How to start a Sunday league team

Before you start: the players

The FA's guide says each team should have a squad of at least 14 players. Eleven is never eleven on a Sunday morning: injuries, work and hangovers see to that. If your group doesn't already play every week, start there: our guide to starting a 5-a-side group gets ten people turning up, and a season of that tells you who'll commit to a league.

The steps, in order

• A name: contact your County FA to agree one. It can't be too like an existing club's, so have a few ready. Stuck? Try the team name generator.
• A first meeting: elect a chairman, secretary and treasurer, plus a committee, and agree a set of club rules. The FA's guide includes model rules to adapt.
• A bank account in the club's name, with a record of every transaction.
• A league: decide which one and apply. Leagues normally start considering new clubs' applications from January for the following season, and you may be asked to attend the league's AGM.
• A home pitch: most councils hire pitches, and some clubs, workplaces and schools hire theirs out. Check it meets your league's rules on pitches.
• Affiliation: every club must affiliate to its County FA each season. It's done online in the Club Portal (clubs.thefa.com), opens in June, and the fee is set by your County FA.
• Registration: register your players with the league, by its deadlines.

What it costs

The FA's guide lists the costs to raise money for early: a kit, plus a second colour for clashes; a home pitch; referees' fees and expenses for home games; and the affiliation and league fees. Most teams cover them with a season subscription from each player plus match fees, so decide both before the season starts, and decide who chases them.

Chasing match fees is where Sunday teams fall out. Squadcard tracks who's in for each game and who owes what, and it never takes or moves money: players pay the treasurer as they already do. See our guide to collecting pitch money.

Questions