Gradual increase in the risk of match injury in Norwegian male professional football: A 6‐year prospective study

The aim of this study was to monitor injury incidence and pattern in Norwegian male professional football over six consecutive seasons and compare the risk of injury between the preseason and competitive season. All time loss injuries were recorded by the medical staff of each club. In total, 2365 injuries were recorded. The incidence of acute injuries was 15.9/1000 match hours [95% confidence interval (CI): 14.9–16.8], 1.9/1000 training hours (95% CI: 1.7–2.0), and 1.4 (95% CI: 1.3–1.5) overuse injuries/1000 h. A linear regression model found an annual increase of 1.06 acute match injuries/1000 h (95% CI: 0.40–1.73), corresponding to a total increase of 49% during the 6‐year study period. When accounting for interteam variation and clustering effects using a general estimating equation model, the increase in injury incidence was 0.92 (95% CI: ?0.11–1.95, P = 0.083). No difference in the risk of acute match injuries (rate ratio (RR): 0.86, 95% CI: 0.73–1.01), acute training injuries (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.99–1.36), or overuse injuries (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.89–1.21) was observed between the preseason and competitive season. In conclusion, the overall risk of acute match injuries in Norwegian male professional football increased by 49% during the study period, although this increase was not fully consistent across teams. We detected no change in the risk of training and overuse injuries or any difference between the preseason and competitive season.     

Incidence of injuries in the New Zealand national rugby league sevens tournament

This study investigated the incidence, site, nature and causes of injuries sustained in the New Zealand national rugby league sevens tournament. A total of 218 players competing in 47 matches were studied. All injuries sustained within the tournament were prospectively recorded. Injuries were categorised according to the severity assessment at the time of the injury. Information obtained included the time, site, nature and cause of the injury. The incidence of injury was 497.6 per 1000 playing hours. More than 40% (216.1 per 1000) of injuries sustained occurred within the lower limbs. The shoulder was the single most commonly injured site (78.6 per 1000). Sprains were the most common injury type (189.9 per 1000). The ball-carrier sustained significantly more (p<0.05) injuries than the tackling player (216.1 per 1000 [43.4%] versus 117.8 per 1000 [23.7%]). There were significantly more injuries on the first day of competition than on the second day of competition (600.4 per 1000 [76.3%] versus 320.9 per 1000 [23.7%]). The findings of higher injury rates on the first day of competition and during the second period of matches suggest that playing intensity and player fatigue may contribute to injuries in rugby league sevens.     

Epidemiology of injury in male collegiate Gaelic footballers in one season

Despite the popularity of collegiate Gaelic football in Ireland and the recent expansion into the United Kingdom and United States, no previous study has examined injury incidence. A prospective epidemiological study was implemented to establish injury incidence in 217 (19.3 ± 1.9 years) male collegiate Gaelic footballers from two collegiate institutions in one season. An injury was defined as any injury sustained during training or competition resulting in time lost from play or athlete reported restricted performance. Athletic therapy and training students, alongside a certified athletic and rehabilitation therapist, attended all training/matches over one season, and injuries were recorded using a standardized injury report form. The match injury rate was 25.1 injuries per 1000 h, with a significantly higher match injury rate noted in fresher players (players in their 1st year of higher education) (41.6 injuries per 1000 h) than senior players (12.7 injuries per 1000 h). Lower limb injuries were predominant (71.1%), particularly in the hamstring (15.5%), knee (14.1%), and ankle (11.3%). Soft‐tissue injuries predominated, particularly strains (32.4%) and sprains (27.5%). A scan and surgery was required in 31% and 12% of injuries, respectively. Thus, injuries are prevalent in male collegiate Gaelic football, and injury prevention programs are required.     

