I am particularly looking for a good translation for the German word "Bolzplatz". This is an outdoor area where people can play soccer/football (you know, this is the most favorite sports in Germany).
Dictionaries provided me play area, football area, football ground; none of which really carries the connotation of the German word.
Speaking of connotation, the German word bolzen means something like to kick something aimlessly, unsystematically around. Translation for bolzen could be to kick around/about or perhaps to slam. When playing on a "Bolzplatz", people do not have tactics or strategies. They just kick the ball and try to shoot a goal (oh, yet an aim), but there's no clear pattern how to achieve this.
I've read on Wikipedia that playgrounds may contain an area where people can play such sports, but when I think of the term playground, I rather think of an area for little children with swings, jungle gyms and so on.
While searching the Internet, I've also looked up streetball (although I'm pretty sure that terms related to streetball do not carry the meaning of the German word; when saying "Bolzplatz" I'm definitely not thinking of a basketball court) and came across the term outdoor court. This, however, sounds like a well-kept outdoor area which could even be used for professional sports, but a "Bolzplatz" usually is in a very bad shape, like missing turf or torn goal nets.
Hopefully, I could clarify what the German word "Bolzplatz" means. Is there an English word that reflects the same idea or, at least, similarly as given above?
Here's a picture from the German Wikipedia page on "Bolzplatz".
Best Answer
In British English, at least, this is often called a recreation ground. This also seems to fit your description of being in "...bad shape, like missing turf or torn goal nets." as a lot of them are just mown fields, with basic facilities like a couple of goal posts etc.
Colloquially it may be shortened to rec or rec ground in some areas. I think this best reflects the description of somewhere where you would go just to "kick around" like you would on a German Bolzplatz. E.g. "let's go have a kick-about on the rec."
ADDITION:
@Steve – you have swayed me to playing fields, which I get the feeling is a more widely used term in English in general.