Skill level self-check
Most adult leagues run more than one division, and picking the wrong one is a common reason a first season goes badly: too easy and it is a jog, too hard and you do not see the ball. Six questions give a rough guide to which of the three levels SoccerMapd files leagues under fits you, then the finder shows the adult leagues near your ZIP that run that level. Answer honestly; nobody else sees it.
The check
When did you last play organized soccer?
A league, school or club team with a schedule. Pickup does not count here.
What the three levels mean
Every league names its divisions its own way. SoccerMapd reads the words a league publishes into one of three levels so they can be compared and filtered. These are the words each level collects, and what to expect on the field.
Recreational
Mixed ability, there for the game and the exercise
Leagues that call a division recreational, rec, social, casual, beginner or novice, or name it as their lower tier (bronze, silver, division 3 or 4), are filed as recreational on SoccerMapd. Expect mixed ability, players who are new or coming back, and a game where getting a run matters more than the table.
Words leagues use: recreational, rec, social, casual, beginner, novice, bronze, silver, division 3 or 4.
Intermediate
A proper game without the top division's intensity
Leagues that call a division intermediate, or name it as a middle tier (gold, division 2), are filed as intermediate on SoccerMapd. Expect people who have played before and want a proper game without the intensity of the top division. Many leagues skip this label and run only a lower and an upper tier, so a league that lists both is often the right one.
Words leagues use: intermediate, gold, division 2.
Competitive
Former school and club players, there to win
Leagues that call a division competitive, premier, elite, advanced or open, or name it as their top tier (platinum, division 1), are filed as competitive on SoccerMapd. Expect former high school, college and club players, a faster game, and teams that are there to win.
Words leagues use: competitive, premier, elite, advanced, platinum, open, division 1.
A league that publishes no level is not filed anywhere; the finder above shows those as "Level not listed". Whether a division is a fit is the league's call, so check its own description before you sign up.
How the check works
Each answer is worth 0 to 3 points, and each question has a weight: whether you have played 11v11 at a competitive level counts most, then how much of a game you can run and what you want from a league, then how recently and how often you play and how you feel about contact. The weighted total is mapped to the three bands, and a total close to a line is flagged as borderline. There is no right answer and no pass mark.
- When did you last play organized soccer? (x2)
- How often do you play now? (x2)
- How much of a game can you run before you need a break? (x3)
- Have you played 11v11 at a competitive level? (x4)
- What do you want from a league? (x3)
- How do you feel about physical play? (x2)
Questions players ask
How accurate is this?
It is a rough guide, not an assessment. Six honest answers put most people in one of three bands, and the result says when your score is close to a line. If you land between two levels, look at leagues at both and ask which division they would put you in.
What if a league near me does not list a level?
About half of the adult leagues on SoccerMapd publish no level. The finder shows those separately as "Level not listed" rather than leaving them out, because many run more than one division and just do not say so on the page we read. Ask them which division fits.
Can I join a league without a team?
Often. Leagues that say individuals can sign up are marked "Free agents welcome" in the finder. How they place you varies by league; check its registration page or ask. Where a league does not say whether individuals can join, ask that too.
Is anything I enter saved or sent anywhere?
Your answers, your level and your ZIP stay in this browser so you can come back to the result without retaking it. The only thing sent to the server is the ZIP or a rounded location, to find leagues within 25 miles. There is no account and no login.