Epidemiology of Football Injuries of the German Bundesliga: A Media-Based, Prospective Analysis over 7 Consecutive Seasons

Background: This study describes the implementation of a standardised, prospective injury database covering the entire 1st male German football league (“Bundesliga”) based on publicly available media data. For the first time, various media sources were used simultaneously as the external validity of media-generated data was low in the past compared to data obtained by way of the “gold standard”, i.e. by the teams’ medical staffs. Methods: The study covers 7 consecutive seasons (2014/15–2020/21). The primary data source was the online version of the sport-specific journal “kicker Sportmagazin™” complemented by further publicly available media data. Injury data collection followed the Fuller consensus statement on football injury studies. Results: During the 7 seasons, 6653 injuries occurred, thereof 3821 in training and 2832 in matches. The injury incidence rates (IRs) per 1000 football hours were 5.5 [95% CI 5.3–5.6], 25.9 [25.0–26.9] per 1000 match, and 3.4 [3.3–3.6] per 1000 training hours. Twenty-four per cent of the injuries (n = 1569, IR 1.3 [1.2–1.4]) affected the thigh, 15% (n = 1023, IR 0.8 [0.8–0.9]) the knee, and 13% (n = 856, IR 0.7 [0.7–0.8]) the ankle. Muscle/tendon injuries contributed 49% (n = 3288, IR 2.7 [2.6–2.8]), joint/ligament injuries 17% (n = 1152, IR 0.9 [0.9–1.0]), and contusions 13% (n = 855, IR 0.7 [0.7–0.8]). Compared to studies using injury reports from the clubs’ medical staff, media data revealed similar proportional distributions of the injuries, but the IRs tended towards the lower end. Obtaining specific locations or diagnosis especially with regard to minor injuries is difficult. Conclusions: Media data are convenient for investigating the quantity of injuries of an entire league, for identifying injuries for further subanalysis, and for analysing complex injuries. Future studies will focus on the identification of inter- and intraseasonal trends, players' individual injury histories, and risk factors for subsequent injuries. Furthermore, these data will be used in a complex system approach for developing a clinical decision support system, e.g. for return to play decisions

Efficacy of Multi-Component Exercise-Based Injury Prevention Programs on Injury Risk Among Footballers of All Age Groups: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background Playing football is associated with a high risk of injury. Injury prevention is a priority as injuries not only negatively impact health but also potentially performance. Various multi-component exercise-based injury prevention programs for football players have been examined in studies. Objective We aimed to investigate the efcacy of multi-component exercise-based injury prevention programs among footballers of all age groups in comparison to a control group. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and cluster-randomized controlled trials. CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to June 2022. The following inclusion criteria were used for studies to determine their eligibility: they (1) include football (soccer) players; (2) investigate the preventive efect of multi-component exercise-based injury prevention programs in football; (3) contain original data from a randomized or cluster-randomized trial; and (4) investigate football injuries as the outcome. The risk of bias and quality of evidence were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE), respectively. The outcome measures were the risk ratio (RR) between the intervention and the control group for the overall number of injuries and body region-specifc, contact, and non-contact injuries sustained during the study period in training and match play. Results Fifteen randomized and cluster-randomized controlled trials with 22,177 players, 5080 injuries, and 1,587,327 exposure hours fulflled the inclusion criteria and reported the required outcome measures. The point estimate (RR) for the overall number of injuries was 0.71 (95% confdence interval [CI] 0.59–0.85; 95% prediction interval [PI] 0.38–1.32) with very low-quality evidence. The point estimate (RR) for lower limb injuries was 0.82 (95% CI 0.71–0.94; 95% PI 0.58–1.15) with moderate-quality evidence; for hip/groin injuries, the RR was 0.56 (95% CI 0.30–1.05; 95% PI 0.00–102.92) with lowquality evidence; for knee injuries, the RR was 0.69 (95% CI 0.52–0.90; 95% PI 0.31–1.50) with low-quality evidence; for ankle injuries, the RR was 0.73 (95% CI 0.55–0.96; 95% PI 0.36–1.46) with moderate-quality evidence; and for hamstring injuries, the RR was 0.83 (95% CI 0.50–1.37) with low-quality evidence. The point estimate (RR) for contact injuries was 0.70 (95% CI 0.56–0.88; 95% PI 0.40–1.24) with moderate-quality evidence, while for non-contact injuries, the RR was 0.78 (95% CI 0.55–1.10; 95% PI 0.25–2.47) with low-quality evidence. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that the treatment efect associated with the use of multicomponent exercise-based injury prevention programs in football is uncertain and inconclusive. In addition, the majority of the results are based on low-quality evidence. Therefore, future high-quality trials are needed to provide more reliable evidence. Clinical Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42020221772

