The Football Association has outlawed solid perimeter walls surrounding football pitches, a decision that follows a safety review triggered by the death of former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar.
Vigar, 21, died after suffering a serious brain injury while playing for Chichester City in a match at Wingate and Finchley FC in September 2025. It is believed the fatal injury occurred when he collided with a concrete wall during play.
In response, the FA commissioned independent health and safety experts to examine perimeter safety standards across English football. The resulting review has led to a rule change for the 2026-27 season that prohibits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches in the National League system for men, covering steps 1 to 6, as well as in the Women's National League tiers 3 and 4.
In a statement, the FA said clubs affected by the ruling would be required to act. "We no longer permit solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches across the National League system for men [steps 1-6], and the Women's National League [tiers 3-4]," the governing body said. It added that "any existing solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable, or covered with suitable protection if they cannot be removed for structural reasons," and confirmed that clubs at this level have already been informed of the changes.
Despite the new restrictions, matches at grounds with existing solid barriers will not be immediately suspended. The FA has stated that games can proceed provided clubs continually assess the safety of their pitch perimeter barriers and commit to making necessary changes within a reasonable timeframe. To help clubs meet these new requirements, both the FA and the Premier League have pledged financial support to fund the removal or covering of dangerous barriers.
The tragedy involving Vigar sparked significant public concern over stadium safety at lower levels of English football. A petition calling for a nationwide ban on brick walls surrounding football pitches has since attracted more than 4,000 signatures, reflecting widespread support for stricter safety measures.
Concerns about perimeter hazards are not new. In November 2022, Bath City player Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with a concrete advertising hoarding during a match, an incident that first drew serious attention to the dangers posed by hard barriers close to the field of play. Following that episode, the UK government and the Professional Footballers' Association jointly wrote to the FA, the Premier League, the English Football League and the National League in June 2023, urging them to take a more proactive stance on player safety around pitch perimeters.
While that earlier intervention did not immediately result in a formal ban, Vigar's death appears to have accelerated the process, prompting the FA to introduce binding regulations rather than relying solely on voluntary guidance. The move marks one of the most significant safety reforms in non-elite English football in recent years, targeting a long-standing structural risk present at many grounds across the lower leagues.
The FA's decision represents an attempt to close a safety gap that campaigners and players' representatives had flagged for years. With funding now committed and a clear implementation deadline set for the start of the 2026-27 season, attention will turn to how quickly clubs at grassroots and semi-professional levels can adapt their facilities to comply with the new standards.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.