Official Walking Football Rules Explained – 2026 Update (FA & WFA)
Table of Contents
Introduction
Walking football keeps the beautiful game accessible and safe for adults over 40/50+, but clear rules are essential for fair, enjoyable, and injury-free play. In 2026, two main rule sets operate in England — The FA’s Laws of Walking Football (updated February 2025) and the Walking Football Association (WFA) Laws (updated April 2025) — with a historic joint consultation underway to unify them
This detailed rules guide is part of our Complete Guide to Walking Football 2026 and links you to sessions that follow these standards via our global directory.”
add on correct info in sections ref doc.
Here are the official links to the current Laws of the Game for Walking Football from both the Walking Football Association (WFA) and The FA (England Football). These are the most up-to-date publicly available documents as of April 2026.WFA (Walking Football Association) – Governing Body for Walking Football in EnglandOfficial Laws page: https://thewfa.co.uk/laws-of-the-game/ (Includes timeline of updates and notes on differences from FA rules.) Direct PDF download (WFA LOTG 2025 – 04.04.25): https://thewfa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WFA-LOTG-2025-04.04.25.pdf
The FA (England Football)Official Rules and Refereeing page: https://www.englandfootball.com/play/ways-to-play/walking-football/Rules-and-Refereeing (Includes download button for the full laws, refereeing guidance, and FAQs.) Direct PDF download (The FA Walking Football Laws of the Game – Revised February 2025): https://community.thefa.com/cfs-file/__key/docpreview-s/00-00-00-21-46/The-FA-Walking-Football-Laws-of-the-Game-2025-Update_5F00_Hires.pdf
Quick note: WFA and The FA maintain separate but closely aligned rule sets. WFA’s version is the specialist walking-football-specific code, while The FA’s applies across all their sanctioned competitions.
Both were last formally published/updated in 2025; any 2026 clarifications (e.g. no-running enforcement or goalkeeper distribution) are currently referenced in secondary WFA communications rather than a brand-new PDF.