England walking football
The home of the beautiful slow game
Walking football is the fastest-growing adaptation of the sport in England, offering a safe, social and competitive format for adults of all ages.
Every week, thousands of players across the country lace up to take their first steps in the hopes of improving their health, fitness and happiness.
At Walking Football World, our aim is to provide you with a complete and comprehensive guide of where to play from the South West to the North East.
🏴 Play walking football in England
How you choose to get involved with walking football in England is matter of personal preference. The game is typically split into casual and competitive strands, with many sessions falling into the former and walking football clubs into the latter.
Things start to get confusing when groups from casual sessions enter semi-competitive tournaments. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Learn about the differences between different English walking football events below and search for one to enter near you.
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England walking football leagues
Walking football leagues bring together local clubs to play regular fixtures across the season in an organised competitive format.
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England walking football competitions
Competitions are ongoing tournaments held across multiple dates, usually in a knockout-style, featuring several rounds over weeks or months.
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England walking football festivals
Walking football festivals are short one or two day events bringing together local teams for fun, friendly and competitive matches
⚖️ Governance of the English game
Walking football in England operates under a dual-authority structure, with both The Football Association (FA) and the Walking Football Association (WFA) claiming governance roles.
⚽️ The Football Association (FA)
The FA is the official governing body for all football in England, as recognised by Sport England.
It publishes the FA Walking Football Laws of the Game, oversees referee training through County FAs and runs the FA Walking Football Cup.
The FA’s emphasis is on domestic development, standardising rules, promoting safe play and embedding walking football within the broader English football system.
🚶♂️➡️ Walking Football Association (WFA)
Founded in 2016, the WFA describes itself as the dedicated governing body for walking football.
It manages its own Laws of the Game, runs the WFA National Cup and Super League, and operates England representative squads competing in FIWFA’s World Nations Cup.
Through these programmes, the WFA leads the international and competitive aspects of the sport.
Key Differences and Ongoing Tensions
The FA allows limited contact and direct free kicks, while the WFA enforces strict non-contact rules and indirect restarts.
This has created parallel systems of refereeing, competition and even “England” national team branding.
Critics suggest that the WFA’s growing focus on international football and public relations has overshadowed its grassroots priorities, however clear evidence of this remains limited.
In practice, walking football continues under two overlapping authorities:
- The FA: The formal regulator, with official recognition and domestic reach.
- WFA: The functional leader in competition and international representation.
Together, the two organisations define the evolving governance of walking football in England.
England walking football near you
Walking football in England is delivered through a network of county football associations, organised leagues, local clubs and community sessions.
Explore our county pages below to find walking football near you and discover how the game is growing at grassroots level across the country.
Buckinghamshire
Participation covers Buckinghamshire towns including Aylesbury and Marlow.
Gloucestershire
Activity spans Gloucestershire in Gloucester, Stroud and Cheltenham.
Greater London
Greater London sessions appear across outer boroughs and suburbs.
Greater Manchester
Clubs meet around Greater Manchester areas like Stockport and Salford.
Herefordshire
Herefordshire involvement includes Hereford, Leominster and market towns.
Hertfordshire
Clubs in Hertfordshire meet in Watford, Hertford, Stevenage and Ware.
Leicestershire
Clubs across Leicestershire meet in Leicester, Loughborough and Hinckley.
Northamptonshire
Sessions run across Northamptonshire in Kettering, Corby and Daventry.
Northumberland
Northumberland players join from Alnwick, Haydon Bridge and Hexham.
Nottinghamshire
Walking football in Nottinghamshire from Mansfield to Newark.
South Yorkshire
Clubs in South Yorkshire meet in Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster.
West Yorkshire
Clubs in West Yorkshire meet in Leeds, Huddersfield and Halifax.
Worcestershire
Walking football sessions run in Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster.
Promote your England event
Showcase your English walking football session, club or competition for FREE to thousands of potential players on Walking Football World.
We’ve made it as easy as possible for you to get started, with simple multiple choice forms that take under five minutes to complete. Click the button below to get listed now.
Featured England listings
Our featured listings highlight examples of standout walking football clubs and leagues across England. These groups embody the inclusive spirit of the sport.
FAQs - England walking football
Have a question about English walking football? We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions below.
Walking football is jointly influenced by two organisations: The Football Association (FA), which provides official laws and domestic competitions, and the Walking Football Association (WFA), which runs independent leagues and England representative squads.
The FA focuses on the domestic game, promoting consistency across County FAs and community sessions. The WFA focuses on competitive and international play, including England national teams. Their rulebooks differ slightly around contact levels, free kicks and height restrictions.
Yes, but it’s managed by the WFA, not The FA. The WFA England squads represent the country in international tournaments such as the FIWFA World Nations Cup and other global fixtures.
Teams are selected across multiple age groups, including over 50s, over 60s, over 65s, and over 70s, as well as dedicated women’s squads. Selection is based on trials held on national training weekends and regional talent days.
Local play is managed through a mixture of County FAs, independent leagues and community clubs. Event rules are typically split between FA and WFA laws, depending on the particular organiser’s affiliation. We clearly state which rules events follow on our individual listing pages.
There is ongoing dialogue, but currently no unified structure or alignment between the FA and the WFA. In the meantime, both organisations share the goal of growing participation and improving standards of the game in England.