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Match Injuries in Professional Soccer: Inter-Seasonal Variation and Effects of Competition Type, Match Congestion and Positional Role
Abstract
In this prospective observational study, injuries sustained in official match-play in players belonging to a professional soccer club were investigated. Incidence and patterns of injury were compared across four-seasons (2005-2006: S1, 2006-2007: S2, 2007-2008: S3 and 2008-2009: S4) and 3 match formats (domestic League/Cup games and European club competition). In addition, the effects of both fixture congestion and the positional role of players were investigated. Injury incidence (per 1 000 match-hours) did not vary between seasons (range 31.2-59.2 observed in S2 and S4, respectively, p=0.12) or fixture formats (range 32.6-40.8 observed in European and League matches, respectively, p=0.49). In contrast, rates varied in players (n=7) who participated in all four seasons as more injuries were sustained in S1 compared to S2 and S3, respectively (88.4 vs. 49.0 vs. 49.2, both p<0.05). The incidence of muscle strains was higher in S4 versus S3 (24.7 vs. 9.9, p<0.05) as were injuries sustained to the ankle region in S4 versus S2 (15.1 vs. 4.5, p<0.05). The incidence of joint sprains differed between fixture formats with a higher rate observed in League versus both Cup and European competition, respectively (10.1 vs. 3.0 vs. 3.0, both p<0.05). Injury incidence was not associated to the time delay (number of days) separating games (r=0.04, p=0.58). A very short interval (< or = 3 days) between fixtures did not result in a greater injury rate (p=0.40) or number of days lost to injury (p=0.73) compared to a longer interval (> or = 4 days). Finally, the incidence of injury and muscle strains (both p<0.001) varied across positional roles with the highest rates observed in centre-forwards. These findings provide further knowledge on the risk of injury in contemporary professional soccer match-play and may aid in the care and management of playing resources.
... Characteristics of the included studies are presented in Table 1. Six studies adopted a prospective [1,[42][43][44][45][46], Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved. ...
... observational design, with two studies adopting a retrospective observational design [11,47]. The included studies reported data on European [11,47], French Ligue 1 [1,42,43,46], Scottish Premiership [44] and Australian A-League teams [45]. Data collection periods ranged from a 26-day congested period [42], up to 14 seasons [47]. ...
... Data collection periods ranged from a 26-day congested period [42], up to 14 seasons [47]. Of the included studies, the earliest articles were published in 2010 [44,46], with the latest in 2020 [45]. Injury incidence and injury layoff durations were reported by eight and four studies, respectively, and will be considered in more detail in the subsequent sections. ...
Background
Professional soccer teams are often required to compete with ≤ 4 days recovery between matches. Since congested schedules reduce recovery time between matches, players are possibly at an increased injury risk. To date, there are no published systematic reviews on the impact of match congestion on injuries during professional male soccer.
Objective
The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effects of fixture congestion on injuries during professional soccer.
Methods
Following pre-registration on the Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/86m25/ ) and conforming with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, systematic searches of four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) were conducted by independent researchers from inception until February 2022. Articles were included if they were original articles written in English and contained relevant time-loss injury data (injury that results in unavailability for training and/or match-play) for male professional soccer players regarding periods of fixture congestion (a minimum of two matches with ≤ 4 days recovery).
Results
A total of eight articles were included in the review. Five studies identified that congested fixture schedules expose players to increased match injury incidence, although layoff duration was typically lower during congested periods. Two studies identified that training and overall injury incidence were higher during congested periods, with another study identifying a lower training injury incidence during congested periods.
Conclusion
Injury risk is, overall, increased during fixture-congested periods; however, the layoff duration is typically shorter. The current findings have implications for practitioners regarding the management, periodisation, monitoring, and design of training and competition schedules.
... A total of seven studies explored the effects of short-term match congestion [20][21][22]36] and long-term match congestion [20,23,36,40] on the risk of subsequent injury in professional players. However, the incidence of match injuries was significantly higher when there were ≤3-day intervals [21] and ≤4-day intervals [19,20,22] between the two matches compared to ≥6-day intervals. ...
... A total of seven studies explored the effects of short-term match congestion [20][21][22]36] and long-term match congestion [20,23,36,40] on the risk of subsequent injury in professional players. However, the incidence of match injuries was significantly higher when there were ≤3-day intervals [21] and ≤4-day intervals [19,20,22] between the two matches compared to ≥6-day intervals. Two studies concluded that long-term match congestion did not have an impact on the overall incidence of injuries or muscle injuries [24] and had no relationship with the incidence of match injuries [23]. ...
... Bengtsson et al. argue that there were no differences in overall, muscle or ligament incidence rates between matches played with three or less days recovery compared with matches with four or more days recovery, in any competition [20]. Similarly, the former did not lead to a higher incidence of match injury and the severity of the injury rate when compared with ≤3-day and ≥4-day intervals [22]. A study by Dupont et al. showed that the overall injury incidence of two matches per week with a 3-4-day interval is six times that of a match per week [19]. ...
The number of studies on the relationship between training and competition load and injury has increased exponentially in recent years, and it is also widely studied by researchers in the field of professional soccer. In order to provide practical guidance for workload management and injury prevention in professional athletes, this study provides a review of the literature on the effect of load on injury risk, injury prediction, and interpretation mechanisms. The results of the research show that: (1) It appears that short-term fixture congestion may increase the match injury incidence, while long-term fixture congestion may have no effect on both the overall injury incidence and the match injury incidence. (2) It is impossible to determine conclusively whether any global positioning system (GPS)-derived metrics (total distance, high-speed running distance, and acceleration) are associated with an increased risk of injury. (3) The acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) of the session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) may be significantly associated with the risk of non-contact injuries, but an ACWR threshold with a minimum risk of injury could not be obtained. (4) Based on the workload and fatigue recovery factors, artificial intelligence technology may possess good predictive power regarding injury risk.
... Nevertheless, months 245 within the second and third quarters of the season generally appear to demonstrate higher injury rates in each 246 country, though the specific months when injuries peaked differed between countries. Not all studies report 247 monthly differences in injury rates [29] and between-season variation has also been demonstrated [29]. We would not expect every season to be identical, thus it is not clear if the same pattern of injuries would exist amongst the 249 same players in another season. ...
... Nevertheless, months 245 within the second and third quarters of the season generally appear to demonstrate higher injury rates in each 246 country, though the specific months when injuries peaked differed between countries. Not all studies report 247 monthly differences in injury rates [29] and between-season variation has also been demonstrated [29]. We would not expect every season to be identical, thus it is not clear if the same pattern of injuries would exist amongst the 249 same players in another season. ...
... It is also important to consider that injury risk relates to variables other than 274 physiological factors, such opponent behaviour [8], which can be influenced by the level of competition and/or 275 the reward associated with success [31], and that these are difficult to quantify. Finally, we did not provide 276 information concerning the playing positions of the players in our audit, which we recognise as a risk factor for 277 soccer injury [29]. Future studies should include this important variable in their injury risk analyses. ...
Objectives
To investigate the most common types and locations of injuries in high-level youth soccer players (YSP).
Design
Prospective cohort surveillance study.
Setting
Professional soccer club academies.
Participants
Six hundred twenty-four high-level YSP [Under 9 (U9) to U23 year-old age groups] from academies in England, Spain, Uruguay and Brazil.
Main Outcome Measures
The type, location and severity of injuries were recorded during one season. Injury severity was compared between age groups, with injury type and location compared between nations.
Results
Four hundred forty-three training or match injuries were recorded, giving an injury rate of 0.71 per player. Non- contact injuries were most common (58.5%), with most (44.2%) resolved between 8 and 28 days. Most injuries (75.4%) occurred in the lower limbs, with muscle (29.6%) the most commonly injured tissue. U14 and U16 suffered a greater number of severe injuries relative to U12 and U19/U20/U23/Reserves. Tendon injury rate was higher in Brazil vs. Spain (p<0.05), with low back/sacrum/pelvis injury rate highest in Spain (p<0.05). Conclusions
The proportion of severe injuries in U14 and U16 suggests YSP injury risk is maturation-dependent. Minimal differences in type and location between high-level YSP from four different countries suggest injury rates in this population are geographically similar.
... Consequently, playing position might influence injury risk in professional (Carling, Orhant and LeGall, 2010) and YSP (Price et al., 2004). Further, as YSP develop during adolescence, some suggest that maturation status affects their risk of injury (Le Gall, Carling and Reilly, 2007). ...
... The anthropometry and physiological capacity of YSP often determines positional allocation and performance in specific tactical roles (Towlson et al., 2017). Furthermore, the different demands of playing positions (Bloomfield, Polman and O'Donoghue, 2007;Carling, Orhant and LeGall, 2010) may influence the type, incidence and severity of injury (Carling, Orhant and LeGall, 2010;Mallo and Dellal, 2012) (Fig. 2.3). ...
... The anthropometry and physiological capacity of YSP often determines positional allocation and performance in specific tactical roles (Towlson et al., 2017). Furthermore, the different demands of playing positions (Bloomfield, Polman and O'Donoghue, 2007;Carling, Orhant and LeGall, 2010) may influence the type, incidence and severity of injury (Carling, Orhant and LeGall, 2010;Mallo and Dellal, 2012) (Fig. 2.3). ...
... Injury risk has been reported to vary considerably over the months of the season [3][4][5] . In some studies the difference between the highest (April) and the lowest (September) injury count in the competitive season was 150% 3,4 . ...
... Injury risk has been reported to vary considerably over the months of the season [3][4][5] . In some studies the difference between the highest (April) and the lowest (September) injury count in the competitive season was 150% 3,4 . Many reasons might account for these variations, e.g. ...
... This study suggests dividing the season into periods rather than into months as done until now when investigating the course of injuries over a season [3][4][5] . In line with the concept of periodization 9 , professional soccer clubs organize the season into preparatory and competition periods 10 . ...
Objective: High fluctuations in injury-risk during the playing season in soccer have been reported. As seasons are structured in periods with homogenous loads and intensities, we investigated injury-risk over season periods, contrarily to previous studies adopting a month-based approach. Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Incidence-rate ratios (IRRs) for match and training injuries were compared across six consecutive seasons of German Bundesliga, divided into six periods each: Pre-season (PS), winter-break (WB), quarter 1–4: (Q1–Q4). Results: Significant variations in injury-risk were observed for match and training injuries. IRRs in matches was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.11–1.53) times higher in Q3 and 1.53 (95% CI: 1.31–1.78) higher in Q4 compared to Q1. For training injuries, IRR peaked in Q1 and Q3 followed by a marked decrease in each subsequent quarter. Compared to Q4, IRR was 1.62 (95% CI: 1.40–1.86) times higher during Q3 and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.53–2.07) times higher in Q1. IRR was significantly higher in the competitive season compared to pre-season across match (IRR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.30–3.00) and training (IRR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.11–1.43) injuries. Conclusions: The increased match IRRs later during the season indicate that, in practice, coaches should consider putting even more emphasis on recovery in the last part of the season. Moreover, training injuries seem to indicate a carry-over effect. Further studies need to investigate how training during preparatory phases can be implemented in a way that prevents injuries during the competitive season.
... 23 This demonstrates the importance of evidenced based injury prevention and rehabilitation programmes, as well as evidenced based return to play parameters following injury. 15,24 The percentage of re-injuries in the current study was 6.1%, which was lower than most studies; 12%, 9 16.9% 2 and 20.58% 18 respectively. Results however are similar to those reported by Hawkins et al. (2001) 8 previously of 7%. ...
... The average days missing per injury in this study accumulated to 18, which was significantly higher than other studies; ranging from 8-15 days. [15][16][17]24,27,28 When comparing to English studies, our study found comparable results to Hawkins and Fuller, (1999) 18 ...
Background There is a paucity of longitudinal epidemiological injury data in football players competing in the English Football League (EFL). The aim of this study was to report the incidence, site and nature of injury in professional male football players over 11 seasons. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods Three-hundred and sixty-three professional football players from four squads competing in the EFL. Data collection procedures followed the guidelines set out in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) consensus for all 11 seasons. Injury incidence per 1000 hours was estimated from match and training exposure. Results Overall injury incidence was 6.5/1000 hours (95% CI 5.6-7.5). Incidence of injury in match play was significantly higher than training (58/1000 hours, 95% CI 38.4-83.8 v 2.8/1000 hours, 95% CI 1.8-5.2, P<0.001). Re-injuries constituted 6.1% (55/907) of all injuries and caused longer absences than initial injury (15 vs 9). A total of 907 injuries were recorded. No significant differences were found between overall (P=0.935), training (P=0.752) and match (P=0.882) incidence and muscle (P=0.728) and ligament (P=0.991) injuries between seasons. There was a significant increase in the number of hamstring injuries occurring during match play across seasons (R2=0.450, b=0.575, 95% CI 0.1 to 1.1, P=0.024). Moderate severity injuries accounted for 32.6% of all injuries (21-45.5%, 296/907), with a mean (SD) time loss of 18 (33) days per injury. Conclusions Whilst overall incidence rates remain stable; the incidence of hamstring injuries remains high and re-injuries had a higher severity than initial injuries. Moderate injuries were the most frequent and on average you can expect injury burden of 18 days per injury per season.
