Risk Factors for Injuries in Football

Background The injury risk in football is high, but little is known about causes of injury. Purpose To identify risk factors for football injuries using a multivariate model. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Participants were 306 male football players from the two highest divisions in Iceland. Before the 1999 football season started, the following factors were examined: height, weight, body composition, flexibility, leg extension power, jump height, peak O2 uptake, joint stability, and history of previous injury. Injuries and player exposure were recorded throughout the competitive season. Results Older players were at higher risk of injury in general (odds ratio [OR] = 1.1 per year, P = 0.05). For hamstring strains, the significant risk factors were age (OR = 1.4 [1 year], P < 0.001) and previous hamstring strains (OR = 11.6, P < 0.001). For groin strains, the predictor risk factors were previous groin strains (OR = 7.3, P = 0.001) and decreased range of motion in hip abduction (OR = 0.9 [1°], P = 0.05). Previous injury was also identified as a risk factor for knee (OR = 4.6) and ankle sprains (OR = 5.3). Conclusions Age and previous injury were identified as the main risk factors for injury among elite football players from Iceland.