Injury Incidence in Community-Based Walking Football: A Four-Month Cohort Study of 6000+ Hours of Play

Walking Football is a growing adapted sport offering a viable alternative to traditional exercise for middle-aged and older adults. While rule modifications aim to reduce injury risk, this has yet to be established. This study conducted injury surveillance in community-based Walking Football to determine injury incidence and characteristics in training and matches. A four-month observational cohort study remotely tracked injuries and exposure time across seven Walking Football clubs in England using a sub-elite injury surveillance framework. Injuries were classified as medical attention (requiring on-field attention without subsequent absence) or time-loss (≥1 day of participation absence). Injury incidence was calculated per 1000 h of play. Across 6364.55 h of exposure, 45 injuries were reported: 30 (66.7%) medical attention and 15 (33.3%) time-loss injuries. Injury incidence was 5.3 [1.5-11.5] per 1000 h in training (medical attention: 3.3 [0.8-7.3]; time-loss: 2.0 [0.5-4.5]) and 37.6 [8.7-83.9] per 1000 h in matches (medical attention: 28.9 [5.8-66.6]; time-loss: 8.7 [0-23.2]). Match injury incidence was significantly higher than training (rate ratio: 7.1 [1.3-31.4]). Findings suggest that injury incidence in community-based Walking Football is low, supporting its safety and potential as a sustainable physical activity strategy for middle-aged and older adults.