... While, for others, in the last decade, the opposite is true. (Carling, Orhant, & Le Gall, 2010;Rey, Lago-Peñas, Lago-Ballesteros, Casais, & Dellal, 2010;Dupont et al., 2010;Carling, & Dupont, 2011;Lago-Peñas, Rey, Lago-Ballesteros, Casais, & Dominguez, 2011;Carling, Le Gall, & Dupont, 2012;Dellal et al., 2013). These last data agree with our study, in a special way, with what happened after the confinement, where the values obtained for the total distances traveled not only did not decrease, but increased, both in the global data, and when the teams were analyzed according to the location of the match. ...
... In line with what was contributed by Lago et al., (2009), the location of the match becomes a variable to take into account; thus, playing at home decreases the distances covered by the players, as could be observed in our study, especially in the 25th-30th days, coinciding with the last period of competition, just before and just after the return to competition after COVID-19, with respect to players acting as visitors. It is true that in this period of competition the rule of possible substitutions is modified, going from three, to a total of five possible changes, this aspect seems to be related to what Carling, Orhant, & Le Gall, (2010) and Dellal et al., (2013) suggest, professional footballers can withstand an overload of matches without a drop in their physical performance for a certain period. The data provided in our study indicated that the total distance covered increased in both parts of the match. ...
We analyzed the effect of the cessation of competition for COVID-19 on the physical performance of soccer players in the 1st Spanish division). The sample was stratified into three groups: 1st-3rd rounds; 25th-27th and 28th-30th. Pairwise comparisons were Student-t and Mann-Whitney U. We used a p-value of ≤0.05 as the criterion for statistical significance. Threshold values for evaluating effect size magnitudes were made using (Cohen's d). After the break, the distances traveled increased for the local and visiting teams. There was a slight decrease in high intensity efforts between post-confinement and the days (25th-27th). Comparing the 1 st and 3 rd period, values were slightly higher (rounds 28-30). The same was observed in those of accelerations and decelerations, with greater differences between the periods (1st and 3rd). There were differences when the resumption was compared with the days before the break.
... Professional football is a contact sport with an associated risk of injury [1,2]. Injuries are the main factor affecting a player's availability [3], causing a problem in the trainingcompetition process, with consequences on their fitness and performance [4]. Research showed that a professional football team can expect around 50 injuries per season, resulting in approximately two injuries per player [5]. ...
... On the other hand, extrinsic factors are those related to the context or the time spent practising sport. Regarding the training-competition process, the incidence of injuries is higher during competition [3,16,[19][20][21][22][23][24]. In this section, it is important to note two moments of the season that will have an influence on the injury rate of footballers. ...
Background:
Injuries in professional football lead to reduced team performance and large financial losses. The aim of this study was to analyse injuries in the two best team competitions in the world (LaLiga and Premier League), establishing similarities and differences, as well as determining injury causation patterns.
Methods:
A total of 277 on-field injuries requiring a substitution were analysed (142 in the Spanish league and 135 in the English league). The analysis was performed using traditional statistical tests (frequency analysis, chi-square test) with SPSS 25 and a T-Patterns sequence analysis with THEME 5.0.
Results:
In the Spanish league, there were a similar number of injuries in the first part of the season as in the second part of the season, while in the English league, they are more frequent in the first part of the season. In the Spanish league, injuries are more frequent in the first half of the match, while in the English league, they are more frequent in the second half. The type of player most frequently injured was the defender. Most of the injuries occurred without the presence of an opponent. The accumulated minutes during the season affect injuries of the muscular type.
Conclusions:
The most common type of injury in both leagues was a strain, followed by a sprain and a contusion. Although common injury patterns can be established between the two leagues, there are notable differences. One of the factors is determined by the English league calendar (many matches at Christmas). In Spain, there were more muscular injuries that were not caused by the opponent, while in England there were more tackling injuries. Age is a risk factor in the Spanish league. In this league, there is a moderately significant relationship between the number of injuries and the points won.
... Slightly, the current finding was supported with the study reported a greater risk in forwards and central defenders (Mallo and Dellal, 2012) [13] . Whereas, in contrast with the current finding, studies reported a greater risk in strikers (Andersen, et al., 2003;Arliani, et al., 2018;Carling, et al., 2010) [1,3,7] , another study reported a greater risk in midfielders (Deehan, et al., 2007) [9] . One of the more consistent trends that we found is the possible occurrence of lower injury distribution in goalkeepers compared to outfield players in both training and match. ...
... Slightly, the current finding was supported with the study reported a greater risk in forwards and central defenders (Mallo and Dellal, 2012) [13] . Whereas, in contrast with the current finding, studies reported a greater risk in strikers (Andersen, et al., 2003;Arliani, et al., 2018;Carling, et al., 2010) [1,3,7] , another study reported a greater risk in midfielders (Deehan, et al., 2007) [9] . One of the more consistent trends that we found is the possible occurrence of lower injury distribution in goalkeepers compared to outfield players in both training and match. ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate injury risk in male football players with special reference to the playing position Ethiopia of premiere league football players. A prospective cohort study design was employed during the competitive season. The data collection instruments for this study were; FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC's) form. The data was analysed descriptively and ANOVA with post hoc tests were run to confirm where the differences occurred. The association of injury with playing position was analysed using Pearson product moment correlation. The defensive and midfield players have almost equal injury distribution followed by strikers in training. While, in match the injury rate was almost equal in all outfield players. Goalkeepers suffered with the lower number of injuries both in training and match. The significant differences exist among playing positions in Injured Body Part and Injury Rate/Type. The defensive players have different injury pattern in Injury Rate/Type as of outfield players, as well as the goalkeepers have different injury pattern in injured body parts and Injury Rate/Type as the playing position. The playing position of football players have a relationship between injured body parts and Injury Rate/Type. It can showed that the playing position have the role of injury.
... Most of these studies have investigated whether shorter periods of matches congestion lead to increased injury risk compared with match periods with more recovery days in between. [6][7][8][9]11,23,24 We compared two complete seasons where one had 5.5 and the other had 7.5 average recovery days between matches, making a direct comparison with most previous study difficult. One exemption, however, is the study by Howle et al, 10 who compared three full seasons and found that the season with congested match periods had higher injury rates. ...
... Furthermore, only using one season as a baseline for what is "normal" is a limitation injury rates will vary from season to season. 23,35 Hence, we cannot be sure that the 2019-season is a correct measure of a regular Norwegian premier league season. Table 1 Number of match injuries, all injuries, total days lost due to injury and matches missed for the 2019 and the 2020 seasons ...
The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic forced the Norwegian male premier league football season to reschedule, reducing the fixture calendar substantially. Previous research has shown that a congested match schedule can affect injury rates in professional football. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether the Norwegian premier league teams suffered more injuries in the match congested 2020 season than the regular 2019-season. We invited all teams having participated in both seasons to export their injury data. Only teams that used the same medical staff to register injuries in both seasons were included, and to maximise data comparability between seasons, we applied a time-loss injury definition only. Eight of 13 teams agreed to participate and exported their injury data. The 2020 season was 57 days shorter than the 2019 season. The match injury incidence differed insignificantly (incidence rate ratio 0.76 (0.48 to 1.20; p=0.24) in the 2020 season compared to the 2019 season. Furthermore, we found no differences in the number of injuries, days lost to injury, matches missed to injury, or injury severity. We present the first injury data from a complete post-lockdown professional football season. We could not detect any differences between the two seasons, suggesting the congested match calendar in the 2020 season is a safe alternative in future seasons.
... In the worst cases, severe injuries may lead to early retirement from profes sional football and the ensuing risk of mental and psychosocial health problems (Warriner & Lavallee, 2008). The main direct consequence of injuries to professional players is the interruption of training (Hallén & Ekstrand, 2014) and the impaired sports performance in the short-medium term (Carling, Orhant, & Legall, 2010). On average, each player suffers two injuries per season, and the team as a whole (25 players), 50 injuries (Jan . ...
... By playing positions, goalkeepers presented the lowest rates of injury, while forwards presented the highest, keeping in line with those presented by Carling et al. (Carling et al., 2010). However, these data vary considerably from those obtained by Dauty et al. (2011), who reported that goalkeepers (4.61 injuries per 1000 h) were second only to defenders (5.42 injuries per 1000 h) in the proportion of injuries suffered (Dauty & Collon, 2011). ...
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to determine risk factors that maybe be associated with a higher incidence of injuries in elite football players in the Spanish league during a three-year follow-up. Injury was defined as a musculoskeletal complaint (pain and/or discomfort) reported by players to the medical staff and receiving medical attention.
Design:
A longitudinal retrospective study.
Setting:
and participants: Seventy-one players from Malaga Football Club, who were in the first squad team for three consecutive seasons.
Main outcome measures:
Incidence, location, severity of injuries were reported according to the Injury Consensus Group for football injuries.
Results:
Three hundred and fifty six injuries were found, with the highest proportion (44%) being located in the thigh. We found 6.9 (SD 5.87) injuries per 1000 h of match time and 0.23 (SD 0.22) per 1000 h of training. Forwards presented the highest rates in both incidence and severity of injury. Exposure to training was inversely related to the total number of injuries, which means that the greater the exposure to training the lesser the number of injuries.
Conclusions:
This information can assist clinicians in the identification of risk factors and, thus, the elaboration of prevention programmes that reduce football injuries.
... Only a few studies focusing on elite and professional club soccer provide more information about the long-term development of injury incidences [11][12][13][14][15][16]. Several studies analysing different periods between 1992 and 2010 found no changes with respect to the total injury incidence in pro-fessional soccer teams [11][12][13][14][15]. Training and game injury rates, as well as the incidence of severe injuries and muscle injuries, were also stable for top European male teams between 2001 and 2008 [14], but Dauty and Collon [13] concluded that the rate of muscle injuries had increased continuously in a French professional team between the seasons 1995/96 and 2009/10. ...
... Only a few studies focusing on elite and professional club soccer provide more information about the long-term development of injury incidences [11][12][13][14][15][16]. Several studies analysing different periods between 1992 and 2010 found no changes with respect to the total injury incidence in pro-fessional soccer teams [11][12][13][14][15]. Training and game injury rates, as well as the incidence of severe injuries and muscle injuries, were also stable for top European male teams between 2001 and 2008 [14], but Dauty and Collon [13] concluded that the rate of muscle injuries had increased continuously in a French professional team between the seasons 1995/96 and 2009/10. ...
Background: Injury prevention in amateur soccer has been promoted in the past years but only a few studies have addressed the long-term development of injury incidence in amateur soccer. However, better knowledge of changes with respect to injury incidences and causes can make an important contribution to improving prevention strategies.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term development of injury incidence in Swiss amateur soccer with respect to level of play, injury causes and injury characteristics.
Methods: A representative sample of about 1,000 Swiss amateur soccer coaches was interviewed by telephone in 2004, 2008 and 2015. They were instructed to recall their last game, and were asked to report details on all injuries. For every injury, the coaches had to remember injury characteristics and causes. The same procedure was repeated for all games that took place during the previous four weeks. Additionally, all training injuries of the previous four weeks were recorded in detail.
Results: The incidence of game injuries decreased between the years 2004 and 2008 from 15.1 (95% CI 14.2-16.0) to 13.3 (95% CI 12.4-14.2) injuries per 1,000 hours and increased between the years 2008 and 2015 to 16.5 (95% CI 15.5-17.4) injuries per 1,000 hours. When comparing the years 2004 and 2015, the rate of contact injuries during games increased by 19.1%. The incidence of foul play injuries in games showed an increase of 25.5% between the years 2008 and 2015. Regarding total training injury incidence, the rise between the years 2004 (2.4, 95% CI 2.2-2.7) and 2015 (2.9, 95% CI 2.6-3.1) was caused by a 22.2% higher rate of noncontact injuries. During the same period, game and training injury incidence increased across all amateur soccer leagues without exception, but these changes did not reach statistical significance. In 2015, the incidence of medical attention injuries was higher than 2004 (game 20.0%, training 37.5%).
Conclusion: There is evidence that injury incidence in Swiss amateur soccer has increased in the past years.
... The association between playing position and rate of injury has been reported in previous studies worldwide (Aoki et al., 2012;Azubuike & Okojie, 2009;Carling et al., 2010;Hawkins & Fuller, 1998;Sandelin et al., 1985). Naturally, goalkeepers ...
