Running your five-a-side on WhatsApp vs 5asider

Almost every five-a-side in the country runs on a WhatsApp group. It's free, everyone's already on it and it's where the banter lives. So why would you use anything else?

Here's an honest look at what WhatsApp does well, where it creaks, and where 5asider fits in. Short version: keep the group. Use 5asider for the bits a group chat was never built for.

What WhatsApp does well

Credit where it's due:

• Everyone's already on it. Nobody needs to sign up for anything.
• It's instant. Notifications go straight to people's phones.
• It's where the chat happens. The goal of the season, the miss of the season, the arguments about offside in a game with no offside.
• Polls help. A quick "In / Out" poll beats a list of thumbs-up emojis.

For a group of ten mates who all reply quickly, WhatsApp on its own can be enough.

Where it starts to creak

Most organisers know the feeling. You post "Who's in Tuesday?" and then:

• Replies get buried. Forty messages later, someone's replied "in" somewhere between a meme and a debate about the new away kit.
• The copy-and-paste list goes wrong. "1. Dave 2. Mo 3." gets edited by six people at once, and someone's name disappears.
• Silence isn't an answer. You can't easily tell who hasn't seen it from who's ignoring it.
• Drop-outs vanish. Someone says "in" on Monday and "sorry lads, can't make it" on Tuesday afternoon, and it's lost in the chat.
• Picking teams is a car-park argument. Nothing in the chat helps you make the teams fair.
• Nobody remembers the results. Who won last week? Who's top this season? Nobody knows, and everybody thinks it's them.

None of that is WhatsApp's fault. It's a chat app, not a team sheet.

What 5asider does instead

5asider is a free organiser for weekly five-a-side, running since 2009. It does the admin, so the chat can stay for the chat.

• One-tap replies. When you add a game, everyone in the squad gets an email with I'm in and I'm out buttons. One tap, no login.
• Who's in, at a glance. The game page shows how many are in, out and yet to reply, with names for the squad. You know exactly who to chase.
• Reserves. When more than ten say they're in, select the ten who are playing. The rest show as also available.
• A record of drop-outs. Every change of reply is kept, with the time. Players have to confirm a drop-out, and they're told if it leaves their team a player short.
• Fair teams. Auto-pick splits whoever is playing into two even teams, using the squad's own results. Or drag them about yourself. More in how to pick fair five-a-side teams.
• The league table keeps itself. Add the score after the game and the season, form and all-time tables update. Every result is kept, season after season.

Comparison table

Use both

The best setup for most groups is both, each doing what it's good at.

• Keep the WhatsApp group for the chat, the goals and the late news ("pitch 3 tonight, lads").
• Use 5asider for the game itself: who's in, the teams and the score.
• Share the game link in the group. Links from 5asider look good in WhatsApp: the preview shows when the game is and how many are in, out and yet to reply. Once the teams are picked, it says so.

What 5asider doesn't do

To be fair to WhatsApp, here's what you won't get from 5asider:

• No chat. There's no message board. That's what your group is for.
• No push notifications. Game invites go by email. Players can add 5asider to their home screen so it opens like an app.
• No payments. 5asider doesn't collect pitch money.
• Players need to sign in once. To get game emails, each player accepts your invitation and signs in with Google. After that, replying is one tap from the email. If someone won't sign up, you can still mark them in or out yourself.

Questions people ask

Can I use 5asider and keep our WhatsApp group?

Yes, and most groups should. Keep the group for chat. Use 5asider for replies, teams and results, and share the game link in the group.

Does 5asider send WhatsApp messages?

No. It emails each player when a game is added. You can share any game's link in WhatsApp, and the preview shows the date and how many are in.

Isn't a WhatsApp poll enough?

For a small group that always replies, it might be. Polls don't keep reserves, track drop-outs, pick fair teams or keep a league table. That's where 5asider helps.

Do players need to download anything?

No. 5asider runs in the browser on any phone or computer. Replying from the email doesn't need a login.

What does it cost?

Nothing. 5asider is free.