UEFA has funded a study to assess injury and illness in Walking Football in England. This study, conducted by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in conjunction with the FA, will utilise similar methods to those used by NTU in their injury and illness surveillance programs conducted for the Premier League, Women’s Super League, and the English Football League.

Injury and illness surveillance is a vital component of modern football, contributing significantly to the sport's integrity, safety, and sustainability. The primary aim is to optimise player health and safety by developing an objective understanding of the types and frequencies of injuries and illnesses that occur.

The findings of this study will help us to understand and explore the impact of injury and illness amongst the walking football population specifically and in turn provide evidence-based rationale for the development of the game. This could include the annual revision of the Laws of the Game, and creating more resources for our leagues, clubs, and facilitators to promote and enhance player safety and well-being. We ultimately want to continue to prioritise a safe, secure and enjoyable game for all.  

We aim to recruit as many walking football clubs as possible to provide a comprehensive assessment of injury and illness trends. Participating clubs will be asked to complete a short online form for each injury and illness that occurs during match play and training. Additionally, clubs will need to provide information related to the number of matches played and training sessions conducted. Upon participation, each club will receive a detailed report of their injury and illness metrics, including comparative data.

An introductory webinar was hosted online, which can be viewed here. During the webinar the lead researchers presented more detail on the study and the requirements of those who would like to be involved.

Please feel free to share this information to any clubs across your Walking Football networks who would be keen to take part. We want to ensure the research presents comprehensive findings so would welcome male, female and mixed teams to take part.  If you have any questions regarding the study specifically or have any further questions, please direct them to injurysurveillance@ntu.ac.uk.