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury persists to be one of the dominant and dreaded injury in soccer. With costly implications to players, teams, and practitioners, injury prevention exercises and training programmes have been researched specifically with the intention to reduce the likelihood of ACL injury. However, the implementation, adherence, understanding of injury prevention training programmes in Malaysia have been underwhelming. Several factors to the issue include a lack of injury prevalence documentation and a lack of knowledge of injury risk and prevention, among coaches, practitioners, and the players themselves. In the first part of this study, injury rates and conditions were documented from several elite soccer teams in Malaysia across different age groups to get an illustration of the injury prevalence in elite soccer. It was found that most of the injuries that occur in Malaysian elite soccer occurs in the lower limb, specifically in the knee and ankle joints. Coaches, players, and practitioners from soccer teams across various soccer competition levels were then surveyed for their knowledge, attitude, and practices of injury prevention exercise programmes. It was generally agreed that injury prevention was very important, however, the practice of evidence-based injury prevention was reported by just over a third of respondents. Only half of the responding players admitted to being well informed about injury risk factors most players admitted practicing a combination of exercises both proven and unproven efficacy towards preventing injury. This finding suggests a better player education and maintenance of injury prevention programmes as irregular sessions and monotonous sessions were the most common barriers to proper implementation of such programmes. In the second and third part of the study, several selected overground soccer match simulations were reviewed in pursuit of developing an ecologically valid soccer match simulation with the incorporation of ball utility tasks, where similar physiological responses in the newly developed Ball-Oriented Soccer Simulation (BOSS) were similar to a previously existing overground soccer match-play simulation (OSMS; HR: BOSS = 156 ± 5 bpm, OSMS = 160 ± 7 bpm; RPE: BOSS = 14 ± 1, OSMS = 15 ± 2). Exertions in the BOSS revealed discrepancies between the left and right peak knee abduction moments during bipedal landings, as well as reductions in hamstrings eccentric peak torques, as well as functional hamstrings to quadriceps ratios, suggested a higher risk of injuries. Following a multicomponent injury prevention exercise program (IPEP), it was found that IPEP participants displayed improved tolerance to BOSS exertions. Biomechanical responses in the control group showed more extended knee and hip joint angles compared to the IPEP participants. The findings suggest that the BOSS may replicate similar responses to actual soccer match-play. The BOSS was then used as a fatigue protocol during the investigation towards the temporal efficacy of a multicomponent injury prevention training programme on biomechanical markers of ACL injury. It was found that a multicomponent injury prevention programme improved participants’ landing mechanics and allowed a sustained landing kinematic throughout the accumulation of fatigue from soccer-specific exertions.
... Our findings align partially with those of Andersen et al. [29] and Arliani et al. [30], who noted that goalkeepers face a lower injury risk compared to outfield players. However, our results contradict previous studies reporting higher risk in forwards due to the intensity of match play in their typical playing zones and fast kicking and acceleration/deceleration activities [31] and greater risk in midfielders [32]. ...
Knee injuries represent a significant health concern for young male football players in Saudi Arabia. Despite global research on football-related injuries, there is a distinct lack of studies focusing on this demographic in the Saudi context. This research aims to fill this gap, offering insights into injury prevalence and risk factors, thereby contributing to athlete well-being and informing tailored interventions. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of knee injuries among youth male football players in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on injury patterns, risk factors, and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 104 male football players who represent five Saudi clubs and are aged 18.82 ± 0.68 years. Injury data, including severity, timing, and mechanisms, were collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of various factors on the likelihood of knee injuries. The study revealed that 37.5% of participants reported prior knee injuries, predominantly muscle injuries (61.5%) occurring during training. Ligamentous injuries, particularly anterior cruciate ligament injuries, were also notable (25.6%). Logistic regression analyses indicated that factors such as age, weight, height, body mass index, playing position, duration of playing football, and playing surface significantly influenced the odds of sustaining a knee injury. This study provides insights into the prevalence and patterns of knee injuries among youth male football players in the central region of Saudi Arabia. Muscle injuries are common. Factors such as age, weight, and playing position contribute to the risk of knee injuries. The findings underscore the need for targeted injury prevention strategies and player education programs.
... The association between playing position and rate of injury has been reported in previous studies worldwide (Aoki et al., 2012;Azubuike and Okojie, 2009;Carling et al., 2010;Hawkins and Fuller, 1998;Sandelin et al., 1985). Naturally, goalkeepers represented the least fraction of injuries from the total reported injuries (Aoki et al., 2012;Herrero et al., 2014;Sandelin et al., 1985). ...
Background
Knee injuries are the most common injury among Malaysian elite athletes. However, an injury profile of elite soccer players in Malaysia is yet to be determined.
Aim and Objectives
This study was conducted to determine the injury characteristics among elite, male U19 and U22 soccer players.
Materials and Methods
Four teams were observed throughout the 2018/2019 season, where a total of 111 players were documented in accordance with the Federation International de Football Association Medical and Research Centre accord to determine the incidence, class, severity and causation of injuries among elite, male U19 and U22 soccer players.
Results
From a total of 111 players (U19: n = 58; U22: n = 53) during the 2018–2019 season, a sum of 64 injuries were reported to the team physicians of the participating teams in the current study, representing an estimated 0.58 injuries per player throughout a single season. From the total number of injuries, 57.8% ( n = 37) injuries were registered to the U22 age group, whereas 42.2% ( n = 27) were reported in the U19 Age Group. When factoring in the number of players in each respective age group, the number of injuries among the U22 age group was higher than the U19 age group (0.72 vs. 0.47 injuries/player/season).
Conclusion
Most soccer injuries reported were lower limb injuries, newly sustained and required up to 14 days of treatment before returning to full participation in the competition. Match-play injuries appeared to be more common than training injuries, with the ankle and knee joints being the most common injury locations. Sprains and ligamentous damage were the most common injury class sustained by players.
... This was not made accessible by the teams, and therefore, we were prevented from calculating the recommended metrics of the overall incidence and injury burden per 1,000 h in this study (14,39). Furthermore, only using one season as a baseline for what is "normal" is a limitation injury rates will vary from season to season (24,40). Hence, we cannot be sure that the 2019-season is a correct measure of a regular Norwegian premier league season. ...
The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic forced the Norwegian male premier league football season to reschedule, reducing the fixture calendar substantially. Previous research has shown that a congested match schedule can affect injury rates in professional football. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether the Norwegian premier league teams suffered more injuries in the more match congested 2020 season than in the regular 2019-season. We invited all teams having participated in both seasons to export their injury data. Only teams that used the same medical staff to register injuries in both seasons were included, and to maximize data comparability between seasons, we applied a time-loss injury definition only. Seven of 13 teams agreed to participate and exported their injury data. Both seasons had 30 game weeks, but the 2020 season was 57 days shorter than the 2019 season. The match injury incidence did not differ significantly [incidence rate ratio 0.76 (0.48–1.20; p = 0.24) in the 2020 season compared to the 2019 season. Furthermore, we found no differences in the number of injuries, days lost to injury, matches missed to injury, or injury severity. We could not detect any differences between the two seasons, suggesting the congested match calendar combined with the safety measures in the 2020 season can be a safe alternative in future seasons.
... The increasing intensity of soccer matches has resulted in drastic changes in the physiological demands of the sport [1,2]. The soccer game involves brief bouts of linear highintensity running, sprinting, accelerations, decelerations, and multi-directional activities or change-of-direction movements, interspersed by longer recovery periods of lower intensity activities [3]. ...
The aim of this study was to quantify the training load in two microcycles (Ms) from pre- and another two from in-season and to analyze playing position influences on the load experienced by professional soccer players. Nineteen Asian athletes, including four central defenders, four wide defenders, six central midfielders, three wide midfielders, and two strikers participated in this study. The micro-electromechanical system was used to collect training duration, total distance, and data from Zone 1 (0–3.9 km·h−1), Zone 2 (4–7.1 km·h−1), Zone 3 (7.2–14.3 km·h−1), Zone 4 (14.4–19.7 km·h−1), and Zone 5 (>19.8 km·h−1), heart rate maximum (HRmax), and average (HRavg). The load was reduced on the last day of the Ms, with the exception of Zone 5, in M1, where higher values were found on the last day. Significant differences were observed between central and wide defenders for distance covered in Zone 4 (effect-size: ES = −4.83) in M2 and M4 (ES = 4.96). Throughout all the Ms, a constant HRmax (165–188 bpm) and HRavg (119–145 bpm) were observed. There was a tendency to decrease the load on the last day of the Ms. In general, there were higher external training loads in Ms from the pre-season than in-season. Wide defenders and wide midfielders showed higher distances covered with high-intensity running.
... For example, injury definitions and methods for data collection and recording often differ considerably among studies [3]. Investigations that describe risk factors for injuries and injury patterns in professional football players have typically been conducted by football, that cover only part of a season or were related to only one team [4]. There is limited published research for data on injuries within adult professional male football competitions and involving multiple teams. ...
1.1. Background: Football is the most famous and most watched sport in the world. Most of the football players are in high risk of getting injured during their professional careers. To play football demands one to be fit. Football players are constantly training to perform at the highest levels and to have enough strength to overcome the demands from the various coaches, staff and fans. During this process, players are exposed to all sorts of trauma and various types of injuries. During the previous few years, the incidence for football related injuries has increased. 1.2. Purpose: Due to lack of previous studies in Sudan, this study is aimed to determine the injury patterns among adult football players in the Premier League in Sudan. 1.3. Objective: To study the injury pattern(s) among adult football players in Khartoum. Injuries resulting from this sport in the Sudan Premier League in Khartoum is the 4th aim of this study. 1.4. Study design: A cross-sectional study design was conducted. 1.5. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study and was conducted in Khartoum State in 2017 involving Premier League football clubs. The target teams included five clubs: Al-Hilal, Meriakh, Al-Ahli, Triat Elbiga and Khartoum Watani. The total number of study participants (i.e. sample size) included 100 adult male football players, with the exception of one team and their players (due to their refusal to participation in this study). The response rate was 80% in the resulting four teams. Data was collected using a questionnaire. 1.6. Results: The prevalence of previous injuries among the players was 23 (23%) and recent injuries rose to 31 players (31%). 1.7. Conclusion: The most common sites for injuries included: the knee, shoulder, hamstring, foot, leg, and back injuries. Among the recent injuries (n=31), the most common type was ruptured muscles reported in 14 (45.5%); ankle injuries 7 (22.6%) and thigh injuries 6 (19.4%) were among the most sites affected. The IV majority of the injuries 23 (74.2%) were on the right side of the body; most of the injuries 23 (82.1%) were caused by trauma and 8 (25.3%) by overuse. Positions played by the injured players includes: midfielder 10 (32.3%); defender 9 (29%); striker 7 (22.6%) and goalkeeper 5 (16.1%). Regarding mechanism of injury: 24 (77.4%) of injuries occurred during matches, 7 (22.6%) during trainings; 17 (54.8%) in pitches with grass; 14 (45.2%) in artificial turf pitches; most of the players 16 (51.6%) changed their footwear every 6 months; 15 (48.4%) of the injuries occurred during sunny weather; 21 (70%) of the injuries happened after player-to-player collisions; collisions while on the pitch accounted for 9 (29%) of injuries. The overall injury prevalence was found to be high, but with lower severities. The most common type of injury found was ruptured muscles.
... Data were not available for injury diagnosis based on imaging workup or for those injuries requiring surgical versus nonsurgical intervention. While match-related factors such as type, location (home vs away), and result have been shown to influence injury rates, 8,11,23,24 these factors were not analyzed in our investigation. This investigation analyzed male professional soccer players only; therefore, the injury incidence in female professional soccer players cannot be inferred. ...
Background
Despite an abundance of injury research focusing on European professional soccer athletes, there are limited injury data on professional soccer players in the United States.
Purpose
To describe the epidemiology of injury across multiple years in Major League Soccer (MLS) players.
Study Design
Descriptive epidemiology study.
Methods
A web-based health management platform was used to prospectively collect injury data from all MLS teams between 2014 and 2019. An injury was defined as an incident that required medical attention and was recorded into the health management platform anytime over the course of the 2014-2019 seasons. Injuries and exposure data were recorded in training and match settings to calculate injury incidence.
Results
A total of 9713 injuries were recorded between 2014 and 2019. A mean 1.1 injuries per year per player were identified, with midfielders sustaining the largest number of injuries. The most common injuries were hamstring strains (12.3%), ankle sprains (8.5%), and adductor strains (7.6%). The mean time missed per injury was 15.8 days, with 44.2% of injuries resulting in no days missed. Overall injury incidence was 8.7 per 1000 hours of exposure, declining over the course of the investigation, with a 4.1-times greater mean incidence during matches (14.0/1000 h) than training (3.4/1000 h).
Conclusion
Between 2014 and 2019, the most commonly reported injuries in MLS players were hamstring strains, ankle sprains, and adductor strains. Injury incidence during matches was 4.1 times greater when compared with training, while overall injury incidence was found to decline during the course of the study period.
... The result indicates that the maximum number of injury was occurred in defensive and midfield players. In opposite of this study, the previous finding of epidemiological study indicated that the greater prevalence of sports injuries was occurred in strikers(Carling, et al., 2010;Fachina, et al., 2013;Onaka, et al., 2017), while another study shown that equivalent prevalence of injury among all soccer positions(Dauty and Collon, 2011). ...
... Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are abundantly prevalent across sports encompassing high-speed running such as football [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Comprising 12% of all football-related injuries, HSIs remain a substantial burden for football players and their clubs [3]. ...
Return to play (RTP) criteria after hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) help clinicians in deciding whether an athlete is ready to safely resume previous sport activities. Today, functional and sport-specific training tests are the gold standard in the decision-making process. These criteria lead to an average RTP time between 11 and 25 days after a grade 1 or 2 HSI. However, the high re-injury rates indicate a possible inadequacy of the current RTP criteria. A possible explanation for this could be the neglect of biological healing time. The present review shows that studies indicating time as a possible factor within the RTP-decision are very scarce. However, studies on biological muscle healing showed immature scar tissue and incomplete muscle healing at the average moment of RTP. Twenty-five percent of the re-injuries occur in the first week after RTP and at the exact same location as the index injury. This review supports the statement that functional recovery precedes the biological healing of the muscle. Based on basic science studies on biological muscle healing, we recommend a minimum period of 4 weeks before RTP after a grade 1 or 2 HSI. In conclusion, we advise a comprehensive RTP functional test battery with respect for the natural healing process. Before deciding RTP readiness, clinicians should reflect whether or not it is biologically possible for the injured tissue to have regained enough strength to withstand the sport-specific forces. In an attempt to reduce the detrimental injury–reinjury cycle, it is time to start considering (biological healing) time.
