Protocol for Scaling the Football Cooperative Initiative: Development of an Implementation Strategy for Replication Using an Ecological Framework

Paula Carroll^1, , Christopher McDermott¹, Aisling McGrath¹, Laura Finnegan², Tom Egan³, Michael Harrison¹, Noel Richardson⁴ and Peter Krustrup^{5, 6}

¹Centre for Health Behaviour Research, South East Technological University, Waterford Ireland

²Football Research Group, South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland

³Department of Accountancy and Economics, South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland

⁴National Centre for Men’s Health, South East Technological University, Carlow, Ireland

⁵Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Denmark, Odense, Denmark

⁶Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark;Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

Cite this paper:
Paula Carroll, Christopher McDermott, Aisling McGrath, Laura Finnegan, Tom Egan, Michael Harrison, Noel Richardson and Peter Krustrup. Protocol for Scaling the Football Cooperative Initiative: Development of an Implementation Strategy for Replication Using an Ecological Framework. Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2025; 10(1):18-30. doi: 10.12691/jpar-10-1-3

Abstract

Despite advances in health research, many evidence-informed interventions fail to translate into sustained real-world practice. The gap between research and implementation contributes to delayed impact, diminished reach, and persistent health inequities. Men, in particular, experience poorer health outcomes than women and remain under-served in health promotion and healthcare systems. Community-based approaches that prioritise accessibility, flexibility and peer connection are needed to more effectively reach this group. Recreational football (American soccer), especially informal “pick-up” formats, has emerged as a promising vehicle for engaging men in physical activity and improving wellbeing. The Football Cooperative (FC) initiative delivers volunteer-led recreational ‘pick up’ football games that are low-cost, inclusive, and locally embedded. At its two existing sites, it has demonstrated high levels of engagement, positive health and wellbeing outcomes, and strong social return on investment. The purpose of this paper is to detail the protocols used in developing an implementation strategy to replicate the FC initiative across multiple sites (n=12) in Q1 2026 with a view to supporting sustainable scale-up across Ireland and beyond from 2027. Using an ecological implementation design and multiple implementation science frameworks, stakeholders were engaged across four levels: participant, provider, organisational, and community/system both within and outside of the FC initiative. The ecological model guided sampling; the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) informed data collection and analysis; the PRACTical planning for Implementation and Scale-up (PRACTIS) supported analysis; and the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT) was used to assess readiness for scale. Data were gathered through ethnographic methods, semi-structured interviews, reflective logs, and focus groups across several Irish and European sites and a draft implementation strategy was developed, structured using the PRACTIS framework. A modified Delphi process with the FC initiatives Advisory Board was used to prioritise actions and refine the final implementation strategy. The resulting strategy is co-produced, theory-informed and tailored to the realities of scale-up in community sport and health promotion settings. By publishing this protocol, the study aims to contribute to the growing field of implementation science and to support others engaging in formative evaluation and translational planning.

Keywords:
Implementation Science Men’s Health Community Based Soccer Translation Football

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