Timing return-to-competition: a prospective registration of 45 different types of severe injuries in Germany’s highest football league

Introduction Many professional football players sustain at least one severe injury over the course of their career. Because detailed epidemiological data on different severe injuries in professional football have been missing so far, this study describes the frequency and return-to-competition (RTC) periods of different types of severe football injuries. Material and methods This epidemiological investigation is a prospective standardised injury analysis based on national media longitudinal registration. Injuries were classified according to the consensus statement by Fuller et al. (2006). The analysis includes injuries sustained by players of the first German football league during the seasons 2014–2015 to 2017–2018. Level of evidence: II. Results Overall, 660 severe injuries were registered during the four seasons (mean 165 per season; 9.2 per season per team; incidence in 1000 h: 0.77). The body region most frequently affected by severe injury was the knee (30.0%; 49.5 injuries per season/SD 13.2) followed by the thigh (26.4%; 43.5 injuries/SD 4.2) and the ankle (16.7%; 27.5 injuries/SD 5.0). The distribution of injuries over the course of a season showed a trend for ACL ruptures to mainly occur at the beginning of a season (45.8%), overuse syndromes such as achillodynia (40.9%) and irritation of the knee (44.4%) during the winter months and severe muscle and ankle injuries at the end of a season. ACL ruptures showed the longest RTC durations (median 222 days). Conclusion This study presents detailed epidemiological data on severe injuries in professional football. The body region most frequently affected by severe injuries was the knee. Several types of severe injuries showed a seasonal injury pattern. The appropriate timing of RTC after an injury is one of the most important and complex decisions to be made. This study provides information on the typical time loss due to specific severe football injuries, which may serve as a guideline

No increased injury incidence in the German Bundesliga after the SARS-CoV-2 virus lockdown

Introduction The coronavirus lockdown in 2020 resulted in a worldwide suspension of professional sports. The first major professional football league to restart after the lockdown was the German Bundesliga. This study investigates whether the injury incidence increased after the restart of the season with only 9 days of regular preparation time and without any friendly matches in comparison to three control periods. Materials and methods In a prospective cohort study, injury analysis (at least 1 day of absence from official football matches or training sessions) of the German Bundesliga registry was standardised according to Hägglund et al. (Br J Sports Med 39:340–346, 2005) and Fuller et al. (Clin J Sports Med 16:97–106, 2006) for data collection and to previous publications for the validated use of media sources for injury registration. The study period after the lockdown in May and June of the 2019–2020 season was compared to three control periods: the period directly before the lockdown, the beginning of the 2019–2020 season and the 2018–2019 season final. Results The nine match days after the restart of the 2019–2020 season showed an overall injury incidence of 4.9 per 1000 h football. This rate was significantly lower than that of the previous season final (9 last match days, overall injury incidence: 6.9 per 1000 h football; p  0.05) or the winter break (8 match days; incidence: 5.6/1000 h, p > 0.05). Conclusion The period after the unexpected break in the 2019–2020 season due to the coronavirus lockdown and the rapid return to competition showed no increase in the injury rate compared to the pre-lockdown period and a lower injury rate than in the previous season final. The unintentional mid-season rest with its potential for physical recovery and individual fitness training seems to have had a positive effect on injury occurrence

The intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Soccer Injury Movement sscreen (SIMS)

Background/purpose The growing volume of movement screening research reveals a belief among practitioners and researchers alike that movement quality may have an association with injury risk. However, existing movement screening tools have not considered the sport-specific movement and injury patterns relevant to soccer. The present study introduces the Soccer Injury Movement Screen (SIMS), which has been designed specifically for use within soccer. Furthermore, the purpose of the present study was to assess the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the SIMS and determine its suitability for use in further research. Methods The study utilized a test-retest design to discern reliablility. Twenty-five (11 males, 14 females) healthy, recreationally active university students (age 25.5 ± 4.0 years, height 171 ± 9 cm, weight 64.7 ± 12.6 kg) agreed to participate. The SIMS contains five sub-tests: the anterior reach, single-leg deadlift, in-line lunge, single-leg hop for distance and tuck jump. Each movement was scored out of 10 points and summed to produce a composite score out of 50. The anterior reach and single-leg hop for distance were scored in real-time while the remaining tests were filmed and scored retrospectively. Three raters conducted the SIMS with each participant on three occasions separated by an average of three and a half days (minimum one day, maximum seven days). Rater 1 re-scored the filmed movements for all participants on all occasions six months later to establish the ‘pure’ intra-rater (intra-occasion) reliability for those movements. Results Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values for intra- and inter-rater composite score reliability ranged from 0.66-0.72 and 0.79-0.86 respectively. Weighted kappa values representing the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the individual sub-tests ranged from 0.35-0.91 indicating fair to almost perfect agreement. Conclusions Establishing the reliability of the SIMS is a prerequisite for further research seeking to investigate the relationship between test score and subsequent injury. The present results indicate acceptable reliability for this purpose; however, room for further development of the intra-rater reliability exists for some of the individual sub-tests