... Also, higherlevel athletes who have higher performance demands such as greater initial muscle mass, better proprioception, balance, and coordination skills may be more affected by detraining than lower-level ones (Jukić et al. 2020;Mulcahey et al. 2020). On the other hand, returning to an intensive training and match schedule after recovery from COVID-19 is a risk factor for football players, especially in higher-levels (Carling et al. 2010). All these changes can impair athletic performance, and increase the risk of injury (Jukić et al. 2020;Sarto et al. 2020;Kalkhoven et al. 2020). ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychological state of professional male football players who were infected by COVID-19. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale were sent to players’ smartphones by sharing a link to the questionnaire. A total of 523 professional football players aged between 18–38 years from 93 different sports clubs participated in the study. The players were divided into 2 groups according to Sars-COV-2 PCR test results. Depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological distress scores of football players who were infected by COVID-19 were higher compared to players who were not infected by COVID-19 (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference between the level of participation in football and depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological distress, despite the scores being lower in the top league players (p>0.05). Depression, stress, and psychological distress scores were higher for football players with higher loss of income than players with lower loss of income (p=0.017, p=0.007, p=0.005, respectively). The anxiety scores of football players living alone were higher than players living with their families (p=0.014). There were significant differences in anxiety, depression, and psychological distress scores in favor of the 18-22-year age group (p=0.002, p=0.009, p=0.004, respectively). COVID-19 infection negatively affects the psychological states of football players. The psychological states of professional football players who were infected by COVID-19 should be monitored closely and psychological support should be provided.
... The observed difference in lower limb injury risk among field hockey positions may be due to the inherent differences in position requirements, as reported in other team sports. 6,34 While protective equipment is expected to diminish injury risk in goalkeepers, it has also been suggested that the unique locomotive demands of each position could influence the risk of injury. Global positioning system analyses have revealed that hockey midfielders cover more total distance than do other position players, 39 forwards typically play fewer game minutes than do midfielders, 57 and defenders spend less time in high-velocity running zones and reach lower peak velocities than do other outfield players. ...
Background
Identifying factors that contribute to the occurrence of injury is an important step in designing training programs to minimize the risk of injury. However, despite high injury rates, variables contributing to injury in field hockey players remain relatively unexplored.
Purpose
To identify factors that may predict injury in professional and youth field hockey players.
Study Design
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
Method
Professional and youth hockey players completed preseason neuromuscular performance testing and were monitored for injuries, training, and game exposure throughout the subsequent 12-month indoor and outdoor hockey season. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis was conducted to identify injury risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic curves were then calculated to determine the individual predictive accuracy of the identified variables.
Results
A total of 83 players (mean ± SD age, 20.7 ± 4.9 years; 34.9% female) with complete performance, injury, and exposure data were included for data analysis. Almost half of players (44.6%) sustained a time-loss injury during the season, and 73% of these injuries occurred in the lower limb. Playing more games and having an older age, asymmetrical and poor dynamic postural control, and better explosive performance were identified as jointly influencing the risk of injury. When considered individually, number of games played throughout the season was the most accurate predictor of injury risk (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.74; P < .001), while asymmetrical and poor dynamic postural control (AUCs = 0.61-0.65; P = .01-.04) and better explosive athletic performance (AUCs = 0.65-0.67; P < .01) were identified as moderate individual predictors of sustaining a general or lower limb injury.
Conclusion
A number of modifiable factors were individually and jointly associated with an increased injury risk in field hockey players, providing initial evidence for the design of targeted and sport-specific training programs to mitigate the risk of injury.
... Compared to other football studies, however, the present IRs were slightly higher. Match IRs ranging from 0.70-2.22 per 1000 match hours have been reported in recent years [3,4,7,[27][28][29][30][31]. The main reason for the higher numbers in this database is probably the unique data collection approach, which is less dependent on the willingness of the medical staff to provide reports, which has potentially decreased under the growing media attention particularly for the concussion issue. ...
To assess head impact incidents (HIIs) and to distinguish diagnosed head injuries from other incidents, a video observation analysis of match HIIs was conducted in the German Bundesliga (2017/18 season). Video recordings of each match were screened to identify the respective events. Head injury data were identified by a prospective injury registry. HII and head injury incidence rates (IR) were calculated with 95% CIs. The total number of HIIs was 1,362 corresponding to an IR of 134.9/1000 match hours (95% CI 127.9–142.2). In 123 HII (IR 12.2, 95% CI 10.2–14.5) the contact was classified as severe. Head contact with the opponent was the most frequent cause (85%). The most frequent mechanism was in 44% (combined) the arm and elbow-to-head, followed by head-to-head and hand-to-head contacts (each 13%). In 58%, the HIIs occurred during header duels. Twenty-nine head injuries were recorded (IR 2.9, 95% CI 2.0–4.1). Concussions/traumatic brain injuries accounted for 48%, head/facial fractures 24%, head/facial contusions 21%, and lacerations/abrasions 7%. The number of HIIs not classified as concussions/more severe trauma was high. Identification of HIIs and head injury severity should be improved during on-field assessment as many head injuries might go unrecognised based on the large number of HIIs.
... Recurrent injuries are serious health problems, especially in tournaments requiring high performance and intensive match fixtures [37]. It was reported that recurrent injuries comprised 12% of all injuries in elite level football teams [30]. ...
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and characteristics of match and training injuries in elite-level national male beach soccer players.
Method: The incidence, mechanism, location, type, severity, and burden of injuries of the Turkish national beach soccer team were recorded between 2017-2019.
Results: A total of 136 injuries occurred during the study period. Total injury incidence was 238.9 injuries/1,000 match hours (MHs) and 37.7 injuries/1,000 training hours (THs) (p<0.001). Twenty-seven injuries led to time-loss, and the incidences for match and training injuries were 36.7 and 7.9 per 1,000 hours, respectively. Of medical attention injuries (MAI) caused by trauma, 54.6% (n=53) were due to another player and, 60.9% (n=14) of time-loss injuries (TLI) caused by trauma were due to non-contact trauma (p<0.001). While 82% (n=91) of training injuries occurred in lower extremities, 29% (n=9) of match injuries occurred in the head/neck region (p<0.001). Head injury incidence was 45.9 per 1,000 match hours. Of MAI, 50% (n=57) were contusion, and 32.1% (n=9) of TLI were strain (p<0.001). Also, the most common injury subtype was foot/toe contusion during match and training (19.4%; n=6, 27.9%; n=31, respectively). The majority of injuries 91.9% (n=125) had slight severity.
Conclusion: Head trauma, tendon injury and foot/toe contusion are important for clinical practice in beach soccer. Protective measures (rule regulation, use of protective equipment, etc.) should be considered to prevent these injuries.
... Ainda divergindo dos nossos resultados, um estudo desenvolvido no campeonato estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, na região Centro-oeste, mostrou que a principal ocorrência de lesões ocorreu nas articulações (Gaspar-Junior et al., 2019). Assim, para complementar a evidência de que o tipo de lesão pode ser influenciado por contextos específicos Walden et al., (Walden, 2005;Waldén et al., 2013) e Goes et al. (Goes et al., 2020) Apesar desse cenário de inconsistência em relação ao tipo e local de lesão que os jogadores são acometidos, um revisão sistemática (Della Villa et al., 2018) que teve como objetivo apresentar as evidências existentes a respeito da influência da posição do jogador no risco geral de lesões no futebol masculino, mostrou que alguns estudos encontraram associação entre risco de lesão e jogar como atacante (Andersen et al., 2003;Carling et al., 2010), meia (Deehan et al., 2007) ou defensor (Aoki et al., 2012;Mallo & Dellal, 2012). ...
Objetivo: Verificar a associação da posição do atleta com o tipo de lesão dos membros inferiores em profissionais de futebol do Norte do Brasil. Métodos: 44 profissionais de futebol da cidade de Manaus foram descobertos um questionário com dados sobre a idade, a posição de jogo, o tipo e o local da lesão. Resultados: Encontrou-se associação estatisticamente significativa entre o tipo de lesão com a posição do jogador ( p= 0,035). Os dois tipos de lesão mais recorrentes nos atletas da cidade de Manaus foram lesões ligamentares (52,27%) e musculares (29,55%), sendo que o ligamento do tornozelo e a musculatura posterior da coxa foram os locais mais afetados, ambos com 15,91% de número. Conclusão: Foram encontradas associações positivas entre a posição e o tipo de lesão em futebol americano do Norte do Brasil.
... Nevertheless, even when our inclusion criteria for sub-analysis and standardised formulas were applied the degree of inconsistency of the results across studies were still very high (I 2 > 90%). Similar to men´s football, other potential sources of inconsistency may have been the differences existing among the national leagues in terms of climatic regions (cooler and warmer areas) [126], periods of fixed match congestion [79,127], numbers of matches and in-season breaks [128] as well as the level of professionalism [8,129]. Additionally, the sample size of studies included was not sufficient to investigate interactive effects within factors (e.g. ...
Background
Football is the most popular sport among women; however, little is known about the injury profile in this population. This information would help design tailored injury risk mitigation strategies that may make football safer for women.
Objective
The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in women´s football.
Methods
A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was performed up to January 2020 in PubMed, Web of Science, Sportdiscus and the Cochrane Library databases. Twenty-two studies reporting the incidence of injuries in women football were analysed. Two reviewers independently extracted data (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] for inter-reviewer reliability = 0.87) and assessed study quality using the STROBE statement, GRADE approach, Newcastle Ottawa Scale and Downs and Black assessment tools. Studies were combined in pooled analyses (injury incidence and injury proportion) using a Poisson random effects regression model.
Results
The overall incidence of injuries in female football players was 6.1 injuries/1000 h of exposure. Match injury incidence (19.2 injuries/1000 h of exposure) was almost six times higher than training injury incidence rate (3.5 injuries/1000 h of exposure). Lower extremity injuries had the highest incidence rates (4.8 injuries/1000 h of exposure). The most common types of injuries were muscle/tendon (1.8 injuries/1000 h of exposure) and joint (non-bone) and ligament (1.5 injuries/1000 h of exposure), which were frequently associated with traumatic incidents. Slight/minimal injuries (1–3 days of time loss) were the most common. The incidence rate of injuries during matches in the top five world ranking leagues was higher than the rest of the leagues (19.3 vs 10.7 injuries/1000 h of exposure, respectively). The weighted injury proportion was 1.1 (95% confidence interval = 0.6–1.7) whereby on average players sustained more than one injury per season.
Conclusions
Female football players are exposed to a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, especially during matches that require the highest level of performance. To markedly reduce overall injury burden, efforts should focus on introducing and evaluating preventative measures that target match specific dynamics to make football players more capable of responding to the challenges that they have to deal with during match play.
Registration
This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (ID = CRD42019118152).
... 1,2 Density in match schedules is often referred to as fixture congestion and may influence performance. 1,[3][4][5] It is known that playing 2 competitive matches per week impairs players' capacity to sprint, jump, and perform repeated intensive activities compared with 1 match per week. 2 Apart from the physical consequences in reference to dense match schedules, it may also lead to psychosocial stress, given the consequences of, for example, the team dynamics, pressure of spectators, and coach-athlete relationship. Results of previous studies have shown deteriorations in psychological state after competitive matches. ...
In elite basketball, players are exposed to intensified competition periods when participating in both national and international competitions. How coaches manage training between matches and in reference to match scheduling for a full season is not yet known.
Purpose:
First, to compare load during short-term match congestion (ie, ≥2-match weeks) with regular competition (ie, 1-match weeks) in elite male professional basketball players. Second, to determine changes in well-being, recovery, neuromuscular performance, and injuries and illnesses between short-term match congestion and regular competition.
Methods:
Sixteen basketball players (age 24.8 [2.0] y, height 195.8 [7.5] cm, weight 94.8 [14.0] kg, body fat 11.9% [5.0%], VO2max 51.9 [5.3] mL·kg-1·min-1) were monitored during a full season. Session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) was obtained, and load was calculated (s-RPE × duration) for each training session or match. Perceived well-being (fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress levels, and mood) and total quality of recovery were assessed each training day. Countermovement jump height was measured, and a list of injuries and illnesses was collected weekly using the adapted Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems.
Results:
Total load (training sessions and matches; P < .001) and training load (P < .001) were significantly lower for ≥2-match weeks. Significantly higher well-being (P = .01) and less fatigue (P = .001) were found during ≥2-match weeks compared with 1-match weeks.
Conclusion:
Total load and training load were lower during short-term match congestion compared with regular competition. Furthermore, better well-being and less fatigue were demonstrated within short-term match congestion. This might indicate that coaches tend to overcompensate training load in intensified competition.
... In the context of injury occurrences with respect to the positional requirement, the present findings is congruent to the findings of the previous literature in which a greater prevalence of injuries in football were observed to be sustained by strikers in comparisons to other positions 25,26 . Moreover, the study findings are in accordance with previous findings which reported that forwards were ranked higher in a state-local league as compared to any other position 27 . ...