Injuries among world-class professional beach volleyball players. The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball beach volleyball injury study

BACKGROUND: Very little is known about the injury characteristics of beach volleyball. PURPOSE: To describe the incidence and pattern of injuries among professional male and female beach volleyball players. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study--retrospective injury recall and prospective registration. METHODS: Injuries occurring over a 7.5-week interval of the summer season were retrospectively registered by interviewing 178 of the 188 participating players (95%) in the 2001 Beach Volleyball World Championships. Injuries were also cataloged prospectively during five of the tournaments held during this interval. RESULTS: Fifty-four acute injuries was recorded, of which 23 (43%) resulted in 1 or more days of missed practice or competition. The incidence of acute time-loss injuries was estimated to be 3.1 per 1000 competition hours and 0.8 per 1000 training hours. Knee (30%), ankle (17%), and finger injuries (17%) accounted for more than half of all acute time-loss injuries. In addition, 67 players reported 79 overuse injuries for which they received medical attention during the study period. The three most common overuse conditions were low back pain (19%), knee pain (12%), and shoulder problems (10%). Similar results were observed in the prospective portion of the study. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of acute time-loss injuries in beach volleyball is considerably lower than that in most other team sports, but overuse injuries affecting the low back, knees, and shoulder represent a significant source of disability and impaired performance for professional beach volleyball players.     

Exposure and injury risk in Swedish elite football: a comparison between seasons 1982 and 2001

The long-term development of injury risk in Swedish male elite football was studied. Two prospective cohort studies from seasons 1982 and 2001 were compared with respect to exposure to football, injury incidence and injury severity. The mean number of training sessions during the season had increased by 68% between 1982 and 2001 (142 vs. 238, P<0.001), whereas teams played more matches in 1982 (49 vs. 41, P=0.02). The total exposure to football had increased by 27%. Three out of four players incurred an injury in both seasons. In 2001, players suffered more training injuries due to an increased training exposure. Accounting for risk exposure, there was no difference in injury incidence or severity between the two seasons. The incidence was 8.3 injuries/1000 h of total exposure (4.6 in training and 20.6 in matches) in 1982, compared to 7.8/1000 h-1 (5.2 in training and 25.9 in matches) in 2001. Major injuries accounted for 9% of all injuries, corresponding to an incidence of 0.8/1000 h of football, in both seasons. A trend from semi-professionalism to full professionalism in Swedish elite football was seen during the last two decades. The injury risk did not change over the same period.     

Incidence of acute volleyball injuries: a prospective cohort study of injury mechanisms and risk factors

The purpose of the study was to examine the incidence and mechanisms of acute volleyball injuries, with particular reference to possible risk factors for ankle injuries. Coaches and players in the top two divisions of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation were asked to keep records of exposure time and all acute volleyball injuries causing a player to miss at least one playing day during one season. We found 89 injuries among 272 players during 51 588 players hours, 45 837 h of training and 5751 h of match play. The total injury incidence was 1.7 ± 0.2 per 1000 h of play, 1.5 ± 0.2 during training and 3.5 ± 0.8 during match play. The ankle (54%) was the most commonly injured region, followed by the lower back (11%), knee (8%) shoulder (8%) and fingers (7%). Of the ankle injuries, 79% were recurrences, and the relative risk of injury was 3.8 ( P < 0.0001) for previously injured ankles (38 of 232) vs. non-injured ankles (10 of the 234). Moreover, a reinjury was observed in 21 of the 50 ankles that had suffered an ankle ankle sprain within the last 6 months (42.0 ± 7.0%; risk ratio: 9.8 vs. uninjured ankles; P < 0.000001). The data indicate that external supports should be worn for 6–12 months after an ankle sprain and that specific injury prevention programs may be developed for ankle sprains in volleyball.     

A 1‐year prospective analysis of injuries in amateur and elite fistball

The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence and mechanisms of acute injuries in the sport of fistball. No scientific studies on injury characteristics have yet been conducted in this traditional sport game. The study was conducted prospectively over the course of 12 months. During a total of 40.308 h of sport‐specific exposure, 240 players reported 492 injuries, representing an overall injury rate of 12.2 injuries/1000 h of exposure. Most injuries were classified as bagatelle injuries (67.8%). The majority of the injuries were located in the knee (23.5%) followed by the elbow (11.9%) and the hip (11.5%). Ankle injuries resulted in the longest impairment from sports participation. The most common types of injury were abrasions (38.2%), contusions (21.1%), distortions (7.5%) and muscle strains (6.9%). Wrong or insufficient equipment (15.0%) was the most commonly mentioned causes of injury. The data indicate that the injury risk in fistball is rather high; however, the sport should not be considered a high‐risk sport because most of the injuries are slight and do not prevent the players from training or competition. Injury prevention strategies should include the development of fistball‐specific protective equipment with focus on the knee and elbow joint.     

