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Walking Football Sessions

Take your first steps into the world of walking football with one of hundreds of walking football sessions taking place daily throughout the UK.

Walking football sessions, sometimes referred to as leisure or fitness sessions, provide a low pressure, highly enjoyable introduction to this increasingly popular sport.

Sessions are usually supported by a local organisation such as a county council, business or charity and delivered by sports clubs, professional football coaches or community volunteers.

Walking football sessions are also frequently organised by clubs looking to offer more people the opportunity to play in a non-competitive environment.

At Walking Football World, you’ll find the most comprehensive directory of walking football sessions online, containing everything you need to know to make an informed choice before you play.

Read on below to find out more or click here to find a session near you today.

Play on at walking football sessions near you

Who are walking football sessions for?

There’s a walking football session for everyone across England, Scotland and Wales, but it’s true that you’ll find some variation in rules and age restrictions between individual events. All of our session listings contain a full breakdown of these differences, but below is a quick overview of what you can generally expect when you turn up.

Friendly and welcoming introduction to walking football

Low pressure games with an emphasis on enjoyment

Little to no long-term commitment required

Respect, encouragement and support from peers

Dangerous and aggressive tackling

Win at all costs attitudes

Prejudices and patronising behaviour

Cliques, in-groups and partisanship

How to choose a walking football session

Whatever your age or circumstances, there is always something daunting about trying something new. Whether it’s a job, a relationship or a sport, it’s natural to be anxious about the unknown that lies ahead.

We understand that many of those looking to get involved with walking football for the first time experience similar anxiety about their own competence to play and acceptance from a group.

It is therefore especially important that you feel both comfortable with your choice of walking football session and confident enough to enjoy it before you arrive.

If you’ve been left frustrated by the lack of detail available about walking football sessions on other websites, you’ll love the lengths we’ve gone to in our session listings. Simply follow the three steps below to find one that’s right for you in minutes.

1. Search for a session

Our index of walking football sessions is one of the biggest and most detailed online. We’re the only place that allows you to easily filter every session near you in just a couple of clicks.

Click the button below to begin your search on our interactive map. When you get there, select your location from the first dropdown box and ‘Walking Football Sessions’ from the second. The map will automatically pull through sessions closest to your home.

Search Sessions
Search for a walking football session

2. Browse the listings, make a choice

Our session listings feature much more than a simple date and phone number, we’ve broken them down to provide information on everything from pitch type and age limit, to playing level and game formats.

So, if you’re a beginner looking to play five-a-side on an astroturf pitch on Tuesday evenings, we let you filter our list based on exactly those requirements. Scroll down for a full explanation of every listing detail or click below to see for yourself on a real session listing now.

Browse Listings
Browse walking football session listings

3. Get in touch, turn up and play!

Now you’ve searched our index and compared the walking football sessions based on your specific preferences. How do you take things further and actually start playing?

It’s simple. Every session listing on Walking Football World includes the full contact details of the session organiser, as well as a quick enquiry form on the right hand side. Use these to speak directly to the right person, ask questions and plan your debut!

Contact Sessions
Contact a walking football session

Top walking football sessions – June 2021

Each month, we choose two sessions from throughout the UK to showcase below. These sessions could be the most popular with Walking Football World visitors or do something that makes them stand out from the crowd.

If you’d like to see your session featured here, get in touch and let us know what makes your event different. Please note that the top walking football sessions below are not paid-for adverts and we do not accept payment for placements in this section.

Vintage Celtic Feature Listing

New Charter Academy Walking Football

Ashton-under-Lyne

Vintage Celtic Walking Football Club host weekly sessions in two locations throughout Greater Manchester. The first of these occurs every Monday evening from 6pm at New Charter Academy. Sessions cost just £3 per player and last for one hour. Click below to find out more!

View Session
Elm Road Walking Football Featured

Elm Road Walking Football, March

Active Fenland

Enjoy fun walking football sessions at Elm Road Sports Field, courtesy of Active Fenland and March Park Rangers FC. Sessions take place every Wednesday morning at 10am and cost £2. See full details in our listing or view their Facebook page.

View Session

Understanding session listings

It can be hard to make a decision, especially when you have only a limited idea about the factors upon which the decision should be made.

We’ve worked hard to give you all the information you need to choose where to play walking football. On each session listing page, you’ll find a breakdown of specifications at the top and features at the bottom.

Here’s a full summary of what each means.

Specifications

Session specifications are the hard facts about walking football sessions themselves, providing easy-to-digest snapshots of key attributes and playing requirements.

In total, we consider nine different specifications for each session on our website. These have been submitted and verified by session organisers to be as accurate as possible when you view them.

Year founded

We’ll start with an easy one. The year a walking football session was founded can help to give you some confidence in its quality. Would a session have been running for two years if nobody enjoyed it? Reach out to existing players for recommendations.

Game format

Sessions with fewer players may run smaller-sided games, with five-a-side matches commonplace. Those with a larger turnout may to run multiple smaller games or use larger teams on bigger pitches. Turnout at sessions can fluctuate so the format listed should be viewed as a guide only.

Plays in competitions

Despite existing mostly for fitness and leisure, some walking football groups still like to test themselves against others as part of regional or nationally-run competitions. At WFW, we define a walking football competition as a tournament which extends across weeks and months, not days.

