On a Monday evening on a pitch far away from World Cup stadiums, there’s a different kind of soccer being played.

“Just messing with you,” said Roger Gorman, one of the players on the field to one of the defenders.

Between the touchlines at the Clifton Common, you’re not going to find players like Gorman running between the goals.

“I went too soon,” Gorman shouts, during the game.

But rather, they are just walking at a brisk pace to chase down the ball.

“It gets the whole soccer thing out of your system,” Gorman said. “And also, it’s low impact. So it’s sort of like a good substitute when you get a little bit older.”

He’s one of the new participants to walking soccer. It’s pretty much just regular soccer without the running.

“The best way that we describe it to people here domestically is it’s kind of like pickleball for people who love soccer,” said Bill Sofko, the walking soccer coordinator for the Clifton Park Adult Soccer club.

With the game recently arriving on the shores of the U.S., Sofko says the biggest challenge is just getting the word out and recruiting new participants. Anyone can play and the only rule really is no running, which can be quite challenging as well.
The game focuses on foot skills, positioning and passing. For many, it’s a way to keep playing the game they love, while building relationships on and off the pitch.

He started it in spring 2025 after hearing about it from a local coach who’s from England. Walking football is popular, he said, across the Atlantic Ocean.

“If you were to go to England, you would find 10,000 teams in England playing walking soccer,” Sofko said. “And it’s mainly people who have picked up some injuries and need a slower game, or they may be older.”

With the game recently arriving on the shores of the U.S., Sofko says the biggest challenge is just getting the word out and recruiting new participants. Anyone can play and the only rule really is no running, which can be quite challenging as well.

“You have to train your mind not to instinctively run. Not that I can run that much anymore,” said Walt McNall, another player. “It’s a skill game, so that part of it is fun.”

The game focuses on foot skills, positioning and passing. For many, it’s a way to keep playing the game they love, while building relationships on and off the pitch.

“Even on a social basis. Just to kind of hang out and talk soccer and all that kind of stuff,” Gorman said.

Source: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2026/07/31/walking-soccer-clifton-park