UEFA Champions League study: a prospective study of injuries in professional football during the 2001-2002 season

Background: No previous study on adult football involving several different countries has investigated the incidence and pattern of injuries at the highest club competitive level. Objective: 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. Method: 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. Results: 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). Conclusions: 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.     

Injuries among elite snowboarders (FIS Snowboard World Cup)

Background

Although snowboarding is already established as an Olympic sport, it is still a developing sport, with new disciplines, more demanding snow installations, and spectacular tricks. A recent study on subjects at Norwegian national elite level showed that injury risk is high and that injuries among competitive snowboarders differ from those seen in recreational snowboarders, with fewer wrist injuries and more knee and back injuries.

Objective

To describe the incidence and type of injuries among female and male snowboarders at international elite level.

Method

At the last race of the Fédération Internationale de Ski Snowboard World Cup, acute injuries resulting in missed participation and overuse injuries influencing performance, were recorded during a retrospective interview (91% response rate). The registration period was from April 2002 (end of season) until March 2003. Exposure was recorded as the number of runs in all disciplines, and the incidence was calculated as number of injuries per 1000 runs.

Results

The 258 athletes interviewed reported 3193 competition days (n = 46 879 runs) in all disciplines. In total, 135 acute injuries were recorded; 62 (46%) during competition in the official disciplines. Of the 135 acute injuries, the most common injury locations were knee (n = 24; 18%), shoulder (n = 18; 13%), back (n = 17; 13%), and wrist (n = 11; 8%). The overall incidence during competition was 1.3 (95% confidence interval 1.0 to 1.7) injuries per 1000 runs; 2.3 (0.9 to 3.8) for big air (n = 10), 1.9 (1.1 to 2.8) for halfpipe (n = 21), 2.1 (1.2 to 3.0) for snowboard cross (n = 20), 0.6 (0.2 to 1.0) for parallel giant slalom (n = 8), and 0.3 (0.0 to 0.7) for parallel slalom (n = 3). The severity of injuries was graded based on time loss (27% lost >21 days) and score on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) (38% AIS 1, 61% AIS 2 and 1% AIS 3). There were 122 overuse injuries, 38 (31%) of these to the knee.

Conclusion

The injury risk for big air, snowboard cross, and halfpipe disciplines is high, while that for the snowboard slalom disciplines is lower. The injury pattern is different from recreational athletes, with a greater share of knee injuries and fewer wrist injuries. Compared with national level, the injury risk appears to be lower at World Cup level.     

Epidemiology of injuries in gymnastics

A prospective one-year epidemiological study was carried out to determine the injury incidence and the injury mechanisms in different groups of gymnasts and to identify possible risk factors. A total of 115 gymnasts with a median age of 16 (8-25) were followed through a whole season of median 48 weeks (ranges 40–51). The overall injury incidence was 85 per 100 gymnasts per season, ranging from 27 in subelite males to 157 in subelite females. This high incidence is partly explained by the use of a sensitive injury definition, the high exposure time, and the large proportion of highly competitive gymnasts in the population. Considering the exposure time, however, the incidence is lower than in most other sports, 1.6 per 1000 h of gymnastic activity. Subelite female gymnasts were more commonly injured than other artistic gymnasts, in particular in relation to balance beam exercises and inadequate spotting. Injuries were predominantly localized to the lower extremities (64%) for the whole population of gymnasts. A siwcantly large proportion of the male artistic gymnasts, nevertheless, sustained upper extremity injuries corresponding to their apparatus performance. Most injuries were of mild or moderate severity, the recovery time was, however, considerable (median 30 days, ranges 1–365), and the injuries sustained during competition had a median recovery period of 180 days (7-270). Twenty-two per cent of the injuries resulted in a recovery period of more than 6 months. Re-evaluation of the criteria of the score system for dismount as well as an increased use of spotters during practice and high-risk events are possible measures to prevent serious injuries.     

