I run and cycle that’s all… not played football since school any tips people so I don’t get done over/look like a fool.

I run and cycle that’s all…

Assuming 5/7 a-side.

Your cardio fitness will help to hurt you. You might feel you can keep up and run about ok, but your body is not going to be used to the stop/start/direction changes. So take it easy the first time, and be prepared for a bit* of achyness the next day.

As an aside, your not stepping in for this guy?

*this may be an understatement.

Spend your time running into space away from the ball when your team is going forward. It’s unlikely that the people you’re playing with will have the wherewithal to actually pick you out but you’ll look keen. If by any chance the ball does come to you, play the easiest pass to a person on your team and then leg it off to into space again.

When defending, run about a lot and get in the way as much as possible without ever really committing to a tackle. If someone tells you to mark someone then just stay between them and the goal at all times but under no circumstances try to take the ball off them.

I’ve played several matches in the past where I didn’t touch the ball but everyone agreed I’d done a fine job.

Start simple -eye gouges then work up to choke holds and work their bodies.

Your cardio fitness will help to hurt you. You might feel you can keep up and run about ok, but your body is not going to be used to the stop/start/direction changes. So take it easy the first time, and be prepared for a bit of achyness the next day

This – defo this!!! I also play very occasionally and the day after can be a world of pain…..

Bite somebody quick and you can get off to the pub

My basic tactic when roped into this kind of thing is to aim for a defensive role: stand in the way of the attacker, and try to avoid getting nutmegged. Not completely pointless, and you don’t look like too much of an idiot.

If the ball does happen to end up near you, kick it somewhere upfield asap.

I got roped into a few matches when the only sports I did were kickboxing and jujitsu and the like. Put in goal, I’d wait until a suitable pass between the attackers then aim to arrive foot first into the receiver in such a way that I collected the ball a fraction of a second before impact. Basically smashing the ball through their feet, lofting them end over end while clearing it. Everyone preferred to be on my side, so that means it was legit.

Spend your time running into space away from the ball when your team is going forward. It’s unlikely that the people you’re playing with will have the wherewithal to actually pick you out but you’ll look keen. If by any chance the ball does come to you, play the easiest pass to a person on your team and then leg it off to into space again.

Hang on, these tactics sound familiar, you’re name isn’t Roy is it?

Ask to be a wing back

You WILL be sore the next day. Just sit at the back and take it easy.

You’ll be in agony saturday and sunday

Just copy this big baldy guy, you’ll do alright

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0NGW-a9tOQ[/video]

do this…

or this…

or maybe even this…

but dont do this…

warm up and stretch your hamstrings before playing – truly

Ah yes, the good old “you ride a bike, you must be fit, you’re playing”.

Tip A – wear footwear that fits. A couple of years ago I was stupid enough to think that football boots the wrong size would be better than trainers the right size. My big toenails finally dropped off three months later.

Tip B – you will ache from all the stuttering direction changes (take it easy?)

Tip C – try to implement a ‘no going off your feet in the tackle’ rule. Sliding tackles and sprawling bodies were great fun before the age of 25. Clumsy, not as fit as they used to be, and not as robust as they used to be men sliding tackling each other is not a good idea – particularly not if it is a work event!

Wear shin pads.

The pitch will probably require that all the players have then as a rule but also getting kicked in the shins hurts.

Wear shin pads

i second this!

+1 on being a defender. Just get in the way and kick people a lot, it’ll mask the lack of any skill as that’s all defenders do anyway. Also shout at people a lot so it looks like you know what you’re doing. Also if you’re a defender, it’s traditional to try a ridiculously ambitious shot at goal from your own half which will end up on the next pitch.

A few tips from a former footballer who now rides bikes:

You will ache the next day, try to minimise this by warming up well and stretching lot, my hamstrings and calf muscles are always tight as a (insert offensive simile here…) after an hour or 2 of 5-a-side. Warm down as well, a light jog for 5 minutes followed by more stretches well help.

Wear shoes that fit and shinpads, both will help minimise bruises and general discomfort.

I would go against those who say you should stay at the back and suggest you stay either very wide or right up top. At the back you will get noticed when you make a mistake and it costs a goal, up front missing goals is seen as part of the job. lemonysam has the right idea actually, if in doubt just pass it sideways to a team mate.

Finally, ignore all the above, its a game of 5-a-side with work so nothing serious, no one will be any good, you’ll all ache the next day and you’ll very likely enjoy it.

Jamie – Freeloader!

Your cardio fitness will help to hurt you. You might feel you can keep up and run about ok, but your body is not going to be used to the stop/start/direction changes. So take it easy the first time, and be prepared for a bit* of achyness the next day.

This in spades!

One of my friends plays saturday/sunday league but plays 5-A-side on a monday night. It’s been a regular thing for about forty years, same teams each week (in the same vein as Trigger’s broom).

Asked me if I could fill in for a few weeks as a regular on his team was missing.

Having played sunday league up the the age of 16/17 (now 33), thought yeah piece of cake.

