Austin has $75 to spend on sporting goods. He wants to buy a soccer ball for $12 and spend the rest of the money on soccer shorts. Each pair of soccer shorts costs $7. What is the maximum number of pairs of soccer shorts he can buy?

To determine the maximum number of pairs of soccer shorts Austin can buy, we first calculate how much money he has left after purchasing the soccer ball.

Austin has a total of $75 and he spends $12 on a soccer ball. The amount of money remaining after this purchase is:

\[
75 - 12 = 63
\]

Now, Austin wants to spend the remaining $63 on soccer shorts, each of which costs $7. To find out how many pairs of soccer shorts he can buy, we divide the remaining money by the cost of one pair of shorts:

\[
\frac{63}{7} = 9
\]

Thus, the maximum number of pairs of soccer shorts Austin can buy is:

\[
\boxed{9}
\]