Sport injury prevention strategies and sporting behaviors of male professional footballers - A cross-sectional study
Main Article Content
Keywords
Sports injuries, Injury prevention strategies, Sporting behaviors, Professional footballers, Playing positions, Playing years.
Abstract
Background: Identifying how playing positions (PP) and playing years (PY) influence injury prevention strategies (IPS) and sporting behaviors (SB) of footballers may guide health professionals in developing targeted interventions to prevent sports injuries and enhance players’ fitness. This study assessed the association of PP and PY with IPS and SB of male professional footballers.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey of 130 male footballers aged 18 to 35 years, from six professional teams in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria. Data was collected on PP, PY, IPS, and SB using adapted questionnaires on IPS and SB. Data was summarised using frequencies and percentages. The Chi-square test was used to analyse the associations among variables at p < 0.05.
Results: Respondents were 31.5% defenders, 32.3% midfielders, 31.5% forwards, and 4.6% goalkeepers. Among these respondents, 54.6% played for 1-5 years, 42.3% for 6-10 years, and 3.1% for 11-15 years. Injury prevention was important to 57.7%, 86.9% had used IPS, 26.9% had used FIFA 11+, and 23.8% had used general warm-up programmes. In SB, 40.0% of respondents looked forward to matches and training, and over 50% felt energetic, found sporting meaningful, behaved aggressively towards opponents, exhibited fair play, acted strong and rigorous, were oblivious of surroundings, felt inspired, and were happy when engrossed in sport. Significant associations (p<0.05) were found between SB and each of PP and PY. PP and PY were not significantly associated (p>0.05) with IPS.
Conclusion: Although PP and PY influenced the SB of male professional footballers, they do not impact IPS. Usage of IPS was higher in FIFA 11+ than in other IPS. Defenders and forwards have a higher propensity of exhibiting aggressive behaviours towards opponents when liable to injury than midfielders, while the burden of a team having good results was highest among defenders and midfielders than in forwards and goalkeepers.
References
2. Gareth. Soccer v football: Why do different countries have different names? MLS Football, December 27, 2021. www.mlsfootball.com. Accessed 5 March 2025.
3. Field A, Naughton RJ, Haines M, Lui S, Corr LD, Russell M, Page RM, Harper LD. The demands of the extra-time period of soccer: A systematic review. J Sport Health Sci. 2022 May;11(3):403-414. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.03.008.
4. Franca C, Gouveia ER, Caldeira R, Marques A, Martins J, Lopes H, Costa M, Ihle A. Predictors of explosive leg power in elite football players. J Phys Educ Sport. 2021;21(6):3599–3605. doi: 10.7752/jpes.2021.06486.
5. Dolci F, Hart NH, Kilding AE, Chivers P, Piggott B, Spiteri T. Physical and Energetic Demand of Soccer: A Brief Review. SCJ. 2020;42(3):70-77. doi: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000533.
6. Gurau TV, Gurau G, Voinescu DC, et al. Epidemiology of Injuries in Men's Professional and Amateur Football (Part I). J Clin Med. 2023;12(17):5569.
7. Owoeye OB, Aiyegbusi AI, Fapojuwo OA, Badru OA, Babalola AR. Injuries in male and female semi-professional football (soccer) players in Nigeria: prospective study of a National Tournament. BMC Res Notes. 2017 Mar 21;10(1):133. doi: 10.1186/s13104-017-2451-x.
8. Vasileiadis, I. (2020). Injury prevention strategies in football: A systematic review. Sport Mont, 18(3), 109-113. doi: 10.26773/smj.201001.
9. Cardoso-Marinho B, Barbosa A, Bolling C, Marques JP, Figueiredo P, Brito J. The perception of injury risk and prevention among football players: A systematic review. Front Sports Act Living. 2022 Dec 7;4:1018752. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.1018752.
10. Salcinovic B, Drew M, Dijkstra P, Waddington G, Serpell BG. Factors influencing team performance: what can support teams in high-performance sport learn from other industries? A systematic scoping review. Sports Med Open. 2022 Feb 22;8(1):25.
11. Bakare U, Olivier B, Brandt C, Godlwana L. Injury prevention knowledge, beliefs, and practices among women's football teams in South Africa. S Afr J Sports Med. 2021 Jul 20;33(1):v33i1a9505. doi: 10.17159/2078-516X/2021/v33i1a9505.
12. Tabben M, Verhagen E, Warsen M, Chaabane M, Schumacher Y, Alkhelaifi K, Hassanmirzaei B, Bahr R, Chamari K, Bolling C. Obstacles and opportunities for injury prevention in professional football in Qatar: exploring the implementation reality: BMJ Open Sport Exerc. Med. 2023;9:e001370.
