The Incidence of Injury in an English Professional Soccer Club During One Competitive Season

doi:10.1016/S0031-9406(10)62366-8

Physiotherapy

Volume 75, Issue 10, 10 October 1989, Pages 601-605

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(10)62366-8 Get rights and content

Summary

The article presents the incidence of injuries sustained at a professional football club over the course of a full Football League season. The incidence of injuries and the associated recovery periods from injury to full squad training and competitive matches were recorded. The results were analysed and although they confirmed many findings of previous work, many more questions arose and much more work needs to be conducted in this area.

Section snippets

Biography: Gary Lewin served as an apprentice professional footballer for Arsenal Football Club on leaving school. After failing to make the grade of a full professional, he turned to physiotherapy as a career. He qualified as a physiotherapist from the Guy's Hospital School of Physiotherapy in 1986. He joined Arsenal Football Club as its physiotherapist later that year after a brief spell working at Guy's Hospital. He has now held the post for three years.

References (38)

Gr Johnson et al.
‘A biomechanical approach to the design of football boots’
Journal of Biomechanics
(1976)
J Agre et al.
‘Musculoskeletal profile of male collegiate soccer players’
Archives of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation
(1987)
M Albert
‘Descriptive 3 year data study of outdoor and indoor professional soccer injuries’
Athletic Training
(1983)
Wf Alles et al.
‘The national athletic injury/illness reporting system three-year findings of high-school and college football injuries’
Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Physical Therapy
(1979)
Al Bass
‘Injuries of the lower limb in football’
Proceedings of Royal Society of Medicine
(1967)
J Ekstrand
‘Soccer injuries and their prevention’
J Ekstrand et al.
‘The frequency of muscle tightness and injuries in soccer players’
American Journal of Sports Medicine
(1982)
J Ekstrand et al.
‘Soccer injuries and their mechanisms. A prospective study’
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
(1983)
J Ekstrand et al.
‘The avoidability of soccer injuries’
International Journal of Sports Medicine
(1983)
J Ekstrand et al.
‘Incidence of soccer injuries and their relation to training and team success’
American Journal of Sports Medicine
(1983)

K Franke

Traumatologie des Sports

(1977)

Sf Gunther

‘An avoidable soccer injury’

Journal of Sports Medicine

(1974)

K Hattori et al.

‘Ankle joint flexibility in college soccer players’

Journal of Human Ergology

(1986)

Jw Kauzlarich

‘Medical care of a championship soccer club’

The Physician and Sports Medicine

(1977)

Cs Keller et al.

‘The medical aspects of soccer injury epidemiology’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

(1987)

Rd Leach et al.

‘Anterior tibial compartment syndrome in soccer players’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

(1979)

S Maehlum et al.

‘Football injuries in Oslo: A one-day study’

British Journal of Sports Medicine

(1984)

Wc Mcmaster et al.

‘Injuries in soccer’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

(1978)

Ds Muckle

‘Injuries in professional footballers’

British Journal of Sports Medicine

(1981)

Cited by (43)

Factors associated with increased propensity for hamstring injury in English Premier League soccer players
2010, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Citation Excerpt :
Over the past two decades, injury trends in elite-level soccer have changed1,2 with the hamstring muscle group now recognised as the most frequently injured structure, accounting for more time lost than any other muscle group.3,4
The aim of this study was to concurrently model the influence of a number of physical and performance parameters on subsequent incidence of hamstring injury in a squad of English Premier League soccer players. Thirty six healthy, male, elite, professional soccer players (age 22.6 ± 5.2 years, height 1.81 ± 0.08 m, mass 75.8 ± 9.4 kg, lean mass 69.0 ± 8.0 kg) were assessed during the first week of pre-season training for anthropometry, flexibility, lower limb strength and power, speed and agility. Over the subsequent 45 week competitive season all hamstring injuries were diagnosed and recorded. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to link individual physical and performance capabilities with propensity to sustain a hamstring injury. A model containing age, lean mass, non-counter movement jump (NCM) performance and active hip flexion range of movement (ROM) was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with increased propensity for hamstring injury. Odds for sustaining an injury increased ×1.78 for each 1 year increase in age, ×1.47 for each 1 cm increase in NCM and ×1.29 for each 1° decrease in active range of hip flexion. Older, more powerful and less flexible soccer players are at greater risk of sustaining a hamstring injury. Support staff should identify such individuals and make appropriate interventions to minimise risk without compromising performance capabilities.
Is injury the major cause of elite soccer players being unavailable to train and play during the competitive season?
2006, Physical Therapy in Sport
Is soccer-related injury the major cause of elite soccer players being unable to train and play during the competitive season?
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.
Descriptive epidemiology.
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.
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.
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.
LOW BACK PAIN ESTIMATES IN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
2023, Acta Ortopedica Brasileira
Are sprint accelerations related to groin injuries? A biomechanical analysis of adolescent soccer players
2022, Sports Biomechanics
Muscle activity of cutting manoeuvres and soccer inside passing suggests an increased groin injury risk during these movements
2021, Scientific Reports
Biomechanical evaluation of different ankle orthoses in a simulated lateral ankle sprain in two different modes
2019, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

The Incidence of Injury in an English Professional Soccer Club During One Competitive Season

Summary

Section snippets

Journal of Biomechanics

‘Musculoskeletal profile of male collegiate soccer players’

Archives of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation

‘Descriptive 3 year data study of outdoor and indoor professional soccer injuries’

Athletic Training

‘The national athletic injury/illness reporting system three-year findings of high-school and college football injuries’

Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Physical Therapy

‘Injuries of the lower limb in football’

Proceedings of Royal Society of Medicine

‘Soccer injuries and their prevention’

‘The frequency of muscle tightness and injuries in soccer players’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Soccer injuries and their mechanisms. A prospective study’

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

‘The avoidability of soccer injuries’

International Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Incidence of soccer injuries and their relation to training and team success’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

Traumatologie des Sports

‘An avoidable soccer injury’

Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Ankle joint flexibility in college soccer players’

Journal of Human Ergology

‘Medical care of a championship soccer club’

The Physician and Sports Medicine

‘The medical aspects of soccer injury epidemiology’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Anterior tibial compartment syndrome in soccer players’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Football injuries in Oslo: A one-day study’

British Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Injuries in soccer’

American Journal of Sports Medicine

‘Injuries in professional footballers’

British Journal of Sports Medicine