Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described in which two or more UEs of a wireless communications system may establish a sidelink connection. A first UE that is initiating sidelink communications may evaluate whether the sidelink connection can support a quality of service (QoS) for a data flow prior to admitting the data flow. The first UE may evaluate a link quality with one or more other UEs that are to use the data flow on the sidelink connection, evaluate system congestion of time/frequency resources that are available for the sidelink connection, or any combinations thereof, and admit the data flow based on the evaluation. A link quality of the sidelink connection may be determined based on a type of communication associated with the data flow, such as unicast communications with one other UE, multicast communications with multiple other UEs, or broadcast transmissions to multiple UEs.