Int J Sports Med 2010; 31(4): 271-276
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1243646
Orthopedics & Biomechanics

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Match Injuries in Professional Soccer: Inter-Seasonal Variation and Effects of Competition Type, Match Congestion and Positional Role

C. Carling1 , E. Orhant2 , F. LeGall1
  • 1LOSC Lille Métropole Football Club, Camphin-en-Pévèle, France
  • 2Olympique Lyonnais FC, Medical, Lyon, France
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision December 05, 2009

Publication Date:
17 February 2010 (online)

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 (≤ 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 (≥ 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.

References

  • 1 Arnason A, Sigurdsson SB, Gudmundsson A, Holme I, Engebretsen L, Bahr R. Risk factors for injuries in football.  Am J Sports Med. 2004;  32 ((Suppl 1)) S5-S16
  • 2 Arnason A, Tenga A, Engebretsen L, Bahr R. A prospective video-based analysis of injury situations in elite male football.  Am J Sports Med. 2004;  32 1459-1465
  • 3 Babwah TJR. Incidence of football injury during international tournaments.  Res Sports Med. 2009;  17 61-69
  • 4 Carling C, Orhant E. Variation in body composition in professional soccer players: inter- and intra-seasonal changes and the effects of exposure time and player position.  J Strength Cond Res. (In press)
  • 5 Di Salvo V, Gregson W, Atkinson G, Tordoff P, Drust B. Analysis of high intensity activity in Premier League soccer.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 205-212
  • 6 Dvorak J, Junge A, Grimm K, Kirkendall D. Medical report from the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.  Br J Sports Med. 2007;  41 578-581
  • 7 Ekstrand J, Waldén M, Hägglund M. A congested football calendar and the wellbeing of players: Correlation between match exposure of European footballers before the World Cup 2002 and their injuries and performances during that World Cup.  Br J Sports Med. 2004;  38 493-497
  • 8 Ekstrand J, Hägglund M, Waldén M. Injury incidence and injury patterns in professional football – the UEFA injury study.  Br J Sports Med. DOI: doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.060582
  • 9 Fuller CW, Ekstrand J, Junge A, Andersen TE, Bahr R, Dvorak J, Hägglund M, McCrory P, Meeuwisse W H. Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection procedures in studies of football (soccer) injuries.  Br J Sports Med. 2006;  40 193-201
  • 10 Hägglund M, Waldén M, Ekstrand J. Injury incidence and distribution in elite football – a prospective study of the Danish and the Swedish top divisions.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2005;  15 21-28
  • 11 Hägglund M, Waldén M, Ekstrand J. Injuries in Swedish elite football – a prospective study on injury definitions, risk for injury and injury pattern during 2001.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2005;  15 118-125
  • 12 Hägglund M, Walden M, Bahr R, Ekstrand J. Methods for epidemiological study of injuries to professional football players: developing the UEFA model.  Br J Sports Med. 2005;  39 340-346
  • 13 Hägglund M, Waldén M, Ekstrand J. Previous injury as a risk factor for injury in elite football: a prospective study over two consecutive seasons.  Br J Sports Med. 2006;  40 767-772
  • 14 Hägglund M, Waldén M, Ekstrand J. UEFA injury study, an injury audit of European Championships 2006 to 2008.  Br J Sports Med. 2009;  43 483-489
  • 15 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. International Journal of Sports Medicine – Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 701-702
  • 16 Hawkins RD, Fuller CW. Risk assessment in professional football: an examination of accidents and incidents in the 1994 World Cup finals.  Br J Sports Med. 1996;  30 165-170
  • 17 Hawkins RD, Fuller CW. An examination of the frequency and severity of injuries and incidents at three levels of professional football.  Br J Sports Med. 1998;  32 326-332
  • 18 Hawkins RD, Fuller CW. A prospective epidemiological study of injuries in four English professional football clubs.  Br J Sports Med. 1999;  33 196-203
  • 19 Hawkins RD, Hulse MA, Wilkinson C, Hodson A, Gibson M. The association football medical research programme: an audit of injuries in professional football.  Br J Sports Med. 2001;  35 43-47
  • 20 Junge A, Dvorak J, Graf-Baumann T, Peterson L. Football injuries during FIFA tournaments and the Olympic Games, 1998–2001: development and implementation of an injury-reporting system.  Am J Sports Med. 2004;  32 ((Suppl 1)) S80-S89
  • 21 Lago-Peñas C. Consequences of a busy soccer match schedule on team performance: Empirical evidence from Spain.  International SportMed Journal. 2009;  10 86-94
  • 22 Morgan BE, Oberlander MA. An examination of injuries in major league soccer: the inaugural season.  Am J Sports Med. 2001;  29 426-430
  • 23 Odetoyinbo K, Wooster B, Lane A. The effect of a succession of matches on the activity profiles of professional soccer players.. In: Reilly T, Korkusuz F, (eds.) Science and Football VI. Routledge, UK. 2007: 105-108
  • 24 Parry L, Drust B. Is injury the major cause of elite soccer players being unavailable to train and play during the competitive season?.  Phys Ther Sport. 2006;  7 58-64
  • 25 Walden M, Hägglund M, Ekstrand J. UEFA Champions League study: A prospective study of injuries in professional football during the 2001–2002 season.  Br J Sports Med. 2005;  39 542-546
  • 26 Woods C, Hawkins R, Hulse M, Hodson A. The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football-analysis of preseason injuries.  Br J Sports Med. 2002;  36 436-441

Correspondence

Chistopher Carling

LOSC Lille Métropole Football Club

Domain de Luchin

59780 Camphin-en-Pévèle

France

Phone: +33603921863

Fax: +33148910793

Email: chris.carling@free.fr