Injury surveillance in Spanish professional female soccer players: A three-season retrospective study

Introduction

Despite the popularity of soccer at the male elite level, data on the incidence of injuries in female players are limited. The study aimed to evaluate the injury incidence and rates in female soccer players in a professional setting over 3 consecutive seasons.

Methods

Data compiled from 71 elite female players with different playing positions and belonging to the same team were analyzed. The location and severity of injuries were reported according to international consensus statements on the process of conducting epidemiological studies in professional soccer. The injury incidence rate (IIR) for matches and practices and the rate ratio (RR) were calculated, and time-loss injuries during the season were also recorded.

Results

A total of 53 injuries were documented, with an overall IIR of 1.08 injuries per 1000 h and an overall rate ratio of 0.61. The lower limbs were the most affected region (86,8 %). The majority of these injuries occurred around the thigh and knee and were predominantly traumatic, with markedly higher rates of injury during match play (2.78 injuries per 1000 h) when compared to injury incidence during training (0.79 injuries per 1000 h). Traumatic injuries accounted for 48 (91 %) and 24 (45,3 %) were indirect contact injuries. Reinjuries amounted to 15 % of total injuries and August was the predominant month for injury, being goalkeepers the least injured players (13.2 %).

Conclusions

Female professional soccer players displayed injury incidence rates and patterns comparable to those of male players. This study provides epidemiological information that will help to inform future injury surveillance studies and the development of prevention strategies to reduce the number of injuries in elite female soccer players, focusing specifically on thigh and knee regions. All match involvements should be considered when exploring associations between the type of exposure and injury risk.