English football chiefs have announced new safety rules covering brick and concrete perimeter walls following the death of former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar.

The Chichester City forward, 21, died after suffering a brain injury in a match at Wingate and Finchley, in north London, in September 2025. It is believed the injury was caused when he collided with a concrete barrier.

The Football Association (FA) carried out a safety review and has published new guidance for lower-league clubs which “no longer permits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches”.

The ruling applies to clubs competing in the National League System for men (steps 1-6) and the Women’s National League (tiers 3-4).

“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,” the FA said in a statement on Friday.

“We have informed the clubs at this level that will be required to take action as a result of these changes.”

The new safety measures come nearly a year after Vigar’s tragic death, which prompted widespread calls for improved player protection at non-league grounds where perimeter walls often sit dangerously close to the pitch.

Clubs affected by the ruling will now be required to either remove such barriers entirely or install appropriate padding to mitigate the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision.

The FA did not specify a deadline for compliance but said clubs had been notified and would be expected to take action “as soon as reasonably practicable”.

At the time of this report, no further details had been released on potential penalties for non-compliance or on whether the rules would eventually be extended to other levels of the English football pyramid.