Format:

·   5 Field players. No Goalkeepers. In Mixed Social each Team must have at least Three (3) Women players on the field at all times.

·   Goals 1.5 Metres wide and 900 centimetres high

·   Goals can only be scored from your attacking half of the field

·   Unlimited touches 

·   No points will be awarded nor results recorded for Women's Social and Mixed Social Games

·   A Horn will start and finish Games and signal the Half Time break at the same time. Please be ready.

·   No Shoes with Studs allowed. Shin Pads must be worn. Jewellery and personal medical devices must be taped, covered or removed. Soft, flexible frame Prescription Glasses may be worn by a player. Please provide a doctor's certificate to confirm the suitability of your eyeware.

Rules of Play

All rules are to be read in conjunction with the FA Walking Football Laws of the Game – February 2025. The below Rules of Play are designed specifically for the Central Coast Walking Football Tournament and will override similar/same rules in the referenced Laws of the Game document.  If in doubt, please consult with the Tournament Director.

Walking/Not Walking 

• No running, jogging, skipping, crabbing, jumping is allowed at any time when the ball is in play, both on and off the ball. If it looks like you are not walking, you probably aren’t! The decision is at the referee’s discretion and is made if both feet are off the ground. 

• You may walk backwards. However, please also refer to the dot point above.

• Lunging is not allowed in the vicinity of another player.

• An In-direct free kick will be given if a player is not walking.  

• The referee will STOP play immediately if any player falls over, and the game is restarted with an indirect free kick to the team last in possession. Player Safety is our priority and therefore no advantage will be played if a player falls over.

Height Restriction 

·   The ball will not be allowed to go over crossbar height and is deemed out of play. This is determined by the Referee. A free kick is awarded against the team that last touched the ball, before it went high over the crossbar height. Height lines are marked on the fence line.

Heading

·   No heading of the ball is allowed at all. This is to prevent head collisions/injuries. An Indirect FreeKick will be awarded against the player who heads the ball or against the player who last touched the ball before it went above crossbar height or the height line on the fence line.

No Contact

·   Walking Football is a No-Contact sport. 

·   Whilst tackling the ball is allowed, no tackling from behind or the side is allowed. Tackling from the side means within 1/2 a metre of the player in possession or receiving a pass.

·   Players cannot play the ball whilst on the ground/floor.

·   Front on tackling with any contact is a foul. Block the Pass or the Shot instead.

·   Any painful or preventable contact will result in at least an indirect Free Kick, at the referee’s discretion.

·   Reckless force in tackling will be punished with at least a sin bin of 10% of the playing time. Serious foul play will result in a Red card with no return allowed during that game. No slide tackles or sliding will be permitted. This will be considered a Red Card Offence. No replacement player is allowed if there is a player dismissed for a Red Card nor for the duration of time a player is sin binned.

·   4 Team Not Walking/Running Offences will result in a Penalty being awarded to the Opposing Team

·   The Referee will at their discretion, use Yellow or Red Cards to penalise a player for repeated foul play, reckless or dangerous tackles and physical or verbal abuse of another player, spectator, referee or match official

Number of Players 

·   Teams will be allowed to register any number of players on the day, 5 players per team on the pitch at any one time. Each Mixed Social Team must have at least 3 Women on the field at all times. 

Duration of Game 

·   20 minutes consisting of 2 x 9 minute halfs and there will be a two (2) minute half time break.

Substitutions 

·   There is no limit to the amount of substitutes allowed during a game and rolling substitutions will be permitted, a player who has been replaced may return to the pitch as a substitute for another player. 

·   Substitutions can be made at any time when there is a stoppage in play, as long as the referee is made aware and the substitute does not enter until the player they are replacing has left the field of play. 

·   If the referee deems a side is wasting time by asking for subs or taking too long no more substitutions will be allowed.

Playing Area

·   Play will be within the fenced area. 

·   If the ball hits or touches the fence a ‘kick-in’ is conceded and the ball is kicked back into play from within 1 metre of the fence line. 

·   Goal kicks will be kicked in by any player on the team awarded the Goal kick. The Goal kick shall be taken from the edge of the Goal Area. The player taking the Goal Kick, must immediately move back into the field of play, once they have taken a Goal Kick.

·   A player may not touch nor hold onto the fence. A free kick is awarded to the other team if a player holds onto the fence

The Penalty Area

·   During a game the outfield players of both teams are NOT allowed inside the penalty area.

·   If a defender deliberately goes in and gains an advantage a penalty kick is awarded. And a Red Card will be given to the offending player at the Referee's discretion.

·   If a defending player enters the penalty area accidently or due to their momentum, doesn't play at, nor gets struck by, the ball, nor gains an advantage then the referee will signal play on.

·   If an attacking player deliberately enters or gains an advantage by entering the area a free kick is awarded to the defending team to restart the game

·   If a player’s momentum takes them into the penalty area, following a shot which goes into the goal, the goal will be awarded so long as the ball goes into the goal before the player enters the penalty area. 

Penalty Kick

·        A Penalty Kick will be taken from the Half-Way Line Centre Spot as marked, 

·        All Players must remain behind the penalty taker.

Offside

·   There is NO offside during a game. 

Free Kicks 

·   All free kicks, except for a Penalty, will be IN-DIRECT and shall be taken at the place as indicated by the referee. 

·   Players from the opposing team shall NOT stand any closer than 3 METRES to the ball. Free kicks shot at goal and deflected in will restart as a goal kick with no goal being scored.

·   All Free Kicks awarded within 3 metres of the Penalty Area will be taken from 3 metres away from the Penalty Area.

Offences

All players and Team members will be expected to abide by the CCWF Code of Conduct during the Tournament. Serious Breaches of our Code of Conduct will result in Disciplinary Action as per the Code of Conduct.

Running, contact or entering the penalty area to Deny an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO) will result in a Red Card to the player and the opposition will be awarded a penalty goal

Sin Bins and Send Offs

·   Persistent offenders (3) of any infringement will be given a Yellow Card and sin-binned for 2 minutes at the referee’s discretion. 

·   Not walking/contact to Deny an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity or excessive contact will receive an immediate red card at the referee’s discretion. 

·   A replacement substitute will NOT be allowed for yellow or red cards.

The Referee 

·   The referee’s decision is final. The Team Captain only may politely ask a question of the referee to clarify the reason for their decision. However, persistent questioning or comment will be deemed as dissent and will result in a yellow or red card at the Referee’s discretion. 

·   Players are not to call out their interpretation of a foul during the game as that confuses other players and undermines the referee

·   Please accept that the Referee is RIGHT !!, even if you think they are wrong.  Please show respect towards all match officials and all players at all times.