Walking football (“walking football”) is an age-appropriate and healthy variant of the game of football and promotes health through exercise while protecting and strengthening joints at the same time. This sport, which can be played both indoors and outdoors, is particularly aimed at people over 50 and those who are unable to play the original game due to lack of mobility or other (health) reasons. .
Walking Football was launched in 2011 by Chesterfield Community Trust FC in Great Britain. Since 2016, England has had its own umbrella organisation, the Walking Football Association (WFA), in which 366 clubs are organised. Itinerant football also reached Germany via the Netherlands. Initially, there were only four clubs in the Bundesliga for walking football: Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Werder Bremen VfL Wolfsburg and FC Schalke 04. In 2019, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, VfL Bochum and Arminia Bielefeld also founded their own football groups walking and there will always be more.
The rules
You can only walk. One foot must always touch the ground. The pitch is between 25-37m wide and 35-55m long, with goals between 3-5m wide and 1.2-2m high. The match is played in teams of 5, 6 or 7 with no offsides. Goalkeepers, violent physical contact and fouls are prohibited. The ball must not fly higher than waist height. Violation of the rules results in a free kick for the opposing team.
Whatever your age and pace, football walking is a great way to get football active and keep fit, and socialize afterwards. The fun is guaranteed not to be overlooked.
To Rot-Weiss Germany 11/67 e. V. in Dortmund-Bodelschwingh has had a walking football group since last summer. Anyone wishing to take part in a relaxed training session or just watch first is warmly invited to check out the sports ground, Im Odemsloh 107, in 44357 Dortmund-Bodelschwingh every Monday from 7pm.
