Governing Bodies

One of the confusing things for Walking Footballers is the understanding that there's more than one Walking Football governing body. When you think about professional football or grassroots football it comes under the guidance of the Football Association. Children playing, juniors playing, adults, and all the way to seniors and veterans playing - male or female , it's all under the FA.

When it comes to Walking Football we mix it all up. Different governing bodies with different agendas and, even crazier, different rules.

Below are the main two governing bodies and the bullet points from their websites.

WFA - the Walking Football Association.

• Launched in December 2016

• The only National Governing Body (NGB) for Walking Football in England

• Inspiring safe & social activity

• Run by active passionate playing WF aficionados

• Registered as a “not-for-profit” Company

• Signed up to the SRA Voluntary Code of Governance

• Key priorities include the eradication of running and the reduction of the over physicality currently in the sport, and the establishment of specialist WFA referees

• Founder members of FIWFA, the sport’s international governing body

WFLA - the Walking Football Leagues Alliance.

• The Walking Football Leagues Alliance was formed in 2019.

• Currently there are 26 member leagues.

• The WFLA is a free to join, non-political, independent support network whose aims are to help establish, promote, and support FA affiliated walking football leagues and to encourage the growth of grassroots competitive walking football in safe environments.

• All WFLA national and local tournaments are all sanctioned by local FA’s, which sit under the rules and regulations of the Football Association.

• Free membership is open to the organisers of any local or National FA affiliated walking football league.

• If your league qualifies for membership please contact on https://wfla.uk/contact-us/

• The WFLA is run by a volunteer Alliance Management Committee drawn from member leagues.

• Currently the WFLA represents over 500 teams

One interesting overlap is that both the WFA and WFLA run their own National Cup, the finals for which are this weekend for the WFLA, and next weekend for the WFA.