Sunday league usually refers to amateur soccer, but there are still some players who are getting paid.
What is Sunday league?
Sunday league generally refers to local adult amateur soccer leagues. Most are men’s leagues, but some areas have co-ed leagues and larger areas have women’s leagues.
Sunday league is called Sunday league because that’s when most of these leagues play. Traditionally, youth soccer clubs played almost all of their games on Saturdays and had Sundays off except for makeup games. Since youth leagues usually get priority, adult leagues could only get the fields on Sundays.
With more youth soccer leagues going to playing both days on the weekends and more adult league options throughout the week using private fields, Sunday leagues aren’t as popular as they used to be. However, Sunday league will still mean the adult league that plays mainly on Sundays.
How good are Sunday leagues?
Sunday leagues vary widely. Some feature recreational play and are open to beginners. Others have teams featuring mainly ex-college and ex-professional players.
Most larger leagues have multiple divisions to accommodate various skill levels. Age divisions such as over 30, over 40, and over 50 are also common so older players can play against players with similar levels of fitness without getting hurt.
How much do Sunday league players get paid?
By the book, Sunday league players aren’t supposed to be played. Sunday leagues typically operate under an adult amateur soccer association. Amateur soccer rules strictly prohibit players from getting paid to play.
The reality is different. While most teams are made up of players who pay their own registration fees and share of team expenses, there are players who are getting paid.
Usually what happens is a local business owner wants to win the league. Simply sponsoring a team and allowing players to play for free is allowed under the amateur soccer rules, but some people take things further. The team founder might pay a ringer, a few ringers, or even most of the players to ensure that the team has the best roster.
When Sunday league players get paid, it usually isn’t that much. $50 to $100 per game would be above average, but some players are getting more than that. Since these payments technically aren’t allowed, most arrangements are informal and paid under the table.
With the expansion of UPSL, NPSL, and similar leagues, many of these teams will probably move away from Sunday league. UPSL players are allowed to get paid a little, and the level of competition and potential prize money is higher.