Session type

This defines the openness of a session to new players. Session types include, ‘Just turn up’, ‘Call ahead’ and ‘Sign up required’. The latter to may be necessary for busier sessions with fewer coaches, so be sure to get in touch with the organiser before your arrive.

Pitch type

The surface you play on affects the roll of the ball, your exposure to the weather and, perhaps most importantly, the impact on your joints. Harder surfaces such as concrete and sports halls are typically harsher on feet, ankles and knees than softer pitches such as grass or artificially 3G turf.

Plays in festivals

If you prefer your competition a little closer to home - and condensed into a single day or weekend - you might want to consider joining a session that takes part in walking football festivals. Play one-off, small-sided games against players from sessions similar to your own.

Playing level

One of the best things about walking football is that you don’t have to have played football before to enjoy it. We’ve labelled sessions as either ‘Beginner’, ‘Confident’ or ‘Mixed’ to define the level and standard of football you can generally expect.

Age limit

Walking football can be enjoyed by people of all ages and circumstances, but it is common to see some sessions restricted by minimum ages to ensure a relatively level playing field. Age limits can be flexible so be sure to check with a session organiser first if you fall just outside of the listed range.

Available for friendlies

Another way that some walking football sessions compete is in friendly matches. Participation in games is never compulsory but can make a nice change from playing against the same opposition in every session. The rules of friendly matches usually mutually agreed between teams beforehand.

Session features

Our session listings also include an overview of certain rules that players are expected to abide by in the interests of safety and fairness. You will see all or some of the below listed on any session page.

Competitiveness

Walking football is one of the few sports where the phrase, “It’s the taking part that counts”, is actually true. However, if you do want to play to win, keep a look out for sessions marked ‘Competitive’ at the foot of a page.

Ball size

The most commonly used ball size for adult games is size five, however it is not unusual to see size four used, especially for sessions hosted indoors. The difference is negligible, but noticeable, for the most pedantic of players!

Score from anywhere

The faster pace and smaller pitches of five-a-side walking football often requires shots to be restricted to outside of the box only. This helps to prevent scores from running into double-digits and protects goalkeepers from injury.

Level of contact

While football is typically a contact sport, the slower pace of walking football and the older age of players lends itself to gentler levels of physicality. Many sessions are almost entirely ‘non-contact’ to minimise the risk of injury.

Number of touches

Love them or hat them, limited touch rules are as prevalent in walking football as they are in the training sessions of youth teams. Limited touch rules usually restrict players to two or three touches of the ball before passing or shooting.

Head height

Many walking football sessions impose a ‘below head height’ rule to keep the ball on the floor and eliminate the need for headers. Many older and more vulnerable players find this rule preferable to its ‘above head height’ opposite.

Genders welcome

Walking football is not only the fastest growing sport in the UK, it’s also one of the most inclusive. Keep a look out for gender-orientated sessions to suit you, from ‘Men Only’ and ‘Women Only’, to ‘Mixed’ sessions for everyone.

Restart method

Throw-in or kick-in? Every footballer has a preference, but often the decision is at the mercy of the environment. Some indoor sessions, or those on smaller astroturf pitches, may even allow the use of walls as an extra player.

Rule book

The English FA only published its official rules for walking football in early 2017. A session may choose to adopt these, use the Walking Football Association variant, or simply set their own rules based on a mixture of both.

Featured sessions

View a selection of the UK’s best walking football sessions below. Promote your session to the masses with a featured spot. Simply contact [email protected] to arrange yours now.

Featured Session listing
Featured Session (1)

Space Available

Promote your upcoming event here with a featured listing. For a small fee, you’ll get increased exposure to thousands of extra visitors. Book your spot now.

Featured Session listing
Featured Session (2)

Space Available

It will always be completely free to display your listings on Walking Football World. Featured spaces simply allow you to give your free listing a small boost.

Featured Session listing
Featured Session (3)

Space Available

Featured listings show throughout the site and are available to purchase in weekly or monthly blocks. Email us to discuss availability this month.

Featured Session listing
Featured Session (4)

Space Available

We donate 50% of every featured listing fee to a nominated charity, chosen by the WFW community. Look out for more details on our news page.

Session FAQs

Still got a question about walking football sessions? We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions below to help clarify the most common issues. Remember, if you have a question related to a specific session, don’t be afraid to contact the organiser listing on its session page to ask directly.

 I’ve never played football before, does that matter?

No, it doesn’t. Although they share the same name, it’s better to think of football and walking football as cousins instead of siblings. The slower pace and focus on enjoyment, not results, makes walking football welcoming and accessible to players of all abilities and experience.

 Will I need to buy expensive football boots and kit?

This is not the Premier League. There is absolutely no obligation for players to spend money on expensive new clothing and footwear to join a walking football session. We recommend that you simply wear comfortable sportswear and shoes suited to the playing surface. See individual session listings for more details.

 Can I enquire on behalf of a friend or relative?

Yes, of course. It is very common for friends or relatives of a potential player to make first contact with a walking football session. Session organisers are always happy to assist with any concerns and can often provide invaluable guidance for those starting out in the sport.

 Is there first aid provision at walking football sessions?

It is not uncommon for a first aid trained person to be present at a walking football session, but this is by no means a certainty. If you are concerned about any health or safety issue, be sure to raise this with the session organiser as soon as possible. Walking football is generally a very safe and enjoyable sport.