Seasiders Announce Local Rules For Recreational Sessions

Why are Local Rules necessary?

Senior Seasiders have several competitive teams playing in different leagues and cup competitions. Different rules apply to these competitions depending on their affiliation to either the Walking Football Association (WFA) or the Football Association (FA). There are discrepancies between the WFA and the FA Laws of the Game

Senior Seasiders also organise recreational sessions which cater for a wide range of physical abilities and ages. Therefore, suitable adjustments must be made so that our recreational sessions are as enjoyable and safe as possible.

Local rules avoid confusion and provide us with a set of Laws easily understood by referees and everyone taking part.

Our recreation sessions will be based on the 2025 FA Walking Football Laws of the Game with modifications explained below:

FA Walking Football Laws of the Game can be downloaded here.

Law 3. The Players

Player Eligibility

Recreational sessions are mixed ages. Normally Mens 50+, Ladies 40+.

Law 4. The Players’ Equipment

A shirt with sleeves. (Coloured bibs will be provided)

Shorts or track suit trousers.

Shin pads must be worn and made of suitable material to provide reasonable protection and be covered by the socks.

Moulded studs or astro trainers only. No metal studs or blades.

Watches, if worn must be covered with a sweat band or other suitable material.

Law 9. The Ball in and out of Play (Height of Ball Restrictions)

A height restriction must apply, which is normally the height of the crossbar.

The ball is deemed out of play, i.e., a “dead ball”, when it rises above the designated height restriction.

Any save or block from a goalkeeper that rises above the designated height restriction before leaving the field of play, which includes crossing the goal line, will result in a side line restart for the opposing team in line with where the offence took place.

To clarify the above law in the case of goalkeepers:

If a goalkeeper kicks or throws a high ball an indirect free kick is given 3 metres outside the area, nearest the point it left the area

When the ball exceeds the height restriction following a save or block performed by a goalkeeper, play then restarts with a kick in from the sideline by the opposition in line with where the ball was deflected high.

If in the process of making a block or save, as soon as the ball goes above the height restriction the ball is dead. Therefore, if it ends up back in the field of play, if it ends up in the goal, if it goes over the crossbar, all result in a side line restart.

If the ball goes wide and crosses the goal line before it goes above the designated height restriction, it’s a corner as it’s out of play (dead) once it crosses the line.

Law 12. Fouls and Misconduct

Walking Football is a non-contact sport although some contact may inevitably occur, therefore not ALL contact will be judged a foul.

Three Touch Rule

The “three touch” rule aims to maintain a flowing game and discourage prolonged ball control.

An outfield player designated to play three touch will wear an armband and is limited to three touches of the ball uninterrupted by another player touching the ball. A fourth touch will be an infringement and result in the award of an indirect free kick. A player having used three touches should step back two metres from the ball and not obstruct play.

A player not designated to play the three-touch rule will not wear an armband and be allowed unlimited touches.

Disciplinary Action

Individual offences

The use of temporary time suspensions (sin bins) following the issue of a blue card and the exclusion of a player arising from the issue of a red card are the recommended disciplinary sanctions for use in walking football.

The issue of a blue card to a player will result in a temporary time suspension of 4 minutes.

The issue of a red card to a player will result in a sending off.

For recreation sessions blue and red cards will only be issued in exceptional circumstances where the referee determines foul play, or a player’s behaviour goes beyond what might be reasonably expected.

Any player or spectator who is blue or red carded during a recreational session will have the details recorded by the referee. These will be passed onto the Senior Seasiders Disciplinary Committee who will decide on any further action to be taken. The action taken will be dependent on the severity of the offence and any previous offences.

Zero tolerance of the following:

DISSENT, ABUSE, ARGUMENTATIVE BEHAVIOUR, SWEARING, SARCASM TOWARDS THE REFEREE, OPPONENTS, TEAMMATES OR SPECTATORS

Team offences

Instead of recording individual offences, the referee will count each individual offence towards a team total. Any 4 offences by a team will result in a penalty kick no matter where on the pitch it occurs. The referee will indicate when 3 team offences have been committed.

When a penalty is awarded against a team for four offences, the offence total is set to zero.

Offences are described in Law 12 of the FA Walking Football Laws of the Game (Feb 2025).

A breach of the three-touch rule will result in an indirect free kick to the opposition and will NOT count towards the team offence total.

Law 14 The Penalty Kick

The player taking the penalty kick may have a one (1) metre approach to the ball before taking a penalty kick. The referee will indicate the one metre mark.
If the kicker steps back behind the one metre mark – no goal and an indirect free kick to the opposition.

Law 15. The Kick-in / Roll-in

Only kick-ins are allowed

Advantage

The referee allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time.

At the next break in play the referee shall add the foul to the team accumulation number, if a goal is not scored from the advantage. If a goal is scored then the team foul count would remain unaltered. (This is because the attacking team cannot gain two advantages from one offence, i.e. a goal AND a penalty.

The Penalty Area

A ball on the line is in a “neutral zone” and can be played by either an attacker, defender or goalkeeper if they remain in their designated playing area.
No Entry into Penalty Area ‘D’ By Any Outfield Player

The exception being by momentum and no advantage gained. Should a defender have inadvertently stepped into the area, but play, or the outcome of play has not been affected, play carries on.

If a defending player enters the penalty area deliberately to gain position to another part of the pitch for any reason, to play the ball back to the goalkeeper, to block a shot on goal, deny a clear goal scoring opportunity, a penalty kick shall be awarded against the defender.

When a defending player enters the penalty area inadvertently, has gained no advantage or does not affect play, no penalty can be awarded and play continues.

If two opposing players come into contact on the penalty area line and the defender enters the penalty area not by their own volition, no penalty can be awarded.

Should an attacking player step into the penalty area by momentum after a shot from outside the area which results in a goal, the goal shall stand, otherwise for any other occasion where the attacker has stepped into the penalty area, a free kick is awarded to the goalkeeper to be taken where the infringement occurred.

This version dated 15/10/25