Over 50s Football: Benefits & How to Get Started (2024)

FAQs

Can you play football in your 50s? ›

You're never too old to enjoy the thrill of steering your grassroots football team to victory with a timely defensive header or speculative shot. Playing grassroots over-50s football is a great way to stay fit, meet people and stay strong as you grow older.

Football is a great game to play no matter your age, and it can make you feel like a kid again. Whether you're a beginner, or haven't played in a few years, getting started with over 50s football can be easy if you know where to look.

And perhaps most importantly, football teaches the value of teamwork, leadership and having a good work ethic. “You learn time management, you learn discipline,” says Dr. Behr. “You learn how to deal with losses and disappointments.

Football, body composition and fat

When we play football we burn calories, therefore, it can be a good way to improve our body composition i.e. lose body fat if we need to.

Opt for a more reasonable game

You'll want to win, but perhaps less fervently than before. What changes is that, as a veteran, you might be less able to perform certain techniques, and you might injure yourself. On the other hand, you're less likely to make silly mistakes.

No Age Limit to the Beautiful Game

Many aspiring players commence their football journey around this age and go on to become skilled athletes through dedicated training and passion for the sport.

The increase in DHEA-S in pubertal football players, already seen in prepubertals, was also combined with a significant increase in testosterone, growth hormone and cortisol levels. Thus, in football players the DHEA-S level is already higher during prepuberty.

Touch and ball control

A player's ball control can be critical in building up play, especially at the time of receiving the ball. Chhangte says he developed his ball control skills by simply juggling the ball at every opportunity.

No, playing football is not an effective way of building muscle. NFL players look jacked because they lift weights. If you want to build muscle mass, then you will need resistance training either at a commercial gym or at home with some basic equipment.

These include neurological issues—chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), concussion, mental illness, and memory loss—as well as ACL tears, arthritis, heart conditions, musculoskeletal injuries, pain, and inflammation.

What is the best sport to lose weight fast? ›

Some of the best sports for losing weight include running, cycling, swimming, basketball, soccer, golf, brisk walking and weight lifting. Each of these sports can burn anywhere from 300 to 600 calories an hour.

Football is a simple, universal sport. More than just a ball sport, it's an activity that works on endurance and cardio through repeated running. Football moves and skills are physically demanding and help build tone and coordination.

Fortunately, many of these aging processes can be slowed with dedicated training and self-care. Trust me, dear reader: you can still achieve significant sport and fitness goals at age 50, 60, 70 and beyond!

But is this the average age football players retire? In the modern game, most male professional footballers will retire from the game between the ages of 34 and 36.

Three decades later, Miura is still playing back in his homeland. In March, the 50-year-old became the oldest player ever to feature in a professional match, and a week later he became the oldest goalscorer, surpassing the records previously set by Stanley Matthews.

At club level, no one can sign a professional contract until they reach the age of 18, but in the international game you can represent your country at any age.