This isn’t about a club’s training register or stadium attendances: it’s about availability for your 5-a-side with mates. Knowing who’s playing, with a clear answer from everyone, and having a plan when someone drops out. It comes down to 5 rules. They work in a simple WhatsApp group; for each one, we’ll also show you what an app like Footinho does if you’d rather skip the work (a free, ad-free app for organising football matches with friends, on iPhone, Android or in a browser, run by a non-profit association).
The short version
- Three possible answers, not one more.
- A deadline to reply.
- One reminder, then a reminder on the day.
- A waitlist for dropouts.
- A group rule for no-shows.
Before you start: how many players in the group?
For 5-a-side with 10 places, aim for a group of 12 to 14 players: about ten regulars and a few occasional ones. Fewer, and you’re short every time someone can’t make it. Many more, and you spend your time saying no.
And book the pitch before you open sign-ups: an availability list for a slot that no longer exists means one cancellation after another.
1. Three answers, no more: in / maybe / out
A thumbs-up under a message, “should be free” or “I’ll let you know” don’t count. What counts is a yes, a no or a maybe, in the same place for everyone: your availability list.
And set a simple rule: a “maybe” counts as an absence. The maybe is comfortable for the player, not for you. If it hasn’t become a yes by the day before, don’t count on it.
Without an app: a WhatsApp poll or event with those three answers. Ask everyone to reply there, not in a message.
With Footinho: you share the invite to your WhatsApp group in two taps. Everyone taps the link and replies “yes / maybe / no” in one tap, and the counter (“8/10”) is visible to all.
2. A deadline to reply
“Reply by Thursday lunchtime.” Without a deadline, the last people reply on the day. With a deadline, you know the day before whether the match is on.
No need to give people a whole week: the ones who want to play usually reply within a day. Someone who hasn’t said anything after two days has forgotten, or doesn’t want to say no.
Without an app: put the deadline in the invite message, and pin it.
With Footinho: put the deadline in the match description, and it shows on the match page everyone checks.
3. One targeted reminder, then a reminder on the day
Chasing the whole group annoys the people who’ve already said yes. Remind only the quiet ones, once, 1 to 2 days before the match. The day before, send the “maybes” a personal message: “are you in or not, I need to know tonight” works far better privately than in the group.
On matchday, one last reminder to confirmed players (time, place, pitch) saves you from the one who “thought it was Wednesday”.
Without an app: compare the group’s member list with the poll votes, privately message the ones who haven’t answered, then send the matchday reminder in the group.
With Footinho: players invited in the app get the invite by email and notification, then one automatic reminder, only if they haven’t replied. On matchday, confirmed players get a reminder 4 hours before. There’s no reminder inside WhatsApp, though, and you still have to chase the “maybes” yourself.
4. A waitlist for dropouts
Even with everyone confirmed, be ready: there will be dropouts, often in the last 24 hours.
The answer is a waitlist. You set the exact number of places. People who sign up once the match is full wait. If a player drops out, the first person on the list takes their place. No more hunting for a sub at 6pm for an 8pm kick-off, and no more calling the match off.
Without an app: write down the next people in the order they replied, under the list of players. When a place frees up, message the first one privately.
With Footinho: turn on the waitlist for the match. The first person on the list moves into the match and gets notified as soon as a place frees up. And you get an alert the day before if the match isn’t full.
5. A group rule for no-shows
It’s the most effective rule, and it costs nothing. Announce it once, clearly:
- Drop out more than 24 hours before: no problem, that’s an excused absence.
- Drop out the day before or on the day: you find a replacement or pay your share of the pitch.
- Don’t turn up without telling anyone: you pay. Second time, you’re no longer first on the invite list.
When everyone knows there’s a consequence, people turn up. And the “ghosts”, the ones who never reply, you simply stop chasing.
With Footinho: after the match, players can report a no-show, someone who left at the last minute or turned up late. Each player’s profile shows their reliability: their response rate to invites and the number of times they’ve been reported. Before you invite someone, you know what to expect.
When WhatsApp isn’t enough any more
A poll in the group works really well for a match every now and then. It hits its limits when the group is over 15 people, the match is every week and you’ve got more players than places: nobody runs the waitlist, nobody sends reminders, and you rebuild the same availability list every Monday. That’s when an app to organise football matches becomes useful.
The kit of an organiser who’s done counting
| When | What you do |
|---|---|
| First of all | Book the pitch |
| 5 to 3 days before | Invite, with the number of places and a deadline |
| As soon as it’s full | The waitlist takes over |
| 2 days / 1 day before | Remind the quiet ones, then message the “maybes” privately |
| The day before | Check the counter and send the recap |
| Matchday | A reminder to confirmed players: time, place, pitch |
| After the match | Note who let you down (and apply the rule) |
Try Footinho for your next match
Invite shared in WhatsApp, one-tap replies, automatic reminder, matchday reminder, waitlist, alert the day before, player reliability: Footinho does a good chunk of this kit for you, free and without ads. Create your match →
➜ Still torn between your WhatsApp group and an app? WhatsApp Poll or App to Organise 5-a-Side?
