Walking football: a scoping review

Goodison, E, Gill, J, Hornby, O, Field, A, Tyson, P, Lancastle, D, Jehu, L and Harper, Liam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2089-4799 (2025) Walking football: a scoping review. Soccer and Society. pp. 1-39. ISSN 1466-0970

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Abstract

Walking football is a modified form of the sport designed to increase accessibility, particularly for older adults, and is gaining global popularity. This review synthesizes current research on walking football, examining study methodologies, key findings, limitations, and recommendations for future investigation. Despite methodological diversity, studies consistently report positive outcomes across physical, mental, and social health domains for participants. However, much of the existing research is limited in scale, scope, or participant diversity. This highlights a need for more rigorous, longitudinal studies to better understand the broader implications of walking football, especially in relation to ageing populations and underrepresented groups. The findings also suggest potential for exploring similar walking-based adaptations in other sports. Overall, walking football shows promise as a community-based intervention to promote health and well-being, warranting further research.