FAN CULTURE & GEAR
American Soccer Supporters Groups: How to Find Your Tribe
The Game Experience
The first time you stand in a real supporters section, you realize you now belong.
It is not just the game itself. You have watched plenty of matches. It is the person next to you with a painted face and knows every word to a chant you have never heard, the beat of the drum that starts exactly on kickoff, the scarves that go up across the whole section at the same second without anyone calling it. You are not watching the game anymore. You are part of it.
That is what a supporters group gives you. Not a seat. Not a view. A place where you belong.
American soccer has been building that room for years. City by city, club by club, a network of independent supporter communities has taken root across the country. Some groups have been showing up since the late 1990s. Some started three seasons ago. All of them have a section, a drum, a set of songs, and a door that is open to anyone who wants in.
This page will help you find yours.
New to American Soccer?
Supporters culture is one of the best entry points into the game. But if you are still finding your footing with how the American soccer system works, how the leagues fit together, or why club identity means what it means here, our guide to how it all works is worth a look before you go further.
What is a Soccer Supporters Group?
A supporters group is an organized community of fans who follow the same club or national team together. They sit or stand together at matches, travel together, sing together, and often run displays in the stadium. Most groups are independent of the clubs themselves. Some have been running for decades.
What Makes a Supporters Group Different
Regular fans show up and watch. Supporters groups show up and participate. That is the clearest way to put it.
A supporters section at a match has choreography. Someone coordinates the songs. Someone organizes the banners and flags. Someone makes sure the display is ready before kickoff. It looks spontaneous from the outside. It is not. It takes people who care enough to put the work in before the game even starts.
Beyond the stadium, most groups run their own events. Watch parties for away games. Club meetups. Community fundraisers. Some groups have their own scarves and gear. Some run youth outreach programs. The best ones feel less like fan clubs and more like communities that happen to organize around a club.
The other thing worth knowing: most supporters groups are independent. They are not run by the club. They do not answer to the front office. That independence is part of what makes them function. The culture belongs to the supporters, not to the organization.
What to Expect When You Show Up for the First Time
Most people are nervous the first time. That is normal. You do not know the songs yet. You do not know anyone. You are not sure where to stand or what the etiquette is. Walk in anyway. Every person in that section showed up for the first time once. The good groups know this.
Picture it: the drum starts before kickoff and the whole section is moving together, scarves up, one voice. You do not need to know the words yet. You will know them by halftime. That is the moment most people are hooked.
A few practical things to know before you go:
Supporters sections usually mean standing. Ask the group what to expect at that specific venue before you show up, especially if you are bringing someone who needs a seat.
Cost varies, but showing up is free. Many groups are free to attend before you commit to anything. Formal membership ranges from no cost at all to around $30 to $50 a year, usually with a membership kit included. Show up a few times first. Join when it feels right.
You do not need to know every chant before you arrive. Watch the people around you. Most chants are repetitive enough that you pick them up in the first two minutes. Do not fake it. Just listen until you know it.
Are You Following the National Team or a Club?
The two paths lead to different places. National team supporters have one central organization that covers all 50 states. Club supporters have a broader directory of independent groups spread across every division of American soccer.
Both are listed below. Start with whichever matches how you follow the game.
National Team Supporters
American Outlaws
200+ chapters · All 50 states
American Outlaws chapters operate in every state in the country. When the national team travels, Outlaws members travel with them. When there is no away trip, the local chapter organizes watch parties for home and away matches. Each chapter runs its own events and has its own personality. Finding your local group and seeing how they operate is part of the experience.
The national website has a chapter locator. If there is no chapter near you, the site also has information on how to start one.
Find your chapter at theamericanoutlaws.com ↗Club Supporters Directory
Independent Supporters Council (ISC)
140+ member groups · MLS, NWSL, USL, NPSL, NISA and more
The ISC members list is the most reliable single starting point for finding a supporters group for your club. Search by club name or browse by league. Most listings include contact information and social media links so you can reach the group directly before showing up.
Because the ISC works across divisions and not just the top flight, there is a good chance your club is represented even if they play outside MLS. The directory includes groups built around clubs that most casual fans have never heard of, which says something real about how deep American soccer fan culture actually runs.
Browse member groups at officialisc.com/members ↗Note: Supporters groups change. Groups go dormant, merge, or start up new. The ISC directory and American Outlaws chapter locator are maintained by the organizations themselves. Always verify current activity directly with the group before showing up to an event.
Supporters Groups Worth Knowing
American soccer has produced some of the most passionate independent supporter communities in the sport. These seven groups are not a ranking. They are a cross-section of what the culture looks like when it takes root and grows into something real.
No Group Near You? Here Is How to Start One
This happens more than you would think. Someone searches their city, finds nothing, and assumes it means there is no interest. It usually means nobody has done the organizing yet. That person can be you.
It does not have to be complicated. Most groups started with someone making a group chat. The six founders of The Curse met at a brewery two days after New Mexico got a franchise. The Timbers Army started with eight people in a stadium section. The Uproar planted itself in section 207 with drums and grew to dozens within two weeks. None of them had a roadmap.
The realistic starting point is this: find five to ten people in your area who follow the same club or national team, pick a regular watch party spot, and show up consistently. The rest builds from there.
