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What a scrimmage is
A scrimmage is a game between two teams that sits outside league standings. Coaches use it to test a lineup, give more players minutes, prepare for a tournament or fill an open weekend. The two clubs agree the format between themselves, so a scrimmage can be a full game or a shorter one with changed rules.
Scrimmage, friendly or exhibition game?
The three words describe nearly the same thing. The difference is mostly habit, and it changes by sport and by league.
- Scrimmage is the common word in basketball, football, volleyball, lacrosse and much of youth soccer. It often means a practice-style game with relaxed rules: rolling or unlimited subs, a running clock, or no score kept.
- Friendly is the usual word in soccer, rugby and field hockey. It tends to mean a full game under normal rules that simply doesn't count in the table.
- Exhibition game is the term many hockey, baseball and lacrosse leagues use, and in many leagues it's the standard word for any game outside the regular season. See exhibition games for more on that wording.
The label matters less than agreeing, in writing, what kind of game you're playing before anyone travels. Next Play treats all three the same way: a friendly invite, with results kept separate from league standings.
How scrimmage matching works in Next Play
Group texts work until you need a girls' team two birth years older at the competitive level on a specific Saturday. Here's exactly what Next Play checks.
The five match filters
Teams are matched by:
- Sport. Nine team sports, each with its own search, so a hockey club sees hockey teams only.
- Birth year. Youth teams are compared by birth year, not just a team name.
- Gender. Boys, girls or co-ed.
- Level. Recreational, development, competitive or premier.
- Travel radius. Only teams within the distance your club set.
Playing up or down
Plenty of good scrimmages happen between teams a year or two apart. A team can list that it plays up or down a set number of birth years, for example "will play up to 2 years older." When two teams' ranges overlap, Next Play shows it, so you can see at a glance which older or younger teams are a realistic match.
Two ways to book
- Send a friendly invite. Pick your team, the date, the kickoff time and who hosts: your field, or theirs. The other club accepts, suggests another time, or declines with a reason, so you're not left waiting on a "maybe."
- Post an open game. Have a free slot already booked? Share the date, time window and field, and matching teams can claim it.
Invite a club that isn't on Play 2 Earn Sports
Already know the team you want to play? Invite any club by name, even if it isn't on Play 2 Earn Sports. We email that club an invite with one reminder.
After the game is booked
Confirmed games go on your team's schedule.
From there, Next Play keeps the details of the game in one place:
- Staff chat. The two clubs' staff message in one thread per game. It's staff only, so players and parents can't read it, and report and block are built in.
- Referees. Request one referee or a full crew. The host club and the referee agree the fee, and Next Play doesn't charge for this.
- Results. One club enters the score after kickoff, and the other confirms or disputes it within 48 hours.
Team records and the Reliable badge
The hardest part of booking a scrimmage with a club you've never played is not knowing whether they'll turn up. Next Play team records help with that.
Each number on a team record comes from friendlies both clubs confirmed: games played, wins-losses-draws, late cancels and no-shows. A late cancel means a game canceled with less than 24 hours' notice. Friendlies are kept separate from league standings, so a lopsided scrimmage never touches your league table.
Clubs also get recognition for showing up. There's no money and there are no prizes:
- Reliable: at least 5 confirmed games, no no-shows and no more than 1 late cancel in the last 12 months.
- Featured club: after 10 confirmed games, featured for 30 days, plus a social post.
- On Fire Streak: after 25 confirmed games.
Find a scrimmage by sport
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Soccer scrimmage
birth-year and U-age teams, halves, rolling subs and field slots.
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Hockey scrimmage
ice time, periods, running clocks and the zamboni slot.
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Basketball scrimmage
gym and court time, quarters or halves.
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Baseball scrimmage
diamonds, innings and pitch counts.
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Football scrimmage
controlled scrimmages, jamborees, tackle and flag.
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Volleyball scrimmage
court time, sets and rally scoring.
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Lacrosse scrimmage
box and field, quarters.
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Rugby scrimmage
union and sevens friendlies, contact readiness.
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Field hockey scrimmage
turf time, halves or quarters.
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Exhibition games
for leagues and coaches who say "exhibition game" or "friendly."
Who Next Play is for
Next Play is for the adults who run club teams: club owners, club managers, team managers and coaches the club allows. Players and parents do not use Next Play.
Next Play is free for clubs to use.
Other ways to find a scrimmage
Other ways to find a scrimmage: league group chats, your state or provincial association, and rink or gym bulletin boards.
Those work well when you already know the coach. Next Play helps most when you need a team you haven't met yet. For a step-by-step on agreeing the game itself, read how to schedule a scrimmage.
Questions
Set your team up in Next Play with its sport, birth year, gender, level and travel radius. Next Play lists teams that match, including older or younger teams whose play-up or play-down range overlaps yours. Send a friendly invite with your date, kickoff time and host, or post an open game for matching teams to claim. The other club can accept, suggest another time or decline with a reason.
Very little. All three are games outside league standings. "Scrimmage" often suggests a practice-style game with relaxed rules, "friendly" usually means a full game that doesn't count in the table, and "exhibition game" is the common term in many leagues. Next Play books all three as a friendly invite and keeps the results separate from league standings.
Next Play is for adult club staff: club owners, club managers, team managers and coaches the club allows to arrange games. Players and parents do not use Next Play, and they can't read the staff chat between the two clubs. That keeps scheduling conversations between the people responsible for the team and the booking.
Yes. Next Play is free for clubs to use. Searching for teams to play, sending friendly invites, posting open games and confirming results are part of the app. If you request a referee, the host club and the referee agree the fee between them, and Next Play doesn't charge for this.
Team records count late cancels, meaning a game canceled with less than 24 hours' notice, and no-shows. Those numbers only come from friendlies both clubs confirmed. The Reliable badge needs at least 5 confirmed games, no no-shows and no more than 1 late cancel in the last 12 months, so you can check a club's record before you book.
Yes. You can invite any club by name, even if it isn't on Play 2 Earn Sports. We email that club an invite with one reminder. It's a useful way to book the team you already had in mind while still keeping the date, kickoff time, host and result in Next Play.
