When I founded FC Riverside County in September 2019, I only offered 11v11 adult soccer league services. Through trial and error, I determined that small-sided games were more profitable than 11v11 soccer games. This is due to field space efficiency, time efficiency, profit potential, and risk reduction. Small-sided games use smaller goals and fields than their 11v11 counterpart. There are a variety of variations, with each having a unique equilibrium. The most popular small-sided games are 6v6 and 7v7 soccer.

• The most important distinguishing factor between small-sided games and 11v11 games is field space. You can fit four 6v6 fields inside a 11v11 field. You can fit three 7v7 fields inside a 11v11 field.
• Small-sided games are only 1 hour long. 11v11 games are 1 and a half hours long. For this reason, an operator will pay 50% more rent to operate a 11v11 game (compared to small-sided games).
• The profit potential is stark. As you can see below, the profit potential between small-sided soccer and 11v11 soccer is by a wide margin.
  • If charging $125 a game to each team for 11v11 soccer ($250 collected from both teams each game), your revenue potential is $165 an hour (11v11 games are 1 and half hours long; $250 x 66% = $165) and profit potential is $165 minus costs ($165 – c = p). 
  • If charging $70 a game to each team for 6v6 soccer ($560 collected from all teams on a 11v11 field; four 6v6 fields fit inside a 11v11 field), your revenue potential is $560 an hour (6v6 games are only 1 hour) and profit potential is $560 minus costs ($560 – c = p). 
  • If charging $75 a game to each team for 7v7 soccer ($450 collected from all teams on a 11v11 field; three 7v7 fields fit inside a 11v11 field), your revenue potential is $450 an hour (7v7 games are only 1 hour) and profit potential is $450 minus costs ($450 – c = p). 
• Small-sided games carry the least amount of risk. This is due to game cancellations caused by team no-shows to other natural factors (like sickness, Covid, etc.). Leagues lose money when games are canceled. If a 11v11 game is canceled, you lose revenue for an entire field for 1 and half hours. If a small-sided game is canceled, you only lose revenue on 1 field but can still generate revenues on your other small-sided fields (or in other words, you lose revenue for 1/3 of a 11v11 field for 1 hour). If a 11v11 game is canceled, your organization will lose money after paying rent and referee fees (in most cases, you will still need to pay the scheduled referee if a game is canceled). If a small-sided game is canceled, your organization will still be able to profit from the other fields.

All in all, small-sided games are more profitable than 11v11 games. This is due to field space efficiency, time efficiency, profit potential, and risk reduction. In an imaginary world, soccer would only be offered in a 11v11 format. Of course, that is not the case, and you must learn how to operate within your environment dynamics, from limited field spacing to increasing costs of operations (from rent to staffing). As a league owner, you must determine what works best for your customers and business. With the correct execution strategy, your business can receive the most optimal profit while serving your customers’ needs.

*I successfully sold FC Riverside County in March 2023. For consulting services, I charge $250 an hour. Email Contact@AdrianAros.com to get started.

Further Reading

Game Type	Game Time	Fields	Field Space (11v11 field per hour as a base)	Players on Field	Total Players (with subs)
6v6	55 Minutes	4	.25	48	64
7v7	55 Minutes	3	.33	42	60
9v9	75 Minutes	2	.5	36	52
11v11	90 Minutes	1	1.33	22	32

The profit possibilities vary for each type of game. Each game type, on average, can hold up to 59 players (without counting 11v11 soccer, as that type of game can hold up to 32 players; 16 players per team for one field). A 9v9 game can hold up to 52 players (13 players per team and 2 fields per space). A 7v7 game can hold up to 60 players (10 players per team and 3 fields per space). A 6v6 game can hold up to 64 players (8 players per team and 4 fields per space).