A Quick Start:
- Make a group chat. Post in a local Facebook group, a club subreddit, or your own social feed. Say you are looking for people in your city who follow the club. Five people is enough to start.
- Pick a regular spot and show up. A bar that shows soccer, a living room, a parking lot before a home match. Pick one place and go back every week. Consistency is how strangers become regulars.
- Contact the ISC or American Outlaws before you do anything formal. They will tell you what the process looks like, what to avoid, and how other groups got started. You do not have to figure it out alone.
When you are ready to make it official, both American Outlaws and the ISC have processes for new groups. American Outlaws has a chapter application on their site for national team supporters. The ISC works with independent club groups that want to become member organizations. Either way, contact them before you do anything else. They have seen this before and they want more groups to exist.
FAQs
What is the difference between a supporters group and a fan club?
A fan club is typically organized by the club itself and centered around merchandise and ticket perks. A supporters group is independent. It organizes its own events, builds its own culture, sets its own chants, and answers to its members — not the front office. The independence is a big part of what makes supporter culture feel different from standard fandom.
Are soccer supporters groups free to join?
Many are completely free. Groups like the Timbers Army and the Northern Guard require nothing more than showing up. Others charge a small annual membership fee — typically between $5 and $50 — that covers membership kits, banners, flags, and community initiatives. You can almost always attend a few times before committing to anything formal.
Do I have to stand the whole match?
In most supporters sections, yes. Standing is part of the culture — it is how the noise gets made and how the energy stays up for 90 minutes. Some venues have designated areas where standing is officially permitted. Others tolerate it in the supporters end. Ask the group about their specific setup before you show up, especially if you are bringing someone who needs a seat.
What do supporters groups do outside of match days?
A lot. Away game watch parties, community fundraisers, food drives, youth outreach programs, pride campaigns, and social events are all common. The best groups are active year round. That community outside the stadium is often what keeps people involved long after the season ends.
I do not follow MLS. Are there supporters groups for other leagues?
Yes. The ISC directory includes groups for clubs across the NWSL, USL Championship, USL League One, NPSL, NISA, and more. Some of the most passionate supporter communities in American soccer exist outside of MLS entirely — Detroit City FC, New Mexico United, Forward Madison, and Chattanooga FC are good examples. The level of the league does not determine the level of the culture.
How do I find a supporters group for my club?
Start with the ISC members directory at officialisc.com/members. Search your club name or browse by league. If nothing comes up, check your club's official website — most clubs list their recognized supporter groups on their matchday pages. If there is still nothing, the option to start one is right there in front of you.
What is the American Outlaws?
The American Outlaws is the largest independent supporters organization for the US Men's and Women's National Teams, with over 200 chapters across all 50 states. If your connection to soccer runs through the national team rather than a club, the Outlaws chapter locator at theamericanoutlaws.com is where you start.
Beyond the Supporters Section
Formal supporters groups are one part of American soccer culture. A growing piece of it happens outside the stadium entirely.
Pub watch parties
Most cities with a soccer following have at least one bar that organizes around big matches. Some are loosely affiliated with a supporters group. Others are completely independent, built by regulars who just kept showing up for the same games. A quick search for soccer bars in your city, or a look at the American Outlaws chapter page for your area, will usually surface the options. For national team matches and major European nights, these rooms fill up with people who may never make it to a live club match but follow the game seriously. The energy is real. If you are hosting your own watch party, the soccer party guide covers how to set it up right.
Lower league and non-league matches
Some of the most accessible live soccer in the country is also some of the least publicized. USL League One clubs, NPSL sides, NISA clubs, and amateur league matches happen across the country every weekend. Tickets are cheap. Crowds are small enough that you are close to the action. And the supporter culture, where it exists, tends to be louder and more personal than what you find at bigger venues. If there is a club near you outside the top flight, it is worth showing up at least once. You may not expect much. That is usually when it pulls you in.
If you are wondering why so much American soccer happens outside the top league, the “Why is America different?” page explains why the system is set up that way.
Amateur leagues
Adult amateur soccer runs in nearly every city in the country. USASA-affiliated leagues, indoor leagues, pickup leagues run through apps like Meetup or PickupSoccer. Most are organized enough to have schedules and teams but informal enough that showing up once is enough to find a spot. If your connection to the game goes beyond watching, this is where it goes next.
Pickup soccer
The lowest barrier entry point in the game. Parks, turf facilities, and school fields host pickup sessions in most cities. No team needed, no registration. Show up with boots and you are in. The level varies wildly. The fun does not.
Build Your Supporter Identity
The culture does not stop at the stadium gate.
Soccer scarves are the most visible marker of supporter identity in American soccer. How to collect them, what they mean, and how to display them.
Jerseys from American clubs and national teams, including some from clubs most fans have never heard of.
Soccer cave and matchday setup for when your place becomes the spot on game day.
Soccer party guide for hosting your crew for the big matches.
Final Thoughts
American soccer’s supporter culture has been quietly building for longer than most people realize. The groups are there. The infrastructure is there. The people who want to be part of something are there. The missing piece is usually just knowing where to look.
Start with the American Outlaws for the national team. Start with the ISC for club soccer. If nothing exists near you, the option to build something is sitting right in front of you.