Within 10mins the first week thought I was going to suffocate – weeks 2 and 3 have been progressively better. Other than….

Week 3 where I tore my groin within about the first 20minutes (felt it ‘pop’ 3 times of the 55minutes) – I had done no warm up or stretching, but then why would I? I’ve played football in the past and I’m a bloke for Christ’s sake!

Spent the next week at work taking anti-inflammatories/painkillers, and stuffing an ice pack down my pants for 15mins every couple of hours. (I finally had a legitimate excuse 😉 )

So definitely this!

lunge – Member
A few tips from a former footballer who now rides bikes:

You will ache the next day, try to minimise this by warming up well and stretching lot……….

All that said, you’ll love it, gave me a real buzz playing again. Felt motivated and looked forward to it as opposed to the things I currently do feeling a bit of a drudge.

If defending stay goal side and just be a pest. Don’t lunge into tackles. Be prepared for physical contact, FIFA may have pretty much stopped it a pro level but it’s a different world at local 5-a-side level. Final word of advise is keep it simple.

As mentioned just a few times above, you will be in agony, probably both on the pitch and the day after.

Enjoy 😆

Be prepared for physical contact

Another +1. The rule about tackles from behind doesn’t apply at amateur level, and a lot of people who play pub/local football do so as a way of exercising their pent up aggression and violent tendencies in a ‘no chance of arrest and imprisonment’ environment. I remember the first tackle in my first ever Saturday league match. It felt like I’d been hit by a truck.

Ha – This is close to home for me as I played a 5 a side tournament recently after not having kicked a ball for 6 years (played&trained 3 times per week for local team from aged 9-16).

Assumptions were that because I cycle a lot I will be the fittest in the team.. that was way of the mark.

Body simply wasn’t used to the explosive type of exercise. I thought I was going to be sick on the pitch and spent a fair bit of time with my hands on my knees.

My advice would echo same as the above really. Warm up well, stretch, warm down, stretch, stretch..stretch…Take some whey protein if you have any

You will be sore for 1-2 days after, no doubting that. Best fun i’ve had for a long time though.

Playing in defence is a good move..just track those runs.

If the ball does happen to end up near you, kick it somewhere upfield asap

ah yes, the Colin* school of football, also known at Elland Road as “Hoofball”. When (if given time) the “head coach” finally gets the dozen or so new Italian imports to play with the existing English players, this may become a thing of the past. MOT.

*Good luck to Crystal Palace now that Colin’s back 😉 ps. Colin is an anagram of CPFC’s new manager…

Warm up. Sprints up and down before the game and stretches. Do this, you could easily pick up groin strain which takes at least a month to recover.
Passing the ball is far quicker than dribbling with it. Masters football is a good example of this. But you won’t have time to touch it more than twice. Be quick and know what you want to do before you get the ball. Shot, pass, dribble, that’s the order of your action, if you can shoot do that, if not pass, if not then dribble. Use the walls, you can even score with them 😀

If you are over 35 and haven’t played in a long time i wouldn’t bother you will end up with an injury/strain for the sake of one match

benw – Member
If you are over 35 and haven’t played in a long time i wouldn’t bother you will end up with an injury/strain for the sake of one match

Even younger if you ask me!

Haha thanks for the advice guys, think I may have gotten out of it due to the amount of work we have on! But am running out of excuses so will probably be put into it next month!

Do it, you’ll love it.
In my younger days i played senior league. Goalkeeper, but, hey ho.
last year some of my colleagues got me to play one Friday evening and i couldn’t walk properly until Sunday afternoon. Love it though. A good way to destress at the end of the week.
top tips would be, wear shin pads.
don’t kick people on purpose, its not nice.
run, rest, run, rest (think singlespeeding)

My first game of footy was a couple of weeks ago, in my 50’s.
Just don’t bother, it was ok fun but i’ve not been able to do much since due to the dreaded PF (which ive never had before). If you liked it that much you would have been playing for years and used to it.

play it simple & play the way your facing
stay goal side & stay on your feet
look around i.e.. don’t ball watch.
if you have a good shooting chance, take it.

Enjoy yourself!

Ha ha! You’re ****! Don’t worry about loing like a fool; you’re going to be in so much pain; maybe not even the day after, but definitely the day after that. And the next day. And for hte next two or tree weeks. If you pick up a groin strain, you’ll be in pain for over a month, as said abov.But if others are in the same position, at least it won’t be too humiliating.

I had to give up a couple of years ago, due to wrecked knne oints. Had been playing alongside 18-19 year olds,so as a 40+ bloke, it was quite satisfying to beable to keep up with the youngsters, but age inevitably takes it’s tooll. I was suffering too much after games, and t wod have been crazy to keep oing.Upsetting, but you’re only young once.

Curently trying to get into a ‘senoir’s side’; load of old codgers, I’d be a relative yongster, but they don;t like new talent usurping them. 😆

**** it; go out and enjoy it, have a good time. Could be your last game.