... In the context of injury occurrences with respect to the positional requirement, the present findings is congruent to the findings of the previous literature in which a greater prevalence of injuries in football were observed to be sustained by strikers in comparisons to other positions 25,26 . Moreover, the study findings are in accordance with previous findings which reported that forwards were ranked higher in a state-local league as compared to any other position 27 . ...
The increase in demand for football players to perform at their best during training and competition results in the escalation of a varying number of football-related injuries. Media reports provide readily as well as timely information on injury-related issues that could assist the stakeholders in decision making before and after a competition. Although, many attempts have been made to quantify football-related injuries in many countries via media, however, little is known on its prevalence, types and mechanisms as reported in Nigerian media. The present study employed a content analysis technique through which 94 football-related news articles from Nigerian newspapers were examined and the most frequently reported injuries are identified. It is demonstrated from the chi-square analysis that the occurrences of football-related injuries are distributed amongst players regardless of their positional role in the game [χ2(60) = 41.401; p>0.05]. Moreover, the prevalence in the mechanisms of injuries are disseminated across injury types [χ2(30) = 32.203; p>0.05]. A total of 94 different injuries are reported with knee, ankle, and thigh as the most affected locations. The findings further revealed that strikers have a higher rate of injury occurrences with a total of 52% as compared to midfielders 20%, defenders 14%, and goalkeepers 12% whilst 2% are unidentified. Many of the injuries reported are either fresh 48% or recurrent 50% with only 2% recovery. The present findings could be useful to stakeholders in projecting injury-related problems in football which could guide appropriate action. well as manage football-related injuries. The provision of valid information could pave way for understanding the mechanism of injuries occurrences, frequencies and affected sites that could prompt the stakeholders to prepare for the right action both during training and competitions. Media reports provide readily as well as timely information on injury-related issues in the
... In this regard lower limb injuries accounts for 85% of injuries in a professional Soccer player. Muscle and tendon injuries are most frequently involved with strains, sprains, and contusions being the most common types of injuries (7,8). ...
Introduction : Soccer is a popular sport with a high injury rate. Lower limb injuries are accounted for 85% of injuries in professional Soccer player. It is important to identify the predisposing factors in professional Soccer players for screening players at an increased risk of injury. It is unclear whether to assume limited hip range of motion (ROM) as one of these factors this study aimed to evaluate the association between hip passive ROM and lower limb injury in Iranian professional Soccer players.
Design : This prospective cohort study was conducted on 266 male professional Soccer players (with a mean age of 24.91 ± 4.38 years) playing in the Iran Soccer Premium League during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 season. Baseline hip joint passive ROM was evaluated in all subjects. All athletes were followed for two consecutive seasons and their lower limb injuries causing at least an absent from a competitive match was reported. The association between hip ROM and the incidence of lower limb injuries was analyzed.
Results : The most common lower limb injuries were ankle and foot injuries (12.4%), groin pain (11.5%) and muscle strain (10.9%), respectively. Restricted hip internal rotation (IR) was associated with a higher incidence of groin pain, ACL injury and knee injury. A significant correlation was observed between decreased hip external rotation (ER) with muscle strain and knee injuries. The higher knee injury was also associated with reduced hip abduction. There was no association between ankle and foot injuries and hip passive ROM.
Conclusions : This study showed that hip passive ROM could be used to identify Soccer players at a higher risk of lower limb injuries. Hip rotational ROM and abduction limitation were significantly associated with the incidence of several common Soccer injuries, including groin pain, muscle strain and ACL/knee injuries and precedes their development and could be used as a screening tool for professional male soccer players.
... A similar bimodal peak (November and March) was noted regarding traumatic injuries in a French League 1 professional team across 4 seasons. 6 Similarly, Falese et al, 11 analyzing 2 seasons of the Italian Serie A, also noted the highest incidence of trauma in October and March. The high incidence during the first months of the competitive season, in addition to the relevant number of injuries that occurred in training during the summer season, could reflect the impact of physical preparation blended with the start of official competitions. ...
Background
The burden of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in professional soccer players is particularly relevant as it represents a potentially career-threatening injury.
Hypothesis
Our hypotheses were that (1) injury incidence rate would be similar to that reported in the literature, (2) we would identify a uniform distribution of the injuries along the season, and (3) injury incidence rate would be similar in high-ranked and lower ranked teams, based on final placement in the league.
Study Design
Descriptive epidemiological study.
Level of Evidence
Level 4.
Methods
Professional male soccer players participating in the Serie A championship league in 7 consecutive seasons (2011-2012 to 2017-2018) were screened to identify ACL injuries through the online football archive transfermarkt.com . Exposure in matches and training were calculated.
Results
There were 84 ACL injuries found (mean player age, 25.3 ± 4.2 years). Overall, 25% of ACL injuries were reruptures (15%) or contralateral injuries (10%). ACL incidence rate was 0.4215 per 1000 hours of play during Serie A matches, 0.0305 per 1000 hours of training (rate ratio [RR], 13.8; 95% CI, 8.4-22.7; P < 0.0001), and 0.0618 per 1000 hours of total play. Injury distribution had a bimodal peak, with the highest number of events in October and March. Alternatively, training injuries peaked in June and July. A significantly higher incidence rate was found for the teams ranked from 1st to the 4th place compared with those ranked 5th to 20th (0.1256 vs 0.0559 per 1000 hours of play; RR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4-3.6; P = 0.0003). A similar finding was found for injury incidence proportion (3.76% vs 1.64%; P = 0.0003).
Conclusion
The overall incidence rate of ACL injuries in Italian Serie A was 0.062 per 1000 hours, with a 14-fold risk in matches compared with training. Relevantly, 25% were second injuries. Most injuries occurred in October and March, and an almost 2-fold incidence rate and incidence proportion were noted in those teams ranked in the first 4 positions of the championship league.
Clinical Relevance
Knowing the precise epidemiology of ACL injury in one of the most competitive professional football championship leagues could help delineate fields of research aimed to investigate its risk factors.
... The result indicates that the maximum number of injury was occurred in defensive and midfield players. In opposite of this study, the previous finding of epidemiological study indicated that the greater prevalence of sports injuries was occurred in strikers(Carling, et al., 2010;Fachina, et al., 2013;Onaka, et al., 2017), while another study shown that equivalent prevalence of injury among all soccer positions(Dauty and Collon, 2011). ...
... Whilst injuries are common in professional football [soccer], upper limb injuries are infrequent, with significant noncontact upper limb injuries rare (Carling, Orhant, & LeGall, 2010;Ejnisman et al, 2016). Latissimus dorsi avulsion injury is particularly rare in sport of all types, with limited published information informing recognition and optimal management. ...
Significant upper limb injuries are rare in professional football [soccer]. Latissimus dorsi avulsion injury is particularly rare in sport of all types, with limited published information informing optimal management. A 35 year-old male professional football goalkeeper sustained, via a non-contact ball throwing mechanism, a latissimus dorsi avulsion and partial teres major tendon tear during competitive matchplay. He undertook a conservative rehabilitation programme, emphasising progressive mechanical loading, in order to return to full function and competition. The player successfully returned to unrestricted training at 32 days post-injury and returned to play at 38 days post-injury. At 12 months post-injury he had suffered no injury recurrence and remains playing at the same competition level. Latissimus dorsi avulsion is an uncommon injury, with accurate diagnosis requiring both a high level of clinical suspicion coupled with diagnostic imaging. Despite the severity, this injury may be amenable to conservative management in even elite athletes with high functional demands. The following case outlines such a management approach successfully utilised with a professional football goalkeeper.
... Fatigue-related declines in physical performance have been reported during a soccer match. In fact, Carling et al. (2010) showed that the covered sprint distances at high intensity decreased from the first 15 min to the last 15 min of a match (total high intensity sprinting: 468 m vs. 411 m). Of note, technical performance during the match was not affected even if three matches were played within 7 days . ...
IntroductionThere is controversy in the literature in regards of the link between training load and injury rate. Thus, the aims of this non-interventional study were to evaluate relationships between pre-season training load with biochemical markers, injury incidence and performance during the first month of the competitive period in professional soccer players.Materials and Methods
Healthy professional soccer players were enrolled in this study over two pre-season periods. Data sets were available from 26 players during the first season (2014–2015) and 24 players during the second season (2015–2016) who completed two pre-season periods (6 weeks each). External training load was assessed from all athletes during training using Global Positioning System (GPS). Internal training load was monitored after each training session using rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Before and after each pre-season, blood samples were taken to determine plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Injury incidence and overall performance (ranking of the team after the first five official games of the championship) were recorded for both seasons separately.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in mean RPE values of the two-preparation periods (2737 ± 452 and 2629 ± 786 AU, p = 0.492). The correlational analysis did not reveal significant associations between internal and external training load (RPE and GPS data) and biological markers. There was a significant positive correlation between RPE and LDH during the 2015/2016 season (r = 0.974, p = 0.001). In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between total distance >20 km/h and CRP during the 2015–2016 season (r = -0.863, p = 0.027). The injury rates for the two seasons were 1.76 and 1.06 per 1000 h exposure for the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 seasons, respectively (p = 0.127).Conclusion
Our study showed that pre-season training load is not associated with overall team performance. This association is most likely multifactorial and other factors (e.g., technical and tactical level of the team, opponents, environment) may play an important role for the collective team performance. Our findings may help coaches to better prepare their athletes during pre-season.
... Previous research suggest that this period of successive matches does not induce a high level of fatigue on players [6][7][8], confirmed by the lack of significant differences in the total distance covered and particular intensities in matches played every few days and without a full recovery between them [9][10]. ...
Вступ. Метою дослідження є визначення впливу декількох ігор із коротким відновленням фізичної та технічної активності, що є одним з основних детермінантів футбольної гри. Методи та матеріали. Ми розглянули часові та рухові характеристики матчів групового етапу під час чемпіонату світу з футболу в Бразилії 2014 р. Футболісти відіграли п’ять послідовних матчів упродовж чотирьох днів. Досліджено 62 фізичні та технічні профілі виконання: центральні захисники = 16, Зовнішні захисники = 14, центральні півзахисники = 8, центральні атакуючі напівзахисники = 6, зовнішні півзахисники = 11 та Форварди = 7. Для оцінки використано чотири рівні наступних чотирьох категорій інтенсивності руху: 0,0–14,0 км/год (ходьба та пробіг легкої інтенсивності, Light-ІR); 14,1–19,0 км/год (пробіг середньої інтенсивності, МІR); 19,1-23,0 км / год (висока інтенсивність пробігу, HIR) і> 23,1 км / год (Sprint). Результати дослідження. Розглянуто п’ять технічних змінних: удари, паси, успішні паси, відбирання м’яча та удари від воріт. Показано, що фізичні та технічні дії не зазнали впливу під час певного періоду навантаження. Відсутня є статистична різниця у відстані між футболістами, із різною інтенсивністю, котрі займають певні позиції на полі. Значні відмінності з’явилися в ударах від воріт, прийомів, що використовуються під час захисту. Вони стосуються тільки ED, CD і CMD. Висновки. Важко аналізувати ефективність футбольних матчів, коли час відновлення між ними короткий. Потрібно провести подальші дослідження, які б визначали можливості футболістів підтримувати високу продуктивність гри в послідовних матчах із коротким періодом відновлення, а також впливом таких періодів на технічну активність.
... The main intrinsic risk factors for sports injuries in male, adolescent soccer players identified in a systematic review were: periods of accelerated growth and maturation, deficits in neuromuscular control, fatigue and previous injury [3]. Player position may be an extrinsic risk factor as Carling et al. [4] found that strikers had a significantly higher risk of injuries. Despite the common occurrence of poor oral health in athletes [5], possibly due to frequent use of acidic sports drinks and decreased salivary flow rate caused by mouth-breathing during heavy exercise [6], little research has examined its role in sports injuries [7,8]. ...
Background
Dental caries and periodontitis are associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines which may trigger muscle fatigue during exercise, a strong risk factor for sports injuries. Fixed orthodontic appliances (FOA) may cause poor oral health and may disturb proprioceptive inputs of the stomatognathic system. This study aims to explore associations of poor oral health and of use of a FOA with injury frequency and postural stability.
Methods
One hundred eighty seven Belgian elite junior male soccer players, aged 12–17 years, completed a self-report questionnaire asking about injuries in the past year, oral health problems, use of a FOA, demographics and sports data, and stood in unipedal stance with eyes closed on a force plate to assess postural stability.
Results
Ordinal logistic regression with number of injuries in the past year as ordinal dependent variable and dental caries and/or gum problems, age and player position as covariates, showed that participants who reported dental caries and/or gum problems and never had had a FOA reported significant more injuries in the past year compared to the reference group of participants who reported no oral health problems and never had had a FOA (adjusted OR = 2.45; 95% CI, 1.19–5.05; p = 0.015). A 2 (temporomandibular joint problems) × 2 (FOA) × 2 (age) ANOVA with postural stabilities as dependent variables, showed a significant FOA x age interaction for the non-dominant (standing) leg. Post-hoc t-tests showed a significant better postural stability for the non-dominant leg (and a trend for the dominant leg) for the older compared with the younger participants in the non-FOA group (p = .002, ES = 0.61), while no age differences were found in the FOA-group.
Conclusions
These results indicate that poor oral health may be an injury risk factor and that a FOA may hinder the development of body postural stability.
