FAQ

You can view all of our league options here. If you have a full team, you can pay for the entire team. If you are signing up individually, you can pay the individual fee and we will add you to a team. If you are signing up individually but want to play with a friend that is also signing up, mention their name on the registration form and we will be sure to add you to a team together.

Though WSC’s ultimate mission is to empower women in sports, we are an inclusive league and welcome female, non-binary (assigned female at birth), and trans athletes to participate in our programs.

It is important for us to use female centric language for our branding, however, we strive to use general neutral/inclusive language whenever possible. We also ask for all player’s pronouns so that teammates and organizers can properly address each other.

WSC offers sports leagues and training programs for players of all skill levels. We offer beginner training, rec leagues, intermediate leagues, and advanced leagues.

Beginner: Never played before, still learning, or returning to the game after an extended break (many years).

REC: For Beginners, players with limited skill ability, and those just looking to have fun.

Intermediate: For players with at least a few years of experience or natural athletic ability. Fun, competitive level.

Advanced: For players with top tier experience, who had played competitively on the club, varsity, division I/II/III college, semi-professional, and professional levels. These leagues offer high intensity competition.

Yes! Many of our players sign up on their own and we place them on teams which end up staying together for future seasons. you’ll make lots of friends.

The League fees are your entry into the leagues and training programs. The fees cover field rental costs, referee costs, and WSC full-time and part-time staff costs. Team shirts are not included.

Jerseys are not provided by WSC. However, we will occassionally offer jerseys at an additional fee. In some cases, we will offer sponsored jerseys.

Registration closes four days prior to the start of the season.

If registration has closed and you would still like to sign up, reach out to the respective inbox:

soccer@womenssportschicago.com

basketball@womenssportschicago.com

volleyball@womenssportschicago.com

We try to post schedules at least three days before the start of the season. See our detailed scheduling policy below.

Basketball

Soccer

Volleyball

The All-Star game is a free game hosted by WSC to celebrate the MVP’s of the season. MVP’s are selected based on their stats.

We offer payment plans via Afterpay (coming soon).

WSC, as most recreational sports organizations, is very limited in the our ability to safely and properly provide assistance to an injured player. It is a greater liability for a staff member who is not a trained medical professional to provide injury or medical assistance.

With this considered, WSC on-site staff will provide ice and any first aid supplies for teams to use. Teams will be required to administer and apply the first aid items themselves.

Sometimes we have a Sports Trainer on-site. Please note that they are also limited in their ability to assess serious injuries, and are typically available to provide preventative care (i.e. wrapping ankles, providing tape).

If an ambulance is needed, we are happy to call one if the injured player or their teammate requests one. The cost of the ambulance will be billed to the injured player. In most cases, if the injury is not life threatening, teammates will drive their teammate to the hospital or help them to their car.

Please report all injuries to WSC simply to make us aware, by email the league coordinator. However, please note, though we care about the well-being of our players, there is nothing we can do beyond providing first aid supplies, enforcing our sportsmanship rules, and ensuring our referee staff regulates matches to the best of their ability.

ALL TEAMS MUST NOTIFY THE LEAGUE DIRECTOR BY 11:59PM THE DAY BEFORE THEIR MATCH IF THEY FORESEE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEIR TEAM WILL FORFEIT. IF A TEAM FAILS TO DO SO, THE FOLLOWING PENALTIES WILL ENSUE:

1ST LATE CANCELLATION (PER SEASON)

TEAM WILL BE CHARGED $50. INVOICE WILL BE SENT TO THE TEAM CAPTAIN. TEAMS WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE THE COURT/FIELD IN FUTURE GAMES UNTIL THE FEE IS SETTLED.

2ND LATE CANCELLATION (PER SEASON)

TEAM WILL BE CHARGED $100. INVOICE WILL BE SENT TO THE TEAM CAPTAIN. TEAMS WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE THE COURT IN FUTURE GAMES UNTIL THE FEE IS SETTLED.

3RD LATE CANCELLATION (PER SEASON)

TEAM WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE LEAGUE FOR REMAINDER OF THE SEASON. NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE, AND THAT MOST SITUATIONS TAKE PRECEDENT OVER RECREATIONAL SPORTS. WITH THIS IN MIND, IN AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE THE QUALITY OF THE LEAGUE, AND TO LIMIT LAST MINUTE CANCELLATIONS, WE ENFORCE THE FOLLOWING FORFEIT POLICY. THIS POLICY WILL HELP US TO BETTER PREPARE IF SUBS ARE NEEDED AND TO ENSURE THAT WSC IS ABLE TO RESPECT EVERYONE’S INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULES.

