Walking football is a relatively new form of the game, first created by John Croot in 2011, designed to provide a platform for men and women whose playing days would normally have been behind them.
The game is traditionally played by those who are aged 50 and older, however, for competitive games, there is an Over-40 age group for women who play the game. The explosion in popularity of walking football has meant that thousands have been able to continue playing the game long after they would have otherwise had to consider hanging up their boots.
What is Walking Football?
Walking football is a non-contact form of the game that is a non-contact sport, which is what makes it a highly inclusive game for all involved. Players are still allowed to tackle, though there is no slide tackling allowed and any challenge using excessive force will result in a foul.
The game is designed to help people either get fit or maintain fitness, regardless of age, fitness and ability. Walking football, as an inclusive sport, is a great way for those who have stopped playing due to age or injury to get back into playing football.
It is also considered to be a fantastic social opportunity, with men and women connecting with like-minded people of a similar age whom they may not have otherwise met. Over 50s walking football (or over 40s for women) is proving to be a hugely popular activity for older players and, considering it has been around for a little over a decade, you can expect the game to continue to grow from strength to strength.
Walking Football Rules
It is a six-a-side game, with five outfield players and a goalkeeper, with three roll-on, roll-off substitutions permitted. A game of walking football last for 40 minutes with 20-minutes halves and, as the name suggests, there is no running and/or jogging allowed.
The game can be played both inside and outside, with rules differing slightly to suit the environment. For inside games, when there are walls/barriers surrounding the pitch, the ball is allowed to rebound (like traditional five-a-side football). In the case of outside games, when the pitch is lined out, kick-ins (instead of throw-ins), corners and goal kicks are awarded when the ball leaves the field of play.
As in five-a-side football, there is a height restriction in play. This means that should the ball be kicked, deflected, or thrown (by the goalkeeper) above the restricted height, which is no higher than two metres and no lower than the height of the crossbar. Heading the ball is also disallowed.
All free-kicks are in-direct, meaning that players cannot shoot directly from a free-kick and must play a pass to a teammate and penalty kicks are limited to a one-step run-up. Unlike in football as you may know it, the referee operates using three cards instead of two – along with the yellow (warning) and red (sending off) cards, referees can also brandish a blue card, which sends the player to the sin bin for a period of between two and five minutes before they can re-join the game.
If a player receives a red card, they may play no further part in the game, however, their team can use substitute after five minutes or when conceding a goal (whichever comes first). A team cannot substitute a player that has been sin-binned.
International Walking Football
In October 2018, an England walking football team was selected along with the appointments of managers at different age groups and fixtures have been played against nations such as Wales, Italy and Greece. The pandemic has meant that few fixtures have been able to take place since late 2019, but as travel restrictions continue to ease there is hope for more international games.
The inaugural Walking Football World Nations Cup will take place in Manchester in May 2022, with a maximum of 32 nations competing to become world champions. There will be tournaments for two age groups (Over-50s and Over-60s) and they will play at Manchester City’s Manchester Academy Stadium, which is used by the club’s academy and women’s teams.
Walking Football Trophies and Awards
Fen Regis Trophies has been supplying awards and trophies for more than 40 years and we are proud to offer a wide range of football trophies available to buy on our website. If you would like some more information on our range of products for your walking football club or league, please get in contact with a member of our team today.
“This means that should the ball be kicked, deflected, or thrown (by the goalkeeper) above the restricted height, which is no higher than two metres and no lower than the height of the crossbar.”
Does this mean that there is no fixed definition of the restricted height, with each competition free to choose its own definition?
To a point, yes, as long as the height falls within the range as outlined by the FA. It’s the same as how there is not an exact size for a football pitch as clubs are allowed to set out their own dimensions as long as it falls within the allowed range (hence why some pitches are wider than others).
It means if you are using the traditional 5 a side goals the rule would be ‘head height’ as the referee sees it.
If using 2 metre goals it’s crossbar height.
Simple really 🙂🙂