LAWS OF WALKING FOOTBALL

As a general principle, the normal Laws of Football apply to walking football. There are, though, some key differences and we’ve developed this guide to help players and referees understand them. The guide does not contain information on every Law – you can refer to the full Laws for that. Instead, it highlights what we think referees and players need to know in order to make the game safe and enjoyable. Enjoy your walking football!

The Field of Play

• Walking football should be played on either grass, artificial turf or, if indoors, wood. Barriers may be used.
• The penalty area is a semi-circle of six meters radius from the centre of the goal line. The penalty spot must be six meters out.
• The distance between the goal posts can be between three meters and four meters.
• Field length 48 metres. Field width 37 metres

Players and Substitutes

• Matches are 5-a-side
• Teams can have a maximum of 7 substitutes
• Substitutions can take place either when play has stopped or during play
• Players can change places with the goalkeeper when play has stopped

The Players' Equipment

• Players cannot wear anything that is dangerous to themselves or another
player (e.g. jewellery)
• Players must wear shin guards
• Goalkeepers must wear colours which easily distinguish them from the other players and the referee

The Referee

• Referees keep players safe by stopping the game if a seriously injured (or bleeding) player needs to be removed from the playing area
• Enforce the Laws of the Game and their decision is final!
• Take disciplinary action against players guilty of sin-bin or sending-off offences
• Try to keep the game going by playing advantage.

The Duration of the Match

• Matches can be divided into two equal periods of 20 minutes halves
• Time can not be added on each period can be extended to allow
a penalty kick to be taken
• Half-time break should be no more than
2 minutes

Signals

Start and Re-Start of Play

• The team that wins the toss decides which goal it will attack in the first
period of the game.
• The other team takes the kick-off to start the game
• A goal may not be scored directly from the kick-off
• All players must be in their own half, except the player taking kick-off
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves
• The kicker may not touch the ball
a second time until it has touched
another player

Ball In and Out Of Play

The ball is out of play when:

• All of it has crossed the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or
in the air
• Play has been stopped by the referee

Height Of The Ball

  • The ball is not allowed to go above the referee's shoulder
  • Players cannot head the ball
  • When the ball goes too high after a save or a block performed by the goalkeeper, play restarts with a goal clearance
  • When the ball goes too high of an outside player, the game is started with a drop ball by the team that did not touch it last

Determining the Outcome of a Match

• A goal is scored when the whole ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, unless it has been deliberately thrown, carried or propelled by the hand or arm of a player of the attacking side.
• The goalkeeper from the attacking side is not allowed to score from open play

Physical Contact

• Any contact must be penalised.
• Players cannot slide tackle, tackle from behind, heel or ankle tap from the back or side, back into players when in possession

Free Kicks

ALL FREE KICKS ARE INDIRECT.

A free kick is given if a player commits any of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force

• Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
• Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
• Jumps at an opponent
• Charges an opponent, even with the shoulder
• Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
• Pushes an opponent
• Tackles an opponent

More On Free Kicks

ALL FREE KICKS ARE INDIRECT

A free kick can also be awarded when a player commits any of the following offences:

• Runs
• Heads the ball
• Holds an opponent
• Bites or spits at someone
• Slide tackles
• Handles the ball deliberately

Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge, no disciplinary action is needed other than a free kick.


Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent. The offering player must be cautioned and sin-binned


Excessive is when a player exceed the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent. The Offending player must be sent off.


A free kick is awarded against a goalkeeper when they:

• Touch or control the ball with their hands or feet, in the penalty area, for more than six seconds
• Receive the ball back directly from a teammate to whom they have just passed the ball without the ball having made contact with any other player
• Allow the ball to stop in a stationary position in the penalty area without touching it for more than six seconds

Cards

A player who is yellow-carded should be suspended from play for 5 minutes.

A yellow card can be given for any of the following offences (in addition to when a reckless offence is committed):

• Unsporting behaviour
• Showing dissent by word or action
• Persistently infringing the Laws of the Game, with exception to that covered under Law 17
• Delaying the restart of play
• Failing to get back the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, kick-in, free kick or goal clearance

A red card is used when a player commits any of the following offences( in addition to when an excessive offence is committed):

• Serious foul play or violent conduct
• Spits at an opponent or any other person
• Uses offensive, insulting or abusive language
• Receives a second blue card in the same match

The Penalty Kick

A penalty kick is given when:

• A defending player enters their own penalty area deliberately and gains an advantage by doing so
• A goalkeeper deliberately exits their own penalty area

At a penalty kick, players have to stand:

• Inside the pitch
• Outside the penalty area
• Behind or to the side of the penalty mark
• At least three meters from the ball

The player taking the kick can only take one step before taking the penalty kick.

The Kick-In

  • This is a method of restarting play when the whole of the ball passes over a touch line, either on the ground or in the air.
  • A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in
  • Defending players must be at least three meters from the place where the kick-in is taken

The Goal Clearance

  • A goal clearance takes place when the whole of the ball, having last touched a player of the attacking team, passes over the goal line, either on the ground or in the air – and a goal isn’t scored.
  • A goal cannot be scored directly from a goal clearance.
  • To take a goal clearance, the goalkeeper kicks the ball from a stationary position within the penalty area.
  • The goalkeeper can not pick up a back pass.
  • After the goalkeeper has distributed the ball, they can only receive a pass if the ball has either touched an opponent or if the ball has been touched by at least two of their teammates.

Walking

  • Walking is defined as ‘always having at least one foot in contact with the ground’
  • Players are not allowed to run or jog at any time (on or off the ball)
  • If a player is penalised on three separate occasions for infringing the walking law, they receive a yellow card and are sin-binned.

Penalty Areas

  • Goalkeepers cannot leave the penalty area except through unintentional momentum.
  • Outfield players may not enter the penalty area, except through unintentional momentum.