The ball may only fly waist-high in walking football. There is no offside, no goalkeeper, slides and tackles are prohibited. The health aspect plays a central role in the over 55 target group.
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ofBernd Klingebiel
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shut down
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The members of football are increasingly being lost. In the youth sector anyway, but also with the warhorse. The football district Heide-Wendland (HWK) goes on the offensive. He beats the drum for walking football in the 55+ generation. As the name suggests: it is forbidden to run after the ball. In any case, there is potential for the clubs in this age group, something is still possible!
Uelzen / District – If the kickers in walking football were significantly younger than the target group of over 55 seniors, harsh criticism would come from the stands: “Stand football!” But this is expressly encouraged in this variant of the game. “Walking is not allowed; one leg must always be on the ground, ”is the central rule.
Walking Football: steep passes are not a suitable means
If you run anyway, you get a free kick. So steep passes are not a suitable means in the game forward, even the fastest walker would have problems catching the ball. Even single actions do not bring much, so without any speed. Crazy, and that in football!
Walking Football: VfL Wolfsburg is a pioneer
VfL Wolfsburg is the first club in Lower Saxony that has permanently installed walking football and also supports the NFV with the introduction. Walking football comes from the motherland of football. In 2016, a separate umbrella organization was founded in England. Fifa has recognized walking football as an independent sport.
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Hartmut Jäkel from Ebstorf hopes that walking football can also start soon – in the true sense of the word – in this region. The provisional chairman of the football circle is the new commissioner for the over 32 to over 60 championships and game director for the old men in the game committee of the Lower Saxony Football Association (NFV).
In the large-scale HWK (Uelzen, Lüneburg, Lüchow-Dannenberg), however, no team has yet been found that kicks at a snail’s pace – at least not in the 55+. In the neighbors in Celle, Verden, Rotenburg and Harburg there is a few walking football, but there is still a long way to go. “We wouldn’t have a league at first either, maybe a friendly match or tournaments,” says Jäkel.
Game without goalkeeper and offside
The game is played for 4×10 minutes with six against six on the small field and on mini-goals. Four substitutions are possible per team. The ball must not fly above goal height (one meter), i.e. no more than waist-high. There is no offside, no goalkeeper. Sliding and tackling are prohibited. If you want to get close to the opposing goal, you have to make many short and precise passes and combine them meter by meter together. In this way, gray men who do not want to do without the ball can play football and stay fit – with little risk of injury.
The health aspect thus plays a central role. Walking football is practically played without contact, it is easy on the bones and the body, it is “no longer so strenuous” and therefore “a good alternative”, says Jäkel. You can still sweat properly.
With the expansion of the repertoire, the football association wants to attract the elderly and targeted returnees to the clubs and the sport, so that the sociability and senior work are strengthened and voluntary commitment is promoted. Because the increased life expectancy also means a gain in actively usable years.
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