Sore heel instead?
A pain traffic light for a limping child and gentler games that still fit.
Read about heel painChild With Flat Feet Playing Football: Does It Matter?
Kit, Rules & Safety
Flat feet look worrying and are usually a normal stage of growing.
This page shows how to tell a flexible flat foot from one that needs a look, what the studies found about sport and when to see a GP.
A child with flat feet playing football is usually fine: the NHS says flat feet should not stop sport, and most children have them when young, with arches forming between 3 and 10 (NHS). In a scan study of 835 children aged 3 to 6, 44% had flexible flat feet and under 1% had a pathological one (Pfeiffer 2006). See a GP if the feet are painful, stiff, newly flat or only one foot is flat (NHS). A rigid flat foot needs assessing (Nottingham University Hospitals).
I spent a week sure my child's footprints on the hall floor meant football was over, before reading what the NHS actually says.
The tiptoe look
Flexible Flat Feet in a Child: Flexible or Rigid?
A flat foot is one where the arch on the inside of the foot is low or not visible when your child stands. There are two kinds, and the difference is what the arch does on tiptoes.
The Nottingham University Hospitals page on flatfoot in children splits them. With a flexible flatfoot the arch comes back when the child rises onto tiptoes. With a rigid flatfoot it does not (Nottingham University Hospitals). Most children's flat feet are the flexible kind, and most children have no symptoms (Nottingham University Hospitals).
The scan study had children aged 3 to 6 stand on a laser scanner. The share with flat feet fell from 54% at age 3 to 24% at age 6 (Pfeiffer 2006).
That fits the NHS page on flat feet, which says most children have flat feet when they are young and arches usually develop between 3 and 10 (NHS).
| What you see | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| The arch appears when your child stands on tiptoes. | The flexible kind the trust page describes (Nottingham University Hospitals). |
| The arch stays flat on tiptoes, or the foot looks stiff. | The trust page says this kind needs an orthopaedic assessment (Nottingham University Hospitals). See the GP. |
A parent's look is not a diagnosis. Only a clinician can tell flexible from rigid, and the scan study above covered children aged 3 to 6, not every child.
Sport, evidence and size
Football With Flat Feet: What the Studies Found
The NHS is clear that flat feet "should not stop you doing any activities, including sports" (NHS). That is general advice, not football advice, so here are two studies that looked at sport-style tests, with their size.
| Study | Who and how many | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Tudor 2009 | 218 children aged 11 to 15. Arch height was compared with 17 motor-skill tests. | No significant link between arch height and the tests. The authors say treating flexible flat feet only to improve athletic performance lacks support. |
| Sagat 2023 | 208 boys aged 12 to 14 in a school-based cross-sectional study: 107 with normal feet and 101 with flat feet. | Flat-footed boys did significantly worse in some tests: standing broad jump, a hop test, 20 m and 40 m sprints and some balance directions. Effects ranged from trivial to moderate. |
The two point in different directions on small differences. Both are about older children and athletic tests, not football, so neither says your child will play worse or better.
None of the studies above looked at football. The NHS position is that flat feet should not stop sport. Some tests show small differences in older children. Neither means a child should be kept out of a kickabout.
Two rows, one table
When to See a GP About a Child's Flat Feet
This table uses the NHS wording and the trust page. Find the row that matches what you see.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The foot looks rigid or stiff, or the arch does not return on tiptoes (Nottingham University Hospitals). Feet that are painful, stiff, weak or numb, only one foot is flat, your child did not have flat feet before, frequent foot or ankle injuries, or problems with walking or balance (NHS). | See the GP. |
| Both feet are flat, the arch comes back on tiptoes, there is no pain and your child runs and plays as normal. Arches usually form between 3 and 10 (NHS). | Carry on, and keep an eye on it. |
If a limp after football comes with pain in the heel, read heel pain after football.
If you are unsure which row fits, the cautious one is the right choice. Your own GP or a children's foot specialist decides what happens next.
Fit first, nothing extra
Flat Feet Kids Football Boots: A Sensible Fit Check
I came close to buying a pair marketed for "support" before I read that the evidence for extras in healthy children is thin. Three steps, with nothing to buy.
- 1
Ordinary fit, standing. Check the boot with your child standing and laced. For toe room and fit, choosing first football boots has the check.
- 2
Comfort at the arch and heel. The NHS says wide, comfortable shoes with a low heel are usually best (NHS), though that line may be general advice rather than about children. A boot that rubs or pinches is the wrong boot.
- 3
Ask before adding anything. The NHS says a specialist may recommend insoles for pain or stiffness (NHS). The Cochrane review of foot orthoses covered 16 trials and 1,058 children. It found the evidence uncertain and no support for high-cost custom orthoses in healthy children without pain (Cochrane). A clinician decides.
No source says which football boot suits a flat foot, so this page does not name one. If a toe is taking the knocks, the boot is the first thing to look at.
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say, and Where They Stop
Flat feet are common in young children and should not stop sport, and the NHS lists when to see a GP. That is the NHS page on flat feet.
A flexible flat foot gets its arch back on tiptoes and a rigid one does not, and rigid needs assessing. That is the Nottingham University Hospitals page on flatfoot in children.
In a scan study of 835 children aged 3 to 6, 44% had flexible flat feet and under 1% had a pathological one.
A study of 218 children aged 11 to 15 found no significant link between arch height and 17 motor tests. A school study of 208 boys aged 12 to 14 found small differences in some tests.
The Cochrane review of foot orthoses found, across 16 trials and 1,058 children, low to very low certainty evidence on pain and function.
These are general NHS pages, one prevalence scan of young children, two studies of older children on athletic tests and one review of orthoses. None is about football, none says which boot is best and none can tell you what your child's feet need. Only a clinician can.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Flat Feet and Football
Can a child with flat feet play football?
The NHS says flat feet should not stop you doing any activities, including sports (NHS). See the GP if there is pain, stiffness or only one foot is flat (NHS).
Are flat feet normal in young children?
Yes. Most children have flat feet when young and arches usually develop between 3 and 10 (NHS). In a scan of 835 children aged 3 to 6, 44% had flexible flat feet (Pfeiffer 2006).
What is the difference between flexible and rigid flat feet?
With a flexible foot the arch comes back on tiptoes. With a rigid foot it does not, and that needs assessing (Nottingham University Hospitals). Only a clinician can tell which.
Do flat feet make a child worse at football?
One study of 218 children aged 11 to 15 found no link with 17 motor tests (Tudor 2009). One of 208 boys found small differences in some tests (Sagat 2023). Neither studied football.
Do kids with flat feet need special football boots or insoles?
No source names a boot for flat feet. The NHS says a specialist may suggest insoles for pain or stiffness (NHS), and the Cochrane evidence for orthoses is uncertain (Cochrane). Ask a clinician.
When should I take my child with flat feet to the GP?
For painful, stiff, weak or numb feet, one flat foot, newly flat feet, frequent injuries or problems with walking or balance (NHS), or a rigid foot (Nottingham University Hospitals).
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what you are seeing.
Buying the next pair?
Astro or firm-ground, and how to check fit before you buy.
Read about choosing bootsToe taking the knocks?
A was-there-a-knock check for a dark toenail and a boot fit check for next time.
Read about a black toenailTonight's five minutes
Look at the feet, then look at the boots.
Check the arch on tiptoes, scan the two-row table for anything that needs the GP and run the fit check before the next session.