A twofold reduction in the incidence of acute ankle sprains in volleyball after the introduction of an injury prevention program: a prospective cohort study

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an injury prevention program, consisting mainly of an injury awareness session, technical training (with emphasis on proper take-off and landing technique for blocking and attacking) and a balance board training program, for players with recurrent sprains. Baseline data were collected during the 1992-93 season and the program was introduced during the 1993-94 season. The 1994-95 season was used to evaluate the effects of the prevention program. The coaches and players in the top two divisions of the Norwegian Volleyball Federation kept monthly records of exposure time and acute injuries (causing a player to miss at least one playing day). The total exposure time was 149 968 h, 132 757 h of training and 17 211 h of match play during the three seasons. The incidence of ankle injuries was reduced from 0.9 ± 0.1 per 1000 player hours during the 1992-93 season (48 injuries) to 0.7 ± 0.1 during the 1993-94 season (38 injuries; NS vs. 1992-93) and to 0.5 ± 0.1 during the 1994–95 season (24 injuries, P < 0.01 vs. 1992-93).     

Injuries in elite-level women’s football—a two-year prospective study in the Irish Women’s National League

We investigated the pattern of injuries in elite-level women’s football in Ireland, during a two-season prospective injury surveillance study in the Women’s National League (WNL). Seven out of the eight clubs (271 players) in the WNL were followed prospectively during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The injury incidence rate in matches (19.2/1000 h) was 7.5 times higher than in training (2.5/1000 h). Players, on average, sustained 0.69 injuries per season (266 injuries/383 player seasons), which equates to 15 time-loss injuries per season for a squad of 22 players. The majority of the injuries sustained by players were lower extremity injuries (85%), of which, 46% had a non-contact injury mechanism. Muscle, ligament, and contusion injuries were the most common injury types, while the ankle, knee, and thigh were the most commonly injured body sites. The most common injuries sustained over the two seasons were lateral ankle sprains (13.9%), hamstring strains (12.4%), knee meniscus/cartilage injuries (7.5%), adductor strains (6%), quadriceps strains (4.5%), and ankle contusions (4.5%). The injuries with the highest injury burden were ACL injuries (59 days lost/1000 h), knee meniscus/cartilage injuries (23/1000 h), lateral ankle sprains (21/1000 h), hamstring strains (12/1000 h), MCL sprains (11/1000 h), and quadriceps strains (11/1000 h). There were 8 ACL tears documented over the 2 seasons, which accounted for 28% of all time lost to injury with a mean days lost per injury of 247. We recommend that clubs in the WNL in Ireland should implement injury risk mitigation strategies, with a particular focus on injuries with a high injury burden.     

The epidemiology of injuries in powerlifting at the London 2012 Paralympic Games: An analysis of 1411 athlete‐days

Sport injury epidemiology has received increased recognition as a field of sport medicine research that can improve the health and safety of athletes. Injuries among Paralympic powerlifters have not previously been systematically studied. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to characterize injuries among Paralympic powerlifters. Athletes competing in the sport of powerlifting were followed over the 7‐day competition period of the 2012 London Paralympic Games. The main outcome measurements were injury incidence rate (IR; number of injuries per 1000 athlete‐days) and injury incidence proportion (IP; injuries per 100 athletes). A total of 38 injuries among 163 powerlifters were documented. The overall IR was 33.3 injuries/1000 athlete‐days (95% CI 24.0–42.6) and the overall IP was 23.3 injuries per 100 athletes (95% CI 16.8–29.8). The majority of injuries were chronic overuse injuries (61%). The most commonly injured anatomical region was the shoulder/clavicle (32% of all injuries), followed by the chest (13%) and elbow (13%). The information obtained in this study opens the door for future study into the mechanisms and details of injuries into powerlifters with physical impairments.     

