Influence of preparation and football skill level on injury incidence during an amateur football tournament.
BACKGROUND
Scientific studies on injury characteristics are rather common in professional football but not in amateur football despite the thousands of amateur football tournaments taking place worldwide each year. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preparation and injury patterns of players of two different football skill levels who participated in an international amateur football tournament.


METHODS
In a prospective cohort study, an international amateur football tournament of medical doctors in 2011 was analysed with regard to training and warm-up preparation, the level of football played before the tournament and injury data during the tournament by means of standardised injury definitions and data samples for football.


RESULTS
Amateur players of registered football clubs had higher training exposure before the tournament (p < 0.001) than recreational players and had more frequently performed warm-up programmes (p < 0.001). Recreational football players showed a significantly higher overall injury incidence (p < 0.002), particularly of overuse injuries (p < 0.001), during the tournament than amateur players. In almost 75% of players in both groups, the body region most affected by injuries and complaints was the lower extremities. Orthopaedic and trauma surgeons had the lowest overall injury incidence and anaesthetists the highest (p = 0.049) during the tournament.


CONCLUSIONS
For the first time, this study presents detailed information on the injury incidence and injury patterns of an amateur football tournament. Less-trained recreational players sustained significantly more injuries than better-trained amateur players, probably due to the lack of sufficient preparation before the tournament. Preventive strategies against overuse and traumatic injuries of recreational football players should start with regular training and warm-up programmes in preparation for a tournament.
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
Matthias
M
Koch
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
Johannes
J
Zellner
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
Arne
A
Berner
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
Stephan
S
Grechenig
Department of ENT, Clinic Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
Volker
V
Krutsch
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
Michael
M
Nerlich
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.|Sporthopaedicum Straubing/Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Peter
P
Angele
Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany. werner.krutsch@klinik.uni-r.de.
Werner
W
Krutsch
D000328:Adult; D000776:Anesthesiology; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007388:Internal Medicine; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011998:Recreation; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013043:Specialties, Surgical
Amateur football; Injury; Medical doctor; Prevention; Recreational; Warm up