By: Chloe Tang

Joe Perez, age 72 and a retiree living in Woodland Hills, California, meets up with his friends in Canoga Park every Friday to play soccer, just like he used to do when he was younger. But this form of soccer is different. It’s called walking soccer; as the name suggests, there’s no running or jogging. Only 60 to 80-year-olds are allowed to play.

In addition to being unable to run, the official rules say tackling is only allowed without contact, free kicks should be indirect, and the ball must never go over head height.

A walking soccer field is also smaller than an ordinary one, being 55 to 65 yards long and 35 to 45 yards wide (compared to the standard soccer field being 100 to 130 yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide). There are also only six people per team instead of eleven.

“It makes me feel young again,” Perez said. “I didn’t know how much I missed the sport until I came back to it. I feel energetic and alive.”

Not only do players think walking soccer is fun, but it’s also a safe sport that can improve physical and mental health, according to several players and studies. A study in 2015 by Josh Timothy Arnold, Stewart Bruce-Low, and Luke Sammut found that 12 weeks of walking soccer (two hours of training sessions every week) significantly reduced body mass and body fat in ten older men.

In a 2022 study, seven men with mental health conditions played a walking soccer game for around an hour and then had the opportunity to meet and socialize with others. The men reported positive effects and said they enjoyed socializing and developing new friendships.

George Gorecki, 62, joined Walking Soccer Chicago in 2019 after hearing about the sport from a friend. He used to play competitive amateur soccer before he stopped due to injuries in his knee and right hip.

“The guys really took to it because they were able to reconnect with their teammates, both on the field and in a social setting after the game,” Gorecki said. “Walking soccer opened a door that would have otherwise stayed closed.”

To these players, walking soccer is an enjoyable alternative to a popular sport with health benefits.