Injury incidence and burden differ between season phases in male academy football (soccer) players

Stella Veith; Matthew Whalan; Neil Gibson; Sean Williams; John A. Sampson

doi:10.1080/02640414.2023.2296719

Injury incidence and burden differ between season phases in male academy football (soccer) players

Stella Veith, Matthew Whalan, Neil Gibson, Sean Williams, John A. Sampson

University of Wollongong

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Adolescent elite-level footballers are exposed to unique physical and psychological stressors which may increase injury risk, with fluctuating injury prevalence and burden. This study investigates the patterns of injury incidence and burden from 2017 to 2020 within combined pre-, start-of-, mid- and end-of-season and school-holiday phases in U13-U18 Australian male academy players. Injury incidence rate and burden were calculated for medical attention (MA), full and partial time-loss (TL) and non-time-loss (non-TL) injuries. Injury rate ratios (IRR) for injury incidences were assessed using Generalised Linear Mixed Models, and 99% confidence intervals for injury burden differences between phases. MA and non-TL injury incidence rates were higher during pre-season (IRR 1.65, p = 0.01; IRR 2.08, p = 0.02, respectively), and mid-season showed a higher non-TL incidence rate (IRR 2.15, p = 0.02) and burden (69 days with injury/1000 hrs, CI 47–103) compared to end-of-season (25 days with injury/1000 hrs, CI 15–45). MA injury rates and partial TL injury burden were higher during school compared to holiday periods (IRR 0.6, p = 0.04; 61 partial days lost/1000 hrs, CI 35–104; 13 partial days lost/1000 hrs, CI 8–23). Season phase and return-to-school may increase injury risks for elite academy footballers, and considering these phases may assist in developing injury prevention systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1753-1761
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Sports Sciences
Volume	41
Issue number	19
Early online date	5 Jan 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2023.2296719
Publication status	Published - 5 Jan 2024

Bibliographical note

The authors would like to thank the Sydney FC staff and all players and parents for their contribution to the collection of injury data for this project.

Data Availability Statement

Data are available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Funding

This work was supported by a matching scholarship between Sydney FC and the University of Wollongong [Grant Reference Number: 3408923]. SV received a joint scholarship by Sydney FC and the University of Wollongong.

Funders	Funder number
Sydney FC
University of Wollongong	3408923

Keywords

Football
adolescence
epidemiology
male
prevention
sports injury

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Access to Document

10.1080/02640414.2023.2296719Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Injury incidence and burden differ between season phases in male academy football (soccer) players",

abstract = "Adolescent elite-level footballers are exposed to unique physical and psychological stressors which may increase injury risk, with fluctuating injury prevalence and burden. This study investigates the patterns of injury incidence and burden from 2017 to 2020 within combined pre-, start-of-, mid- and end-of-season and school-holiday phases in U13-U18 Australian male academy players. Injury incidence rate and burden were calculated for medical attention (MA), full and partial time-loss (TL) and non-time-loss (non-TL) injuries. Injury rate ratios (IRR) for injury incidences were assessed using Generalised Linear Mixed Models, and 99% confidence intervals for injury burden differences between phases. MA and non-TL injury incidence rates were higher during pre-season (IRR 1.65, p = 0.01; IRR 2.08, p = 0.02, respectively), and mid-season showed a higher non-TL incidence rate (IRR 2.15, p = 0.02) and burden (69 days with injury/1000 hrs, CI 47–103) compared to end-of-season (25 days with injury/1000 hrs, CI 15–45). MA injury rates and partial TL injury burden were higher during school compared to holiday periods (IRR 0.6, p = 0.04; 61 partial days lost/1000 hrs, CI 35–104; 13 partial days lost/1000 hrs, CI 8–23). Season phase and return-to-school may increase injury risks for elite academy footballers, and considering these phases may assist in developing injury prevention systems.",

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Injury incidence and burden differ between season phases in male academy football (soccer) players

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this