Injuries in Norwegian female elite soccer: a prospective one-season cohort study

Female soccer has become increasingly popular during the last two decades. According to the International Football Association (FIFA) there are approximately 40 million registered female soccer players in the world. Three studies in elite soccer have shown an injury incidence during games ranging from 12.6 to 23.3 injuries per 1,000 h. A very high incidence of ACL-injuries ranging from 0.31 to 2.2 per 1,000 game hours has also been shown. We followed the Norwegian female elite series during the 2001 season to estimate the incidence and characteristics of injuries. A total of 181 female soccer players on ten teams were followed during the 2001 elite season in Norway. We recorded baseline data, match and training exposure and injury data as type of injury, location and severity of injury. The mean age of the players was 23 years (range 17–34). A total of 189 injuries were recorded and 19 (10%) of these were overuse injuries; 89 (47%) occurred during games and 100 (53%) during training sessions. The incidence of acute injuries was 23.6 per 1,000 game hours and 3.1 per 1,000 training hours. The majority of the injuries occurred in the lower extremities (81%), but there were also a significant number of head injuries (6.3%). The most common injury type was ankle sprain (17.2%). Half of the injuries were minor, with training or game absence of less than 7 days. Midfielders sustained the most injuries (32.6%) with an incidence of 42.4 per 1,000 game hours. We recorded two ACL-injuries and two PCL-injuries during the season. They all occurred during games, and the incidence was therefore calculated to 0.6 per 1,000 game hours for both injury types. The incidences of injuries reported for female soccer varies considerably, with the highest numbers reported from Germany and the present study. These studies have also the highest incidence of minor injuries registered. The location of the injuries is quite similar compared to other reports, but the number of ankle sprains seems to be higher in our study, whereas the number of knee and thigh injuries is lower. There has been much attention to ACL injuries in team handball and hamstring injuries in soccer in Norway, and this could have influenced the team’s pre-season training, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of these injury types. The high number of ankle injuries has to be addressed to see whether this is a result of inadequate rehabilitation routines leading to re-injuries, or other factors. The high number of ACL-injuries in these reports is alarming and needs special attention in the future.     

The incidence and nature of injuries sustained on grass and 3rd generation artificial turf: A pilot study in elite Saudi National Team footballers

Purpose of the studyTo compare the incidence, severity and nature of injuries sustained by Saudi National Team footballers during match-play and training on natural grass and 3rd generation (3G) artificial turf.MethodInjury data was collected on all Saudi National Team players competing at the Gulf Cup (Yemen December 2010: 3G) and the Asian Cup (Qatar January 2011; grass). A total of 49 players were studied (mean ± SD; Age 27 ± 4 yr; body mass 71.4 ± 6.7 kg; height 176.8 ± 6.3 cm; professional playing experience 9 ± 3 yr) of which 31 competed at the Gulf Cup, 32 at the Asian Cup (14 at both). A prospective cohort design was used to investigate the incidence, nature and severity of injuries sustained with data collected using a standardised injury questionnaire. All data were collected by the team physiotherapist with the definition of injury set at any injury that required player and clinician contact. Injury and exposure data were collected and reported for games, training and all football activity.ResultsA total of 82 injuries [incidence – 56.1 per 1000 h total game and training exposure] were recorded at the Asian Cup (grass) and 72 injuries [incidence – 37.9 per 1000 h total game and training exposure] were recorded at the Gulf Cup (3G). Incidence data for training, game and all football exposure injury rates were higher when playing on grass. The vast majority of injuries on both surfaces were very minor that, whilst requiring medical attention, did not result in loss of match/training exposure. Injuries that resulted in 1–3 days absence from training or game play had similar incidence rates (Grass: 7.4 vs. 3G: 7.4 injuries per 1000 h exposure). More severe injuries were less frequent but with a higher incidence when playing on grass. Lower limb injuries were the most common in both tournaments with a higher incidence on grass (Grass: 14.2 vs. 3G: 7.9 injuries per 1000 h exposure). Muscle injuries were the most frequent of all injuries with similar incidence rates on both surfaces (Grass: 5.4 vs. 3G: 4.7 injuries per 1000 h exposure). Injuries that involved player contact were also more common on grass (Grass: 11.5 vs. 3G: 3.2 injuries per 1000 h exposure).ConclusionWhether reporting all injuries or just those that prevented players from taking part in training or match play, injury incidence rates were generally higher when Saudi National Team footballers played on grass than on 3G artificial surface. Although this is a small study, the unique quasi-repeated measures study design with elite Saudi National Team footballers, adds to the current belief that 3G artificial turf does not increase injury risk in football.     