In this study, we explore goalkeeper (GK) coaches’ knowledge and use of the Spread, a 1v1 goalkeeping technique, and their experiences and perceptions on injury risks related to it. An online questionnaire was distributed internationally between January and March 2023, collecting a total of 411 complete answers (largest sample of GK coaches to date). GK coaches’ demographics were used to explore significant differences between answers. Almost all coaches recognized (99%) and used (78%) the technique. Coaches recommended to start training the Spread from a Recreational level and at an age of 11.3 ± 2.8. Contact with another player was the most (67%) perceived type of injury risk; 38% of the coaches recalled at least one player getting injured performing the Spread ( Elite level coaches significantly more likely, p < .01); with Contusion (16.3%) and Musculo-skeletal (15.8%) being the most recalled type of injuries. Most coaches perceived no injury risk differences between male and female GK (68.1%), nor between young and adult GK (41.1%). These results show the Spread's popularity among GK coaches while highlighting knowledge gaps in some areas (e.g., technical execution, sources of knowledge). Both researchers and stakeholders can leverage from the results to develop and improve GK-coaching interventions, particularly in the field of injury prevention.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, 8 haftalık futbol antrenmanının genç futbolcularda hız, çeviklik, dayanıklılık ve kuvvet performansına olan etkisini incelemek ve alt ekstremite kuvvet düzeylerine bakılarak Fleksör/Extensör Hamstring/Kuadriseps tepe tork (H/Q) ve Dominant/Non dominant (D/ND) bacak kuvvetlerini sapma oranlarıyla sakatlık riskini tespit etmektir. Bu doğrultuda U19 takımında yer alan yirmi dört profesyonel erkek futbolcu (yaş;18.41±1.20 yıl, vücut ağırlığı; 74.61±4.32 kg, boy; 179.62±8.14 cm, beden kütle indeksi; 23.36±4.10 kg/m2) çalışmaya dâhil edilmiştir. Futbol antrenmanın etkilerini belirlemede Yo-Yo testi (aerobik dayanıklılık), 10 m ve 30 m sprint testleri (hız), çeviklik testi, leg extension, sağ leg extension, sol leg extension, leg curl, leg press, triceps pushdown, barbell curl ve chest press hareketlerinin tekrarlı maksimal kuvvetleri ölçülmüştür. Ön ve son-test deneysel dizaynı ile yürütülen çalışmada ölçümler, antrenman programı öncesi ve 8 hafta sonrasında alınmıştır. Ek olarak futbolcuların antrenmanın öncesi ve sonrasında Fleksör/Extensör (H/Q) ve Dominant/Nondominant (D/ND) bacak kuvvet oranları hesaplanmıştır. Ön ve son-test değişkenleri arasındaki farklılık düzeyinin belirlenmesinde "Paired-Samples t Tests" uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen verilerle antrenman sonrasında, antrenman öncesine kıyasla dayanıklılık (Yo-Yo), 30m (hız), çeviklik ve 1 tekrarlı maksimal kuvvet performansı parametrelerinde anlamlı farklılıklar olduğu (p<0.05) belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, futbolculara uygulanan antrenmanın öncesi ve sonrasında H/Q ve D/ND bacak kuvvet oranlarını optimal düzeye yaklaştığından futbol antrenmanının sakatlık riskini azaltılabileceği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak düzenli olarak uygulanan futbol antrenmanlarının performansın aerobik dayanıklılık, maksimal kuvvet, hız bileşenlerini artırdığı ve sakatlanma riskini azalttığı söylenebilir.
The aim of this review was to critically appraise the literature concerning the genetic association with player status, physical performance and injury risk in soccer. The objectives were to provide guidance on which genetic markers could potentially be used as part of future practice in soccer; and to provide direction for future research in this area. The most compelling evidence identified six genetic polymorphisms to be associated with soccer athlete status (ACE I/D; ACTN3 rs1815739; AGT rs699; MCT1 rs1049434; NOS3 rs2070744; PPARA rs4253778), six with physical performance (ACTN3 rs1815739; AMPD1 rs17602729; BDNF rs6265; COL2A1 rs2070739; COL5A1 rs12722; NOS3 rs2070744), and seven with injury risk (ACTN3 rs1815739; CCL2 rs2857656; COL1A1 rs1800012; COL5A1 rs12722; EMILIN1 rs2289360; IL6 rs1800795; MMP3 rs679620). As well as replication by independent groups, large-scale genome-wide association studies are required to identify new genetic markers. Future research should also investigate the physiological mechanisms associating these polymorphisms with specific phenotypes. Further, researchers should investigate the above associations in female and non-Caucasian soccer players, as almost all published studies have recruited male participants of European ancestry. Only after robust, independently replicated genetic data have been generated, can genetic testing be considered an additional tool to potentially inform future practice in soccer.
Introdução:Indicadores de desempenho (por exemplo, chutesa gol, posse de bola, escanteios, passes precisos, etc.) são descritos como uma seleção ou combinação de variáveis de ação que visam definir alguns ou todos os aspectos do desempenho que podem levar a um resultado bem-sucedido. Objetivo:Comparar os indicadores de desempenho ofensivo em vitórias e derrotas em equipes do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2021. Metodologia: O estudo é uma pesquisa descritiva observacional. Os dados relacionados aos 380 jogos do Campeonato Brasileiro da primeira divisão de 2021 foram obtidos através da Plataforma InStatScout. Na análise estatística dos dados foi utilizada a Análise de Variância (ANOVA)para comparar onúmero total de chances de gol criadas pelas equipes, número total de chutes, número total de chutes na direção do gol, número total de passes realizados, número total de assistências e número total de dribles realizados, além do índice geral de desempenho, que engloba de maneira geral o desempenho ofensivo e defensivo, denominado de InStat Index(desempenho técnico ofensivo), entre equipes que perderam, empataram ou venceram os jogos. Resultados: Os resultados mostram que as equipes vencedoras tiveram o desempenho significativamente melhor (p<0,05) em relação ao índice de desempenho técnico geral (InStat Index); nos desempenhos técnicos ofensivos de oportunidades criadas de gol, número total de chutes, número de chutes direcionados ao gol e assistências, não foi encontrada diferença estatisticamente significativa no número total de passes realizados. Conclusão: Concluímos que as finalizações são as ações diferenciais no padrão ofensivo das equipes vencedores nas partidas do Campeonato Brasileiro de futebol masculino de 2021. As equipes vencedoras foram as que criaram mais chances de gol, finalizaram mais vezes, acertaram mais vezes no gol adversário, com menos frequência de dribles ao longo das partidas. Palavras-chave: indicadores de desempenho, futebol, fase ofensiva. 31 Scheiber et al. Desempenho ofensivo no Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol 2021. Rev Bras Futebol 2021; v.15, n. 5, 29-39. ABSTRACT Introduction: Performance indicators (e.g., goal kicks, ball possession, corner kicks, precise passes, etc.) are described as a selection or combination of action variables that aim to define some or all aspects of performance that can lead to a successful outcome.
El fútbol es el deporte universalmente más popular y el más extendido, lo que implica, además, ser uno de los deportes de equipo con mayor IL. Las lesiones afectan de manera negativa al rendimiento del deportista y del equipo. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer las lesiones producidas a lo largo de la temporada 2016/2017 de la primera y segunda división española en función del tipo de lesión, posición del jugador, minuto en que se produce la lesión y la edad del jugador. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, en el cual la muestra fue conformada por los jugadores de los 42 equipos de la Liga Santander y la Liga 123 del fútbol español. Las lesiones más comunes han sido las lesiones musculares (>50%), aumentando en la Liga 123 hasta el 75% de la incidencia. Los deportistas que más lesiones sufrieron fueron los defensas (>40%) mientras que los porteros registraron el menor IL (<4%). Este hecho se puede deber a la menor distancia recorrida tanto a una intensidad normal como a la distancia recorrida a alta intensidad. Los deportistas comprendidos entre los 21 y los 29 años padecieron un mayor número de lesiones (>35%) y, además, ocurrieron en gran parte durante la segunda mitad del partido.
Objective: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a potentially career-threatening injury in professional athletes. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and injury characteristics of ACL rupture of male football players participating in the Turkish Super League.
Materials and Methods: Epidemiologic characteristics of professional male football players participating in the professional first division Turkish Super League in 10 consecutive seasons were evaluated through a publicly available online soccer archive. Exposures in matches, as well as training, were calculated.
Results: A total of 100 ACL injuries were included (mean age at the time of injury: 25.2±3.9). Of these, 13% were re-rupture and 11% were contralateral rupture. The ACL incidence rate was 0.4060 per 1000 hours of play during Super League matches, 0.0801 per 1000 hours of training (rate ratio [RR], 5.06; 95% CI, 3.25-11.84; p<0.001), and 0.0622 per 1000 hours of total play. Although there was a regular number in other periods, the most frequent injury was in August. Also, training injuries peaked in July. A significantly higher incidence rate was found for the teams ranked from 1st to 5thplace compared with teams ranked 6th to 18th (0.0654 vs 0.0317 per 1000 hours of training; RR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.44-3.65; p<0.05). A similar finding was found for total injury incidence proportion (2.17% vs 1.36%; p<0.05).
Conclusion: Epidemiologic data is important as a resource for athletes and those responsible for their health to develop appropriate training and preparation programs to reduce the risk of ACL injury.
Background
Multiteam, multi-institution prospective studies of both women’s and men’s sports are essential for collectively investigating injury and primary to the generalization and individualization of injury prevention strategies.
Hypothesis
Characteristics of workload, sleep, and contextual factors will be associated with injury risk in collegiate soccer athletes.
Study Design
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
Methods
Injuries, workload, and sleep characteristics were recorded daily throughout a complete season for 256 athletes from 12 separate National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s and women’s soccer teams. Workload and contextual factors were assessed via multilevel Poisson regression to capture differences in injury incidence rate ratio (IRR). Paired t test and multilevel logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship between sleep behavior and injury.
Results
Collegiate soccer athletes had lower rates of noncontact injury in the in-season (IRR, 0.42) and postseason (IRR, 0.48) compared with preseason, lower rates of injury in training (IRR, 0.64) compared with matches, and higher injury rates with only 1 day of rest in the previous week (IRR, 1.58) compared with >1 day. Injury rates peaked when training occurred 4 days before a match (IRR, 2.24) compared with a match. Injury rate increased exponentially with increases in the number of noncontact injuries incurred throughout the season (IRR, 2.23). Lower chronic loading, higher training monotony, and acute spikes and lulls in workload were associated with higher noncontact injury rates. Alterations in previous week sleep quality were associated with injury, while chronic sleep behavior and acute alterations (<7 days) in sleep behavior were not ( P > .05).
Conclusion
Athlete and schedule-specific contextual factors, combined with characteristics of workload and weekly sleep behavior, are significantly associated with injury in collegiate soccer. Multiteam prospective cohort studies involving objective and subjective monitoring allow for the identification of multiple injury risk factors in sports, which can be used to guide injury prevention strategies. Maintaining higher chronic workloads, lowering training monotony, minimizing acute spikes or lulls in workloads, managing workloads during preseason and for athletes with previous injury, integrating more rest and recovery during congested periods, and optimizing sleep quality are all practical considerations for reducing injury risk in collegiate soccer.
Aim To estimate the incidence of injury in adult elite women’s football and to characterise the nature and anatomical location of injuries.
Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Data sources Combinations of the key terms were entered into the following electronic databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Science Direct and Discover) from inception to May 2021.
Eligibility criteria for selecting studies (1) Used a prospective cohort design; (2) captured data on elite adult women players; (3) reported injury incidence by anatomical site; (4) captured data of at least one season or national team tournament; (5) included a definition of injury; and (6) written in English.
Results The search identified 1378 records. Twelve studies published between 1991 and 2018 were included in our review and sampled 129 teams. In domestic club football, injury incidence rate was estimated to be 5.7/1000 hours (total), 19.5/1000 hours (match) and 3.1/1000 hours (training). In tournament, football match incidence was estimated to be 55.7/1000 hours. The knee (22.8%; 368/1822) was the most common site of injury in domestic club football. The ankle (23.7%, 105/443) was the most common site of injury in tournament football. Ligament sprains were the most common type of injury (27.8%), followed by muscle strains (19.1%). Severn studies (58%) had a high risk of bias associated with exposure definition and measurement and considerable heterogeneity exists between the included studies (I2=49.7%–95%).
Summary/conclusion Ligament sprains occur more frequently in adult elite women football players. We advise caution in interpretating point estimates of the incidence of injury due to high statistical heterogeneity. Standardising injury reporting and the accurate recording of match and training exposure will overcome such limitations.
PROSPERO registration number CRD42019130407.su
Featured Application
Physiotherapy in football, designing programs for injury prevention, goalkeeping coaching.
Abstract
Knowledge and research about football goalkeeper (GK) injuries are scarce, which prevents the development of evidence-based injury prevention programs. Fortunately, progress is evident in injury prevention strategies in outfield football players. However, a GK fulfills a unique role, and an injured GK can substantially impact a team. Thus, there is a need to clarify and summarize current knowledge concerning football goalkeeper pain and injuries. This narrative review aims to present the best-evidence synthesis of knowledge about football GK injuries and pain, their type, location, and incidence. A secondary aim is to contrast these findings with outfield players and identify knowledge gaps. Scientific databases were searched for the following indexed terms: goalkeeper, injury, soccer, and football. Original papers, including case studies and systematic reviews published from August 1994 to March 2021, were screened for relevance using a priori criteria and reviewed. Commonly described injuries are fractures, luxation and dislocations in the fingers, hand and wrist. The quadriceps femoris and forearms muscles are the most frequently described muscle and tendon injuries. Further, football GK injuries differ in type, location, and incidence compared to outfield players. Whether GKs suffer fewer injuries than players in other positions, whether GK suffer more injuries in training than matches, and whether they sustain more upper limb injuries comparing to field players is still unclear and controversial. Few studies assess pain, and current data point to the development of hip and groin, thigh, knee, arm and forearm pain resulting from training and match play. Due to the crucial role of GK in the football team, it is recommended to use the injury burden as a parameter considering the number and time-loss of injuries in future studies.