NOTIFICATION OF A POTENTIAL FORFEIT WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY RESULT IN AN OFFICIAL FORFEIT. THIS NOTIFICATION SIMPLY ALLOWS THE LEAGUE MANAGER AMPLE TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE OPPOSING TEAM AND TO DO EVERYTHING WITHIN THEIR ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE GAME WILL HAPPEN.

ULTIMATELY, WSC WANTS TO HOST ENJOYABLE MATCHES EVERY WEEK. INVITING SUBS IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GROW THE LEAGUE. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO INVITE NEW PLAYERS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON’S REGULAR PLAY TO SUB AND CHECK OUT THE LEAGUE. IF A TEAM MANAGES TO FIND PLAYERS IN THE HOURS PRECEDING THEIR MATCH, THE GAME WILL CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED.

-ALL PLAYERS MUST REMIT PAYMENT PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SEASON

-In order to receive the early bird team discount, teams must pay the full team fee in one transaction.

-TEAMS Are required to pay the full team fee prior to the start of the season. no matter their roster size the full team fee must be paid.

-If a team anticipates not having enough players to form a full team, they should register as individuals and LET WSC KNOW SO WE CAN add players to their team.

-AS LONG AS THE FULL TEAM FEE IS COVERED, WSC DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ADD ADDITIONAL PLAYERS TO A TEAM’S ROSTER.

-Teams have until the second week of the season to settle balances

-We offer payment plans via afterpay (coming soon)

UNLESS A LEAGUE, TOURNAMENT, OR EVENT IS CANCELED ALTOGETHER, WOMEN’S SPORTS CHICAGO DOES NOT OFFER REFUNDS FOR ANY REASON.

-ALL REGISTERED PLAYERS AND SUBS MUST SIGN A WAIVER PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SEASON.

-ALL ROSTERED PLAYERS NEED TO REGISTER THEIR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE LEAGUE.

-EACH TEAM IS LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING ROSTER SIZE BASED ON LEAGUE FORMAT:

3’s - 8 PLAYERS INCLUDING PAID PLAYERS AND SUBS

5’s - 15 PLAYERS INCLUDING PAID PLAYERS AND SUBS

6’s - 15 PLAYERS INCLUDING PAID PLAYERS AND SUBS

7’s - 18 PLAYERS INCLUDING PAID PLAYERS AND SUBS

-ONLY REGISTERED PLAYERS AND ROSTERED SUBS MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE LEAGUES. CAPTAINS MUST REGISTER THEIR FULL ROSTER AT THE START OF EACH SEASON.

-ROSTERS MUST BE SENT TO THE LEAGUE COORDINATOR BY WEEK TWO.

-ROSTER CHECK-INS WILL HAPPEN DURING PLAYOFFS.

-we try to send the schedule out three days in advance.

-please note that there are many reasons we may need to make changes to the schedule. Especially prior to the start of the season. please be sure to check the live schedule pages for most updateD information. we will always notify players of changes that are made. Some Reasons include but are not limited to:

- We add a team to the league

- A TEAM DROPS OUT OF THE LEAGUE

- We notice game times are not distributed fairly

- facility changes occur which impact game times

-We try our best to distribute game times evenly, but we can not guarantee even distribution for each team.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES ROSTERED PLAYERS AND SUBS CANNOT MAKE IT TO EACH GAME. WITH THIS CONSIDERED, WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING SUBSTITUTION RULES IN PLACE.

-IF NEEDED DUE TO LOW NUMBERS, TEAMS MAY INVITE UNROSTERED PLAYERS TO SUB DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. HOWEVER, ONLY ROSTERED PLAYERS (LISTED ON THE ROSTER SUBMITTED IN WEEK 2) MAY PARTICIPATE DURING PLAYOFFS.

-DURING THE REGULAR SEASON, IF A TEAM IS SHORT PLAYERS (MEANING THE TEAM DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS TO FIELD A TEAM), TEAMS CAN ONLY USE ONE PLAYER FROM ANOTHER TEAM.

-IF TEAMS HAVE ENOUGH PLAYERS TO FIELD A TEAM, THEY MAY NOT INVITE PLAYERS FROM ANOTHER TEAM TO SUB.

-DURING THE PLAYOFFS, TEAMS MAY NOT USE PLAYERS FROM ANOTHER TEAM WITHIN THEIR DIVISION. ADDITIONALLY, TEAMS MAY NOT USE UNROSTERED SUBS OR NEW PLAYERS.