If you run a pitch, you know the pattern: weeknights fill up by themselves and there are hours when the field is lit and empty. Filling those slots isn’t only about advertising. It depends a lot on how easy it is for a captain to book with you, come back every week and know what to expect.

These are general ideas for small and medium venues. None of them needs special technology.

1. First, look at your dead hours calmly

Before changing anything, write down for a few weeks which slots stay empty and which get cancelled most. Clear patterns often show up:

  • Early hours on weekdays.
  • The first afternoon slot, before people leave work.
  • Particular days, such as the start of the week.

With that list you already know what to offer and to whom.

2. Offer fixed slots to groups that play often

A group that plays every week at the same time is the most valuable thing for a venue: you don’t have to win it over each time. Some ideas:

  • Offer the same slot every week to groups who already come, before someone else takes it.
  • Think about who is free during your dead hours: company groups, universities, people who work shifts, teams that train.
  • Have a clear format for each pitch: captains want to know straight away whether your pitch takes 5, 7 or 9-a-side. If you’re unsure about the differences, see which format to choose.

3. Clear rules from the first booking

Most problems with groups come from rules nobody stated. Put them in writing and share them the same way every time:

  • Cancellation: until when a booking can be cancelled at no cost and what happens after that.
  • Deposits: if you ask for one, how much and how it’s returned.
  • Punctuality: the slot starts and ends on time, even if the group arrives late.
  • What’s included: balls, bibs, lighting, parking, toilets.
  • Getting along: noise, use of shared areas and respect for neighbours.

A clear rule, stated beforehand, avoids arguments on match day. And a rule applied equally to everyone builds trust.

4. Communicating with captains

The captain is your real customer: the one who books, confirms and answers for the group.

  • One contact per group. Know who the captain of each regular booking is.
  • Confirm the day’s bookings in advance. A timely message lets you replace a cancellation.
  • Announce changes early: maintenance, rain, power cuts.
  • Look after your customers’ data. If you keep phone numbers to announce free slots, ask for permission and use that data only for that. In Colombia, personal data is protected by Ley 1581 de 2012.

5. Make it easy to find you

  • Check that your venue’s name, address and location are right on the maps people use.
  • Keep a short description handy: formats, surface, roof, lighting and how to book.
  • When a captain organizes their match on PARCHUP, the link they share on WhatsApp carries your venue’s name, and the venue has its own page in the app with the upcoming matches played there.

6. Events that fill slots

A one-day tournament can fill a whole weekend morning and bring in new groups. If you’re interested, we have a guide to running a one-day tournament.

What PARCHUP does today (and what it doesn’t)

PARCHUP is an app to find and organize amateur football matches. Today it doesn’t handle bookings or collect rent: organizers still book and pay you directly. Nor do we share players’ personal data with venues. Tools for venues are in design and we want to build them with the people who run them.

If you have a venue in Medellín, let’s talk: tell us which slots are hard to fill. You can also see how a partnership works on partners or enter the beta to see how captains organize.