Research Impact: Risk factors for injury in elite female soccer players are multifactorial, interwoven and complex. This review summarized several factors to inform injury screening in these athletes. Associations were identified between an increased injury risk and (a) previous injury and (b) increased joint laxity. There is additional evidence to suggest a relationship between injuries and higher soccer exposure, playing position, increased BMI, low H/Q ratio, player’s level of balance and co-ordination, as well as various psychological issues. However, a critical message from the review is that there is a paucity of high-quality trials which investigate these factors in large, homogeneous cohorts.
Alahmad, T.A., Kearney, P. and Cahalan, R., 2020. Injury in elite women’s soccer: a systematic review. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, pp.1-7. DOI: 10.1080/00913847.2020.1720548
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