Introdução: Lesões musculoesqueléticas são inevitáveis no futebol, tendo em vista o intenso contato físico e movimentos abruptos dos jogadores. A identificação dos fatores
e risco à essas lesões é essencial para criar estratégias de prevenção que impeçam o comprometimento do desempenho dos jogadores pelas lesões. O objetivo do trabalho é identificar esses possíveis fatores de risco a partir de achados de exames de imagem.
Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo observacional transversal com jogadores de um clube de futebol profissional. Os dados coletados foram analisados com o programa SPSS (versão 24.0) por regressão logística ordinal e regressão logística multinomial. Resultados: Foram identificadas 373 lesões nos jogadores em um intervalo de 16 meses. Os membros inferiores foram afetados em cerca de 85% e o principal tipo de lesão ocorrida foi muscular (35,3%). Os fatores de risco para lesão identificados foram:
quanto maior a idade, maior o risco de lesão tendínea (p = 0,002), discopatia degenerativa (p = 0,014) e osteoartrose (p = 0,014). Goleiros foram fator de risco para lesão tendínea (p = 0,006) e discopatia degenerativa (p = 0,035). Quanto maior o número de lesões por jogador, maior foi o risco de lesão em joelho (p = 0,005), tornozelo (p = 0,005), pé (p = 0,015), cartilagem (p = 0,009), edema subcutâneo (p = 0,029), ligamentos (p < 0,000), óssea de estresse (p = 0,001), menisco (p = 0,004) e osteoartrose (p = 0,001).
Conclusões: A identificação de possíveis fatores de risco para lesões musculoesqueléticas nos jogadores proporciona a criação de métodos que as previnem, com a finalidade de reduzir o tempo de afastamento dos jogadores lesionados e minimizar eventuais prejuízos aos clubes.
Objective
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in professional male football.
Method
Forty-four studies have reported the incidence of injuries in football. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement and Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Studies were combined in a pooled analysis using a Poisson random effects regression model.
Results
The overall incidence of injuries in professional male football players was 8.1 injuries/1000 hours of exposure. Match injury incidence (36 injuries/1000 hours of exposure) was almost 10 times higher than training injury incidence rate (3.7 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). Lower extremity injuries had the highest incidence rates (6.8 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). The most common types of injuries were muscle/tendon (4.6 injuries/1000 hours of exposure), which were frequently associated with traumatic incidents. Minor injuries (1–3 days of time loss) were the most common. The incidence rate of injuries in the top 5 European professional leagues was not different to that of the professional leagues in other countries (6.8 vs 7.6 injuries/1000 hours
of exposure, respectively).
Conclusions
Professional male football players have a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, especially during matches.
Soccer (football) is a complex contact sport with a substantial risk of injury. As injury surveillance is the first step of the injury prevention paradigm, soccer epidemiology is well reported in the existing literature, but less is known about the actual role of player position on the general injury risk. The goal of this study is to present the existing evidence regarding the influence of player's position on general injury risk in male soccer. A systematic review of the Medline database was carried out. Only English written studies on male soccer and citing playing position as a possible determinant of injury risk were included. One hundred and two full texts were evaluated for eligibility, and 11 studies were selected for the qualitative synthesis. Of the 11 studies included in the systematic review, 5 didn't find any significant correlation with between player's position and general injury risk, while the remaining 6 studies found player's position to be correlated with injury risk, with mixed findings depending on each study. The most consistent finding was a tendency for goalkeepers (GKs) to sustain less injuries compared to outfield players. When considering only the studies reporting just the match injury risk, forwards seemed to be at higher risk, even if there wasn't a complete agreement. Few studies have evaluated a possible effect of playing position on general injury risk in male soccer. There is no agreement if weather or not different playing positions are associated to a higher injury risk. GKs seem to be at lower risk of injury when compared to outfield players.
To study the incidence and nature of injuries at European Championships, to compare training and match injury characteristics and to study differences in injury incidence between tournaments.
Team physicians prospectively recorded individual player exposure and time loss injuries during 12 European Championships (men's EURO n = 1, men's Under-21 n = 2, men's Under-19 n = 3, men's Under-17 n = 3, women's Under-19 n = 3) from 2006 to 2008.
International football tournaments.
1594 men and 433 women.
Injury incidence.
224 injuries (45 training, 179 match play) were registered among 208 (10%) players. No differences in training injury incidence were seen between tournaments (range 1.3-3.9 injuries/1000 hours). The men's EURO had the highest match injury incidence (41.6 injuries/1000 hours) followed by the men's Under-21 tournaments (33.9). The lowest match injury incidence was seen in the women's Under-19 tournaments (20.5). Training injuries constituted 20% of all injuries and caused 26% of all match unavailability. A greater proportion of match injuries were due to trauma (83 vs 47%, p<0.001) and occurred from player contact (75 vs 48%, p = 0.018) compared to training injuries. A higher frequency of re-injury was found among training injuries than match injuries (20 vs 6%, p = 0.009).
Match injury incidence increased with age, indicating greater risk with higher intensity of play. Training injury incidence was relatively low, but training injuries were responsible for a quarter of all match unavailability and may thus have a profound impact on team performance and should be the object of preventive measures.
The injury risk in football is high, but little is known about causes of injury.
To identify risk factors for football injuries using a multivariate model.
Prospective cohort study.
Participants were 306 male football players from the two highest divisions in Iceland. Before the 1999 football season started, the following factors were examined: height, weight, body composition, flexibility, leg extension power, jump height, peak O(2) uptake, joint stability, and history of previous injury. Injuries and player exposure were recorded throughout the competitive season.
Older players were at higher risk of injury in general (odds ratio [OR] = 1.1 per year, P = 0.05). For hamstring strains, the significant risk factors were age (OR = 1.4 [1 year], P < 0.001) and previous hamstring strains (OR = 11.6, P <0.001). For groin strains, the predictor risk factors were previous groin strains (OR = 7.3, P = 0.001) and decreased range of motion in hip abduction (OR = 0.9 [1 degrees ], P = 0.05). Previous injury was also identified as a risk factor for knee (OR = 4.6) and ankle sprains (OR = 5.3).
Age and previous injury were identified as the main risk factors for injury among elite football players from Iceland.
To investigate the correlation between exposure of footballers in European clubs to match play in the months before the World Cup 2002 and their injuries and performances during that World Cup.
The team doctors at 11 of the best football clubs in Europe prospectively recorded players' exposure and injuries during the 2001-2002 season (July 2001-May 2002). Sixty five players participated in the World Cup in Korea/Japan (June 2002). During the World Cup, the clubs reported injuries sustained by these players, and their performance was evaluated by three international experts.
The number of team matches during the season varied between 40 and 76 for the different countries involved. The individual player had a mean of 36 matches during the season. Top players played more matches, especially during the final period of the season. Players who participated in the World Cup played more matches during the season than those who did not (46 v 33 matches). World Cup players did not show any increased risk of injury during the season. About 29% incurred injuries during the World Cup, and 32% performed below their normal standard. The players who underperformed had played more matches during the 10 weeks before the World Cup than those who performed better than expected (12.5 v 9, p<0.05). Twenty three (60%) of the 38 players who had played more than one match a week before the World Cup incurred injuries or underperformed during the World Cup.
There is considerable variation in the number of matches played per season in European professional football leagues. Top level players are obliged to play many matches especially during the final period of the season.
The mechanisms for football injuries are largely unknown.
To describe the characteristics of injury situations in elite male football using a video-based method called football incident analysis.
Prospective cohort study.
During the 1999 season, videotapes from 52 matches in the Icelandic elite football league were reviewed. Incidents (N = 95) were recorded when the match was interrupted by the referee because of a suspected injury. Team physical therapists recorded injuries prospectively (N = 28 time-loss injuries).
Duels caused 84 of the incidents, mostly tackling duels (n = 54). The exposed player's attention appeared to be focused away from the opponent in 93% of the cases. The 3 main mechanisms observed were (1) breakdown attacks, tackling from the side or the front, attention focused on the ball (24%); (2) defensive tackling duels, attention focused on the ball or low ball control (20%); and (3) heading duels, attention focused on the ball in the air (13%).
Most incidents and injuries occurred during breakdown attacks and when a player was involved in tackling duels. Player attention appeared to be focused mainly on the ball, not on the opponent challenging him to gain ball possession.
A problem with epidemiological studies of football injuries is the inconsistent manner in which injury is defined and data are collected. Projects have been initiated to study the incidence and causes of injury in football, but there is no uniformly accepted reporting system. In this report, some common pitfalls encountered in the recording of injury are addressed, and practical guidelines for epidemiological studies are provided. An injury reporting system developed for the UEFA Football Safety Project for studies on professional footballers is used as a starting point for a general discussion on injury registration and compared with other existing reporting systems. The recording definition of injury may vary between studies depending on its purpose. A time loss injury definition is practical for all playing levels, and, as a minimum, results on time loss injuries should therefore always be reported separately to allow direct comparisons between studies. There is a need to agree on a uniform sports injury classification system with corresponding diagnostic criteria, as well as standardised return to play criteria after injury.
No previous study on adult football involving several different countries has investigated the incidence and pattern of injuries at the highest club competitive level.
To investigate the risk exposure, risk of injury, and injury pattern of footballers involved in UEFA Champions League and international matches during a full football season.
Eleven top clubs (266 players) in five European countries were followed prospectively throughout the season of 2001-2002. Time-lost injuries and individual exposure times were recorded during all club and national team training sessions and matches.
A total of 658 injuries were recorded. The mean (SD) injury incidence was 9.4 (3.2) injuries per 1000 hours (30.5 (11.0) injuries per 1000 match hours and 5.8 (2.1) injuries per 1000 training hours). The risk of match injury was significantly higher in the English and Dutch teams than in the teams from France, Italy, and Spain (41.8 (3.3) v 24.0 (7.9) injuries per 1000 hours; p = 0.008). Major injuries (absence > 4 weeks) constituted 15% of all injuries, and the risk of major injury was also significantly higher among the English and Dutch teams (p = 0.04). National team players had a higher match exposure, with a tendency towards a lower training injury incidence than the rest of the players (p = 0.051). Thigh strain was the most common injury (16%), with posterior strains being significantly more common than anterior ones (67 v 36; p < 0.0001).
The risk of injury in European professional football is high. The most common injury is the thigh strain typically involving the hamstrings. The results suggest that regional differences may influence injury epidemiology and traumatology, but the factors involved are unclear. National team players have a higher match exposure, but no higher risk of injury than other top level players.
Previous injury is often proposed to be a risk factor for football injury, but most studies rely on players reporting their own medical history and are thus potentially subject to recall bias. Little is known about the natural variation in injury pattern between seasons.
To study whether prospectively recorded injuries during one season are associated with injuries sustained during the following season, and to compare injury risk and injury pattern between consecutive seasons.
The medical staffs of 12 elite Swedish male football teams prospectively recorded individual exposure and time loss injuries over two full consecutive seasons (2001 and 2002). A multivariate model was used to determine the relation between previous injury, anthropometric data, and the risk of injury.
The training and match injury incidences were similar between seasons (5.1 v 5.3 injuries/1000 training hours and 25.9 v 22.7/1000 match hours), but analysis of injury severity and injury patterns showed variations between seasons. Players who were injured in the 2001 season were at greater risk of any injury in the following season compared with non-injured players (hazard ratio 2.7; 95% confidence interval 1.7 to 4.3, p<0.0001). Players with a previous hamstring injury, groin injury, and knee joint trauma were two to three times more likely to suffer an identical injury in the following season, whereas no such relation was found for ankle sprain. Age was not associated with an increased injury risk.
This study confirmed previous results showing that previous injury is an important risk factor for football injury. Overall injury incidences were similar between consecutive seasons, indicating that an injury surveillance study covering one full season can provide a reasonable overview of the injury problem among elite football players in a specific environment. However, a prolonged study period is recommended for analyses of specific injury patterns.
To continue the injury surveillance of FIFA-sponsored football tournaments and report on other medical aspects of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Prospective epidemiological injury surveillance and descriptive summary of additional medical aspects.
Major international football tournament.
National team players, doctors and referees at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
Injury type, location and rate.
145 injuries were reported for the 64 matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany-an overall injury rate of 68.7 per 1000 match hours (95% CI 57.5 to 79.9) or 2.3 injuries per match, in comparison with 2.7 injuries per match in the 2002 FIFA World Cup (p = NS). Physical examinations before participation uncovered no hidden cardiovascular problems. Once the tournament started, no referees were unable to complete their duties. There were no positive doping tests.
The injury rate for this World Cup was below that of 2002, but consistent with the overall injury rate per match since data collection began in 1998. There continues to be no evidence of systematic doping in international football.