A one season prospective cohort study of volleyball injuries

Objective: To estimate the overall incidence of acute and overuse volleyball injuries, and to describe factors associated with ankle sprains.

Methods: 486 players from the second and third Dutch national volleyball divisions participated in the study and were followed prospectively during a whole season. Three measurements were made during the season (baseline, follow up 1, and follow up 2), where all players completed a questionnaire on demographic variables (only at baseline), sports participation, use of preventive measures, and previous injuries. Volleyball exposure during training and matches was recorded for each individual player by the coach on a weekly exposure form. In case of injury the coach provided the injured player with an injury registration form, which had to be completed within one week after the onset of injury.

Results: 100 injuries were reported, resulting in an overall injury incidence of 2.6 injuries/1000 hours. The incidence of acute injuries was 2.0/1000 hours. Ankle sprains (n = 41) accounted for most of the acute injuries, and 31 (75%) of all players with an ankle sprain reported a previous ankle sprain. Twenty five overuse injuries were reported. The overall incidence of overuse injuries was 0.6/1000 hours; the back and the shoulder were the most common sites.

Conclusions: Ankle sprain is the most common injury in volleyball, accounting for 41% of all volleyball related injuries. Previous injury seems to be an important risk factor for an ankle sprain. Injury prevention programmes should focus on ankle sprains and concentrate on players with previous ankle sprains.

     

Orienteering competition injuries: injuries incurred in the Finnish Jukola and Venla relay competitions.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to find out the amount, type, and localisation of acute orienteering injuries in the 1995 Finnish Jukola (men's) and Venla (women's) relay competitions with 9724 participants. METHODS: Patient data were collected on a preplanned form at the first aid station. RESULTS: There were 244 acute competition injuries. The overall injury incidence was 2.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2 to 2.8), 2.3% in the men's relay and 3.2% in the women's relay, and the difference between incidences among men and women was statistically significant (odds ratio (OR) 1.4; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.9). The injury rates were also calculated per 1000 competition hours and per 1000 km and were 15.4 and 2.6 respectively. Most of the injuries could be treated at the first aid station. Female orienteers had more blisters (OR 4.4; 95% CI 2.5 to 7.9) and fewer wounds (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.0) than male orienteers. Injuries occurred mostly in the lower extremities (70%), and ankle sprains accounted for 25% of all injuries. Injuries were more common during the first leg of both relays. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the heavy workload in a first aid station of a big orienteering relay competition. It indicates a difference in injuries between the sexes and in the different stages of the relay, which should be further investigated in order to prevent orienteering competition injuries.     

Epidemiology of injury in English Professional Football players: A cohort study

ObjectiveTo estimate the current incidence and location of injury in English professional football.DesignProspective cohort study conducted over one competitive season (2015/16).SettingProfessional football players competing in the English Football League and National Conference.Participants243 players from 10 squads (24.3 ± 4.21 per squad).Main outcome measureInjury incidence, training and match exposure were collected in accordance with the international consensus statement on football injury epidemiology.Results473 injuries were reported. The estimated incidence of injury was, 9.11 injuries/1000 h of football related activity. There was a higher incidence of injury during match play (24.29/1000 h) compared to training (6.84/1000 h). The thigh was the most common site of injury (31.7%), muscle strains accounted for 41.2% of all injuries. The hamstrings were the most frequently strained muscle group, accounting for 39.5% of all muscle strains and 16.3% of all injuries. Moderate severity injuries (8–28 days) were the most common (44.2%).ConclusionsIncidence of injury has increased over the last 16 years with muscle strains remaining the most prevalent injury. The hamstrings remain the most commonly injured muscle group.