13. Finch C. A new framework for research leading to sports injury prevention. J Sci Med Sport. 2006 May;9(1-2):3-9; discussion 10. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2006.02.009.
14. van Mechelen W, Hlobil H, Kemper HC. Incidence, severity, aetiology and prevention of sports injuries. A review of concepts. Sports Med. 1992 Aug;14(2):82-99. doi: 10.2165/00007256-199214020-00002.
15. Kemler E, Valkenberg H, Gouttebarge V. Stimulating injury-preventive behaviour in sports: the systematic development of two interventions. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2019 Oct 21;11:26. doi: 10.1186/s13102-019-0134-8.
16. Verhagen EA, van Stralen MM, van Mechelen W. Behaviour, the key factor for sports injury prevention. Sports Med. 2010 Nov 1;40(11):899-906. doi: 10.2165/11536890-000000000-00000.
17. AlHaddad NH, AlTaie DN, Feki AE. Analysis of the sporting behavior of the junior Arabic fencers during the quarantine and curfew period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Iberoam Psicol E, 2023;18(1):54-58.
18. Sarmento H, Martinho DV, Gouveia ÉR, Afonso J, Chmura P, Field A, Savedra NO, Oliveira R, Praça G, Silva R, Barrera-Díaz J, Clemente FM. The influence of playing position on physical, physiological, and technical demands in adult male soccer matches: A systematic scoping review with evidence gap map. Sports Med. 2024 Nov;54(11):2841-2864. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02088-z.
19. Thema MT, Jacobs S, Berg LV, Strauss A, Mahlangu MP. The role of playing position in soccer injury characteristics: evidence from sub-elite athletes. Front. Sports Act. Living. 2025 February;7. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1542300.
20. Owoeye O, Akinbo SRA, Olawale OA, Tella BA, Ibeabuchi M. Injury prevention in football: Knowledge and behaviour of players and availability of medical care in a Nigerian youth football league. S. Afr. J. Sports Med. .2013;25:77. doi: 10.17159/2078-516X/2013/v25i3a361.
21. Della Villa F, Mandelbaum BR, Lemak LJ. The effect of playing position on injury risk in male soccer players: Systematic review of the literature and risk considerations for each playing position. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2018 Oct;47(10). doi: 10.12788/ajo.2018.0092.
22. Yamane T. Statistics: An introductory analysis, 2nd Edition, 1967; 876-912. New York: Harper and Row.
23. Geertsema C, Geertsema L, Farooq A, et al. Injury prevention knowledge, beliefs and strategies in elite female footballers at the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(14):801-806.
24. Guillén F, Martínez-Alvarado JR. The sport engagement scale: An adaptation of the utrecht work engagement scale (UWES) for the sports environment. Universitas Psychologica. 2014; 13(3):15-24.
25. Ziółkowski, Artur, Strzałkowska Anna, Sakłak Wojciech, Zarańska Barbara, Bonisławska Iwona. 2012. "Questionnaire of sports ethics – A Tool for assessing moral behaviour in sport". Balt J Health Phys Activ 4 (4). doi:10.2478/v10131-012-0027-7.
26. Kalén A, Rey E, de Rellán-Guerra AS, Lago-Peñas C. Are soccer players older now than before? Aging trends and market value in the last three decades of the UEFA champions league. Front Psychol. 2019 Jan 28;10:76. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00076.
27. Rey E, Costa PB, Corredoira FJ, Sal de Rellán Guerra A. Effects of age on physical match performance in professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. 2023 Jun 1;37(6):1244-1249. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003244.
28. Hunter AH, Smith NMA, Camata TV, Crowther MS, Mather A, Moura FA, Santiago PRP, Wilson RS. Are soccer players born later in the year more technically skilled than those born earlier in the year. Int J Sports Sci Coach. 2023;18(6):2015-2024.
29. Zech A, Wellmann K. Perceptions of football players regarding injury risk factors and prevention strategies. Plos One. 2017;12(5): e0176829. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176829.
30. Harøy J, Wiger EG, Bahr R, Andersen TE. Implementation of the adductor strengthening programme: Players primed for adoption but reluctant to maintain - A cross-sectional study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019 Aug;29(8):1092-1100. doi: 10.1111/sms.13444. doi:10.1111/sms.13444.
31. Armitage M, McErlain-Naylor SA, Devereux G, Beato M, Iga J, McRobert A, Roberts S, Buckthorpe M. On-field rehabilitation in football: current practice and perceptions. A survey of the English Premier League and Football League. Sci Med Footb. 2024 Mar 8:1-10. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2024.2313529.