Background: It has been speculated that a busy match schedule in sport can lead to player fatigue, which may result in underperformance during that period. There is also the risk of injury to the players. Type of study: An inference study. Methods: The sample consists of the 180 matches of the Spanish Soccer League played in the first 15 weekend match days of the 2003-2004, 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons respectively by Spanish teams playing simultaneously the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. The dependent variable was the result obtained by the teams in the Spanish Soccer League matches. Data were analysed using multinomial logit regression with three independent variables: the number of matches played during the week, the match location, and the status of the observed teams as Champions League debutants. Results: Contrary to conventional knowledge, this study indicates that Spanish Champions League teams did not perform below their normal standard at the weekend when they had also played a midweek match. In fact, the Champions League debutants performed above their normal standard in the weekend matches when they played a Champions League midweek match. Conclusion: The risk of underperformance did not increase during the first 15 weeks of the Spanish Soccer League despite the increase in the number of matches played. This indicates that, to a certain extent, a top team can cope with a busy match schedule without underperforming.
Title: Is soccer-related injury the major cause of elite soccer players being unable to train and play during the competitive season? Objectives: The aims of this study were to utilise comprehensive data to quantify the cost, in terms of loss of training and match availability, of all absences and to determine if injury is the major cause of absence. Study design: Descriptive epidemiology. Participants: All players ( n = 55) (Mean±SD; age, 24±5; height, 179 cm±9; weight, 82 kg±7.4) at an English Division One soccer club had their attendance and absence recorded on a comprehensive daily register throughout the two seasons 2003/2004 and 2004/2005. An absence was defined as an inability to train with the rest of the squad or play competitive first team matches irrespective of the cause. Results: A total of 110 competitive matches and 287 squad training sessions were recorded generating 2604 and 10740 exposure hours, respectively. Individual absences totalled 378 for first team matches and 1441 for training sessions. Reportable injuries accounted for 49% of first team match unavailability and 60% of training sessions missed. Other health-related problems accounted for more than one in four and suspensions almost one in seven of missed matches. Conclusions: Soccer-related injury is the major single factor affecting player availability. However, strategies to maximise player availability by targeting player discipline and general health initiatives may also be effective in reducing unavailability.
Variations in definitions and methodologies have created differences in the results and conclusions obtained from studies of football (soccer) injuries; this has made interstudy comparisons difficult.
An Injury Consensus Group was established under the auspices of Fédération Internationale de Football Association Medical Assessment and Research Centre. Using a nominal group consensus model approach, a working document that identified the key issues related to definitions, methodology, and implementation was discussed by members of the group during a 2-day meeting. After this meeting, iterative draft statements were prepared and circulated to the members of the group for comment before the final consensus statement was produced.
Definitions of injury, recurrent injury, severity, and training and match exposures in football, together with criteria for classifying injuries in terms of location, type, diagnosis, and causation are proposed. Proforma for recording players' baseline information, injuries, and training and match exposures are presented. Recommendations are made on how the incidence of match and training injuries should be reported and a checklist of issues and information that should be included in published reports of studies of football injuries is presented.
The definitions and methodology proposed in the consensus statement will ensure that consistent and comparable results will be obtained from studies of football injuries.
The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of injury of the Trinidad and Tobago National Men's Football Team involved in three international tournaments and associated training camps (ITATC) within a 14-month period and compare the data with that published for the Sweden National Team. A retrospective analysis of injury records assessed the number and types of injuries, time absent from training, and outcomes for each injury for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Team. There were 50 significant injuries: 42 (84%) were mild injuries and 3 (6%) were severe. Injury incidence for training was 14.6 injuries/1000 hours [95% CI [10.1, 19.1]) and for game exposure was 86.6 injuries/1000 hours (95% CI [64.1, 109.1]). The incidence of injury for Trinidad and Tobago Football Team involved in ITATC was found to be much higher than for both league football and another national team. The ITATC period could represent the highest incidence of injury seen in national teams. Most injuries were mild and of a noncontact nature.
The aim of the present investigation was to provide a detailed analysis of the high intensity running activity completed by elite soccer players during match-play. A further aim of the study was to evaluate the importance of high intensity running activity to overall team success. Observations on individual match performance measures were undertaken on 563 outfield players (median of 8 games per player; range=1–57) competing in the English Premier League from 2003/2004 to 2005/2006 using a computerised tracking system (Prozone®, Leeds, England). High intensity activities selected for analysis included total high intensity running distance (THIR), total sprint distance (TSD) and the number and type of sprints undertaken. Total high intensity running distance in possession and without possession of the ball was also analysed. The THIR was dependant upon playing position with wide midfield (1 049±106 m) and central defenders (681±128 m) completing the highest and lowest distance respectively (p<0.001). High intensity activity was also related to team success with teams finishing in the bottom five (919±128 m) and middle ten (917±143 m) league positions completing significantly more THIR compared with teams in the top five (885±113 m) (p=0.003). The THIR and TSD also significantly declined during the 2nd half with the greatest decrements observed in wide midfield and attacking players (p<0.05). Both positional differences in high intensity activity and the observed change in activity throughout the game were also influenced by team success (p<0.05). The results of the present study indicate that high intensity activity in elite soccer match-play is influenced by both playing position and previous activity in the game. These activity patterns are also dependant upon success of the team. This may indicate that overall technical and tactical effectiveness of the team rather than high levels of physical performance per se are more important in determining success in soccer.
To assess the risks to footballers' health and safety during competitive international matches, with identification of the most common causes of injury.
Videos of 44 of the 52 matches played during the 1994 World Cup finals staged in the USA were analysed. During each match, several relevant variables were recorded, including the number of fouls, injuries, treatments, times of incidents, identity of players treated or injured, and the injury mechanism. Additional information on players' injuries was obtained from the extensive media coverage of the event.
Only 29% of injuries resulted from foul play, whereas 71% of injuries to players occurred where no foul play was adjudged by the referee to have taken place (P < 0.01). Defenders were found to be proportionately subjected to a greater risk of injury than other players (P < 0.05). Fifteen per cent of all injuries were judged to be at least moderate, resulting in the player missing at least one match. Frequency of moderate injury was 1026 injuries per 100,000 hours played.
The major causes of injuries during international football matches were not found to be associated with foul play, as judged by the referees. However, in those cases where injuries occurred without a foul being committed, almost 50% involved player to player contact. This gives some cause for concern and is worth further investigation.
To assess the risk of injury to professional footballers during European international and English Premier and First Division league matches.
Videotaped recordings of 29, 49, and 93 matches from the 1996 European Championship, 1996/1997 English Premier season and 1994 to 1997 English First Division seasons respectively were analysed. During each match, several relevant variables, including the number of fouls, injuries, time of incident, player identity, and injury mechanism, were recorded.
Significantly more free kicks were awarded during international matches than during league matches; however, there were no significant differences between the numbers of free kicks awarded over the three First Division seasons assessed. Between 1.7 and 3.0% of fouls resulted in a player requiring treatment for injury, but only 15-28% of all injuries resulted from foul play. In all "non-foul" situations, in which injury resulted, at least 60% still involved player to player contact. No significant differences in injury frequency were observed between playing positions or match halves.
The results equate to a total of 808 players per season from the estimated 2600 players in the four English professional football leagues sustaining a match injury that caused them to miss at least one game. The large number of underlying "non-injury" incidents is identified as the reason for this level of injury rather than a higher ratio of "injury" to "non-injury" incidents in professional football compared with other occupations.
To undertake a prospective epidemiological study of the injuries sustained in English professional football over two competitive seasons.
Player injuries were annotated by club medical staff at 91 professional football clubs. A specific injury audit questionnaire was used together with a weekly form that documented each club's current injury status.
A total of 6,030 injuries were reported over the two seasons with an average of 1.3 injuries per player per season. The mean (SD) number of days absent for each injury was 24.2 (40.2), with 78% of the injuries leading to a minimum of one competitive match being missed. The injury incidence varied throughout the season, with training injuries peaking during July (p<0.05) and match injuries peaking during August (p<0.05). Competition injuries represented 63% of those reported, significantly (p<0.01) more of these injuries occurring towards the end of both halves. Strains (37%) and sprains (19%) were the major injury types, the lower extremity being the site of 87% of the injuries reported. Most injury mechanisms were classified as being non-contact (58%). Re-injuries accounted for 7% of all injuries, 66% of these being classified as either a strain or a sprain. The severity of re-injuries was greater than the initial injury (p<0.01).
Professional football players are exposed to a high risk of injury and there is a need to investigate ways of reducing this risk. Areas that warrant attention include the training programmes implemented by clubs during various stages of the season, the factors contributing to the pattern of injuries during matches with respect to time, and the rehabilitation protocols employed by clubs.
To conduct a detailed analysis of preseason football injuries sustained in English professional football over two competitive seasons.
Club medical staff at 91 professional football clubs annotated player injuries. A specific injury audit questionnaire was used together with a weekly form that documented each club's current injury status.
17% (1025) of the total number of injuries over the two seasons were sustained during the preseason, the mean number of days absent per injury was 22.3 days. Younger age groups (17-25 yrs) were more likely to sustain a preseason injury than more experienced players (26-35+) (p<0.01). There were relatively more "slight" and "minor" injuries (as defined in the methodology), overuse, and tendon related injuries sustained during preseason compared to the in season (p<0.01). The thigh (23%), knee (17%), and ankle (17%) were the most common locations for injuries during the preseason, there was a relatively greater number of lower leg injuries (15%) during the preseason (p<0.05). Achilles tendonitis was most prevalent in the preseason, with 33% of all Achilles related injuries sustained during this period (p<0.01). Muscle strains were the most common injury during preseason (37%). Rectus femoris muscle strains were observed twice as frequently during the preseason relative to the in season (p<0.01). Ligament sprains were the second most common injury during preseason (19%). Non-contact mechanisms were the cause of significantly more injuries during the preseason (p<0.01), with relatively more preseason injuries sustained while running or shooting (p<0.01). For 70% of the injuries reported during the preseason, the ground condition was described as dry.
Players are at a greater risk of slight and minor injuries, overuse injuries, lower leg injuries (especially the Achilles tendon) and rectus femoris strains during the preseason period. Prevention of preseason injury is important to ensure availability of players for the commencement of the season and to decrease the risk of injury later in the season, we recommend the implementation of a risk management policy for this purpose. Areas requiring further investigation include methods of prevention for the common preseason injuries that have been identified, a detailed analysis of preseason and closed season training programmes, and a smaller study involving exposure data.
Standardized assessment of sports injuries provides not only important epidemiological information, but also directions for injury prevention, and the opportunity for monitoring long-term changes in the frequency and characteristics of injury.
Development and implementation of an easy to use injury-reporting system to analyze the incidence, circumstances and characteristics of injury during major international football tournaments.
Prospective survey.
A comprehensive injury report form was developed, and implemented during 12 international football tournaments. The physicians of all participating teams were asked to report all injuries after each match. The response rate was 84% on average.
A total of 901 injuries were reported from 334 matches, which is equivalent to an incidence of 2.7 injuries per match. Approximately one injury per match resulted in a player's absence from training or matches. On average 86% of the injuries arose as a result of contact with another player, and approximately half of all injuries were caused by foul play. The number of injuries per match differed substantially between the tournaments for players of different age, sex and skill-level.
An injury-reporting system has been implemented as matter of routine in FIFA tournaments. The consistent findings in the present study demonstrate the high quality of the data obtained.
The Danish and Swedish male top football divisions were studied prospectively from January to June 2001. Exposure to football and injury incidence, severity and distribution were compared between the countries.
Swedish players had greater exposure to training (171 vs. 123 h per season, P<0.001), whereas exposure to matches did not differ between the countries. There was a higher risk for injury during training in Denmark than in Sweden (11.8 vs. 6.0 per 1000 h, P<0.01), whereas for match play there was no difference (28.2 vs. 26.2 per 1000 h). The risk for incurring a major injury (absence from football more than 4 weeks) was greater in Denmark (1.8 vs. 0.7 per 1000 h, P=0.002). The distribution of injuries according to type and location was similar in both countries. Of all injuries in Denmark and Sweden, overuse injury accounted for 39% and 38% (NS), and re-injury for 30% and 24% (P=0.032), respectively.
The greater training exposure and the long pre-season period in Sweden may explain some of the reported differences.
The purpose of this study was to study the risk for injury and injury pattern in Swedish male elite football and to compare two different injury definitions. A prospective cohort study was conducted during 2001 on all 14 teams (310 players) in the Swedish top division. Injuries and individual exposure were recorded. Injury was defined as time‐lost injury (715 injuries) and for comparison as tissue injury (765 injuries). No significant difference in the risk for injury between tissue injuries and time‐lost injuries was found during matches (27.2 vs. 25.9 injuries per 1000 match hours, P =0.66) or training sessions (5.7 vs. 5.2 injuries per 1000 training hours, P =0.65). The risk for injury during training was significantly higher during the pre‐season compared with the competitive season ( P =0.01).
Thigh strain was the single most common injury (14%). Knee sprain was the most common major injury (absence >4 weeks). Overuse injuries and re‐injuries were frequent and constituted 37% and 22% of all injuries. Re‐injuries caused significantly longer absence than their corresponding initial injuries ( P =0.02). The risk for re‐injury ( P =0.02) and overuse injury ( P <0.01) was significantly higher during the pre‐season compared with the competitive season.