop in games are started by volunteers and advertised by word of mouth. It is very common to have no shows and cancelled games without notice.
  • No Organisation:

    Pick Up games without organizers and referees are sometimes chaotic and troublemakers usually take over and make the games horrible for everyone.
  • Back quality of Facilities:

    Some free pick up games are played in parks and sometimes the field or facility are way below standards and it can be a nightmare to play safely.
  • Injuries:

    There are sometimes a huge discrepancy in skills level of participant and it can result in injuries when highly skilled and stronger players collide with lower skilled and weaker players who don't know what they are doing.
  • Safety:

    Bad people with bad intention can show up in pick up games and start a fight easily and make it very unsafe.

To conclude, there are more upside than downside in playing pick up games. The best pick up games are organized and players are vetted by the organizers. ShowUpAndPlaySports use meetup to register players for their pick up games and vet them. By knowing who is coming to the games, it reduces the potential of playing with bad people and allows the organizer to track them if they create problems during the game.

Pick Up Games Resources:

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Drop in And Play Team Sport Games in your city 2- Djamga: Pick Up Game Locator App for iOS 3- Djamga: Pick Up Game Locator App for Android 4- Jogaboo: Pick Up Soccer Games App 5- ShowUpAndPlaySports Calgary 6- ShowUpAndPlaySports Edmonton 7- ShowUpAndPlaySports Boston 8- Benefits of Pick Up Soccer 9- Street Soccer 10-Drop in Sports or Team League: Pros and Cons