Injury patterns in soccer L Gelis & P Georgilopoulos* South Melbourne Soccer Club, Melbourne The senior South Melbourne Soccer team, which won the National League title in season 1997-98, fielded a total of 19 players who competed in a total of 31 official matches (3 pre-season cup games, 26 regular fixture matches and 3 finals matches). The players' ages ranged from 19 to 30 years with a median of 23.7 years, their height ranged from 169 cm to 193cm with a mean of 181.6 cm and their weight ranged from 65kg to 9 lkg with a mean of 77.4kg. The purpose of the study was to analyse injuries that resulted in a player missing a regular fixture match solely due to injury. Chronic injuries that did not exclude players from selection were not considered. By far the most common complaint which required the greatest amount of treatment time was recurrent low back pain, often with associated buttock, groin and/or hamstring pain and limitation. Surprisingly, little match time was lost as a result of this problem, possibly as a result of an extensive treatment protocol. There were 14 separate injuries recorded in season 1997-98 which resulted in players missing at least one match. Injury Description Position Matches Missed MCL midfielder 3 AC joint goalkeeper 1 ACL reconstruction midfielder 31 MCL goalkeeper 3 Impact injury to foot midfielder 1 Achilles tendinitis striker 1 Groin pain striker 1 MCL midfielder 7 Low back pain/hip flexors midfielder 4 Plantar fasciitis midfielder 3 Abdo contusion defender 2 Ankle sprain defender 1 Anlde sprain defender 1 Chondral lesion (knee) defender 6 A total of 65 matches were missed by players solely due to injury. Although lmee injuries only represented 35.7% of overall injuries, they represented 76.9% of the total number of matches lost due to injury. Conversely, anlde and foot injuries represented 35.7% of overall injuries but only represented 10.7% of lost match time by comparison. The lmee and ankle collectively represented 71.4% of the total number of injuries which resulted in matches being missed. Lost match time due to injury by player position was as follows: strikers 3%, midfielders 74%, defenders 15%, goalkeepers 6%. Acute injuries resulted in 71% of total injuries whilst overuse injuries represented 29 % of lost match time. 5.

Injury patterns in soccer

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Injury patterns in soccer

L Gelis & P Georgilopoulos* South Melbourne Soccer Club, Melbourne

The senior South Melbourne Soccer team, which won the National League title in season 1997-98, fielded a total of 19 players who competed in a total of 31 official matches (3 pre-season cup games, 26 regular fixture matches and 3 finals matches). The players' ages ranged from 19 to 30 years with a median of 23.7 years, their height ranged from 169 cm to 193cm with a mean of 181.6 cm and their weight ranged from 65kg to 9 lkg with a mean of 77.4kg.

The purpose of the study was to analyse injuries that resulted in a player missing a regular fixture match solely due to injury. Chronic injuries that did not exclude players from selection were not considered.

By far the most common complaint which required the greatest amount of treatment time was recurrent low back pain, often with associated buttock, groin and/or hamstring pain and limitation. Surprisingly, little match time was lost as a result of this problem, possibly as a result of an extensive treatment protocol.

There were 14 separate injuries recorded in season 1997-98 which resulted in players missing at least one match.

Injury Description Position Matches Missed

MCL midfielder 3 AC joint goalkeeper 1 ACL reconstruction midfielder 31 MCL goalkeeper 3 Impact injury to foot midfielder 1 Achilles tendinitis striker 1 Groin pain striker 1 MCL midfielder 7 Low back pain/hip flexors midfielder 4 Plantar fasciitis midfielder 3 Abdo contusion defender 2 Ankle sprain defender 1 Anlde sprain defender 1 Chondral lesion (knee) defender 6

A total of 65 matches were missed by players solely due to injury. Although lmee injuries only represented 35.7% of overall injuries, they represented 76.9% of the total number of matches lost due to injury. Conversely, anlde and foot injuries represented 35.7% of overall injuries but only represented 10.7% of lost match time by comparison. The lmee and ankle collectively represented 71.4% of the total number of injuries which resulted in matches being missed.

Lost match time due to injury by player position was as follows: strikers 3%, midfielders 74%, defenders 15%, goalkeepers 6%. Acute injuries resulted in 71% of total injuries whilst overuse injuries represented 29 % of lost match time.