How a Haypartido game works: the house rules
A Haypartido game is not a league fixture, and it is not just any kickabout: it is football between people who probably met an hour ago — and that only works when the house rules are clear before kick-off. Here they are. There are few, and they all exist for the same reason: everyone goes home wanting to come back.
If you are about to play your first game with us, this is the only thing you need to read.
The host: the person who makes the game happen
Every open game has a host: a trusted Haypartido regular who arrives before you and leaves after you. They are not a referee with a whistle and cards — they are the person who makes the game happen.
The host brings the bibs, the balls and a timer. They make the teams, keep the clock, run the keeper rotation and make the calls on the day. On the pitch, their word is final. Not because they are perfect, but because a game between strangers needs exactly one deciding voice — and that is theirs.
Nobody gets stuck in goal
The most popular house rule: keepers rotate every 5–10 minutes. The host runs the timer and calls the changes.
We all know why this rule exists. Nobody signs up for a game to spend an hour watching it from the goal-line. We share that shift between everyone — so the keeper-hater suffers briefly, and the curious one discovers that saving a one-on-one is actually quite satisfying.
Zero slide tackles, zero aggressive play
There are no slide tackles at Haypartido. None. Not even if you get the ball first, not even "but I took it clean". If your challenge involves leaving the ground studs-first, it does not belong in this game.
The same goes for aggressive play: shirt-pulling, shoving, elbows, hip-height boots, or the classic "intensity" of someone who thinks they are in a cup final. There is a real way to play hard here: run more, press better, pass sharper than the other lot.
The reason is simple: tomorrow we all have work. A sprained ankle from a needless tackle in a game between strangers is the single dumbest way to lose a month of football.
Living teams: the host rebalances on the fly
Some games will start lopsided. That is unavoidable when people sign up individually — sometimes the five best players land in the same bib.
The fix is part of the game: the host swaps players between teams whenever needed, at any point in the match. If you are asked to change bibs, it is not a verdict on you — the game needs you on the other side so this stays a match and not shooting practice for one team and defending drills for the other.
A 3-2 fought to the last minute beats any thrashing. That is the metric the host plays for.
Football for everyone: all genders, all levels, 16+
Haypartido games are mixed: all genders, together, on the same pitch. And all levels — from the ex-academy player to the one returning after ten years of sofa. The only entry requirement is age: you must be 16 or older.
With that comes one line nobody crosses: belittling comments, sexist behaviour, sneering at someone’s level, or discrimination of any kind. The host shuts those moments down on the spot, and repeated disrespect has account consequences — up to suspension. It is the rule that protects all the others.
The MVP: the crown is voted after the whistle
When the game ends, the MVP vote opens among the people who played. You have up to 24 hours after kick-off to vote from the game’s own page; you cannot vote for yourself, and you can change your vote while the ballot stays open.
The winner takes the crown, and the MVP stays on their profile forever. It is a small detail with a big effect: games have a memory, the friendly needle carries on in the chat, and last night’s standout gets their due even if their team lost.
The practical bits, in short
- ·Arrive 10 minutes before kick-off — teams are made in that window.
- ·Your spot is already paid through the app: no money changes hands at the pitch.
- ·Bibs, balls and the rotation timer come with the host. You bring: artificial-grass boots (turf/AG), water and the will to run.
- ·Free cancellation up to 24 hours before kick-off; inside that window, your spot counts.
- ·Question or problem during the game? The host. Afterwards? hola@haypartido.es and we will look into it.
Frequently asked questions
On the pitch, you accept it and play on — a game between strangers needs one voice. If you genuinely think something was handled badly, write to hola@haypartido.es afterwards: we always review it, and hosts learn too.
The host stops it immediately: a warning first, and out of the game if it continues. Serious or repeated behaviour is recorded and can end in account suspension. We would rather lose one player than the other thirteen.
No. The host brings bibs, balls and the rotation timer. You only need footwear for artificial grass (turf or AG — never metal studs), water and sports kit.
If you love goalkeeping and the rest are happy, the host will not drag you out. The 5–10 minute rotation exists so nobody is stuck there against their will — not to punish the one who enjoys it.
Tell the host — though they have almost certainly spotted it already. They will swap players mid-game until the match is alive again. Being moved is not a criticism: it is what keeps the game worth playing for both sides.
From 16. No upper limit — as long as the legs say yes, hay partido.
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