Efficacy of a new injury prevention programme (FUNBALL) in young male football (soccer) players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of a new multicomponent, exercise-based injury prevention programme in football players 13–19 years old. Methods Two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial with clubs as the unit of randomisation. 55 football teams from Kosovo of the under 15, under 17 and under 19 age groups were randomly assigned to the intervention (INT; 28 teams) or the control group (CON; 27 teams) and were followed for one football season (August 2021–May 2022). The INT group performed the ’FUNBALL’ programme after their usual warm-up at least twice per week, while the CON group followed their usual training routine. The primary outcome measure was the overall number of football-related injuries. Secondary outcomes were region-specific injuries of the lower limbs (hip/groin, thigh, knee, lower leg, ankle and foot) and injury severity. Results 319 injuries occurred, 132 in the INT and 187 in the CON group. The INT group used the ’FUNBALL’ programme in 72.2% of all training sessions, on average 2.2 times per week. There was a significantly lower incidence in the INT group regarding the overall number of injuries (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.69, 95%CI 0.55 to 0.87), the number of thigh injuries (IRR 0.62, 95%CI 0.39 to 0.98), of moderate (time loss between 7 and 28 days) (IRR 0.65, 95%CI 0.44 to 0.97) and of severe injuries (time loss >28 days) (IRR 0.51, 95%CI 0.28 to 0.91). Conclusion The ’FUNBALL’ programme reduced the incidence of football-related injuries among male adolescent football players, and its regular use for injury prevention in this population is recommended. Trial registration number NCT05137015

Head injuries in children′s football - results from two prospective cohort studies in four European countries

Head injuries are considered harmful in children. We analysed head and neck injuries in organised football in 7 to 12 year old children. Data for this analysis were obtained from a prospective cohort study over two consecutive football seasons in two European countries, and a randomised intervention trial over one season in four European countries. Football exposure and injuries were documented through an online database. Detailed information regarding injury characteristics and medical follow-up was retrieved from coaches, children and parents by phone. Thirty-nine head injuries and one neck injury (5% of all 791 injuries) were documented during 9,933 player-seasons (total football exposure 688,045 h). The incidence was 0.25 [95%CI 0.15, 0.35] head/neck injuries per 1,000 match hours (N=23 match injuries) and 0.03 [95%CI 0.02, 0.03] per 1,000 training hours. Eleven concussions (27.5%), nine head contusions (22.5%), eight lacerations or abrasions (20%), two nose fractures (2.5%) and two dental injuries (2.5%) occurred. The remaining eight injuries were nose bleeding or other minor injuries. Thirty injuries (75%) resulted from contact with another player, ten injuries were due to collision with an object, falling or a hit by the ball. Whereas 70% of all head injuries (N=28) were due to frontal impacts, 73% of concussions (N=8) resulted from an impact to the occiput. The incidence and severity of head injuries in children's football is low. Coaches and parents, however, should be sensitised regarding the potential of concussions, particularly after an impact to the occiput. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Effects of the '11+ Kids' injury prevention programme on severe injuries in children's football: a secondary analysis of data from a multicentre cluster-randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: To assess the effects of the injury prevention programme '11+ Kids' on reducing severe injuries in 7 to 13 year old football (soccer) players. METHODS: Football clubs (under-9, under-11 and under-13 age groups) from the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland were cluster-randomised (clubs) into an intervention (INT) and a control group (CON). INT replaced their usual warm-up by '11+ Kids' two times a week. CON followed their regular training regime. Match and training exposure and injury characteristics were recorded and injury incidence rates (IRs) and 95% CIs calculated. For the present analysis, only severe injuries (absence from training/match ≥28 days) were considered. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using extended Cox models. RESULTS: The overall IR of severe injuries per 1000 football hours was 0.33 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.43) in CON and 0.15 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.23) in INT. There was a reduction of severe overall (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.72), match (0.41, 0.17 to 0.95) and training injuries (0.42, 0.21 to 0.86) in INT. The injury types that were prevented the most were: other bone injuries 66%, fractures 49% and sprains and ligament injuries 37%. Severe injuries located at the knee (82%), hip/groin (81%), the foot/toe (80%) and the ankle (65%) were reduced tremendously. CONCLUSIONS: '11+ Kids' has a large preventive effect on severe injuries by investing only 15 to 20 min per training session. The present results should motivate coaches to implement effective injury prevention programmes such as the '11+ Kids' in children's football. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02222025