32. Quartey J, Afidemenyo S, Kwakye SK. Athletes' expectations about physiotherapy in sports injury rehabilitation in greater Accra region. Hong Kong Physiother J. 2019 Dec;39(2):101-114. doi: 10.1142/S1013702519500094.
33. Malcolm D, Scott-Bell A, Waddington I. The provision of medical care in English professional football: An update. J Sci Med Sport. 2017 Dec;20(12):1053-1056. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2017.05.004.
34. Kellis E, Katis A. Biomechanical characteristics and determinants of instep soccer kick. J Sports Sci Med. 2007 Jun 1;6(2):154-65.
35. Card RK, Bordoni B. Anatomy, bony pelvis and lower limb, foot muscles. [Updated 2023 Apr 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539705/. Accessed 9 March 2025.
36. Owoeye OBA, Akinbo SRA, Tella BA, Olawale OA. Efficacy of the FIFA 11+ warm-up programme in male youth football: A cluster randomised controlled trial. J Sports Sci Med. 2014;(13):321 - 328.
37. Barengo NC, Meneses-Echávez JF, Ramírez-Vélez R, Cohen DD, Tovar G, Bautista JEC. The impact of the FIFA 11+ Training program on injury prevention in football players: A systematic review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2014; 11(11):11986-12000. doi: 10.3390/ijerph111111986.
38. Seyedi M, Zarei M, Daneshjoo A, Rajabi R, Shirzad E, Mozafaripour E, Mohammadpour S. Effects of FIFA 11 + warm-up program on kinematics and proprioception in adolescent soccer players: a parallel group randomized control trial. Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 4;13(1):5527. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-32774-3.
39. Hall ECR, Larruskain J, Gil SM, Lekue JA, Baumert P, Rienzi E, Moreno S, Tannure M, Murtagh CF, Ade JD, Squires P, Orme P, Anderson L, Whitworth-Turner CM, Morton JP, Drust B, Williams AG, Erskine RM. Playing position and the injury incidence rate in male academy soccer players. J Athl Train. 2022 Jul 1;57(7):696-703. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-
0346.21.
40. Bel L, Mathieu N, Ducrest V, Bizzini M. Lower limb exercise-based injury prevention programs are effective in improving sprint speed, jumping, agility and Balance: An umbrella review. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Dec 1;16(6):1396-1404. doi: 10.26603/001c.29860.
41. Ryan RM, Deci EL. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self- determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemp Educ Psychol. 2020;61. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860.
42. Bandhu D, Mohan MM, Nittala NAP, Jadhav P, Bhadauria A, Saxena KK. Theories of motivation: A comprehensive analysis of human behavior drivers. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2024 Apr;244:104177. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104177.
43. Atiq A, Yunitaningrum W, Yanti N, Rubiyatno, Ali M, Andriani FM. “Leadership, teamwork, and motivation of football player”. IJSSHR. 2022;5(6):2597–2600. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6721853.
44. Rechenchosky L, Borges P, Menegass V, et al. Comparison of tactical principles efficiency among soccer players from different game positions. Human Movement Special Issues. 2017:31-38. doi:10.1515/humo-2017-0040.
45. Argibay-González JC, Vázquez-Estévez C, Gutiérrez-Santiago A, Paramés-González A, Reguera-López-de-la-Osa X, Prieto-Lage I. Analysis of injury patterns in men's football between the English League and the Spanish League. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Sep 8;19(18):11296. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811296.
46. Pfirrmann D, Herbst M, Ingelfinger P, Simon P, Tug S. Analysis of injury incidences in male professional adult and elite youth soccer players: A systematic review. J Athl Train. 2016 May;51(5):410-24. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-51.6.03.
47. Hall ECR, Larruskain J, Gil SM, Lekue JA, Baumert P, Rienzi E, Moreno S, Tannure M, Murtagh CF, Ade JD, Squires P, Orme P, Anderson L, Whitworth-Turner CM, Morton JP, Drust B, Williams AG, Erskine RM. Injury risk is greater in physically mature versus biologically younger male soccer players from academies in different countries. Phys Ther Sport. 2022 May;55:111-118. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.03.006.
48. Mendonça LM, Schuermans J, Denolf S, Napier C, Bittencourt NFN, Romanuk A, et al. Sports injury prevention programmes from the sports physical therapist's perspective: An international expert Delphi approach. Phys Ther Sport. 2022 May;55:146-154. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.04.002.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access journal and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike License 4.0. This licence allows users to download and share, remix, tweak and build upon the article for non-commercial purposes, so long as the original authorship is acknowledged and the new creations are licensed under identical terms.
Eguagie Okhuahesuyi , Department of Physiotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
Department of Physiotherapy, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria