Developing a data-driven multimodal injury and illness prevention programme in male professional football based on a...

Current injury prevention programmes in football are limited by a one-size-fits-all approach, which predominantly focuses on preventive exercise programmes while ignoring differences in risk profiles between individuals and teams.

To address this gap, we developed a new data-driven, customisable approach based on the principles of risk management. We collaborated with key stakeholders to identify focus areas for injury and illness prevention and determine their priorities.

The team medical and coaching staff included members from 17 professional football clubs, the national team and a youth football academy in Qatar.

In 2015, we launched a series of annual workshops under the Aspetar Sports Injury and Illness Prevention Programme. The workshops included club medical personnel and fitness coaches in a process to develop team-specific programmes for injury and illness prevention based on the principle of risk management. Over 2 years, workshops refined focus areas through discussions, surveys and small-group presentations, culminating in the creation a novel programme for football injury prevention.

Out of 44 focus areas first identified, 23 were selected as priorities for inclusion in multimodal injury and illness prevention programmes. The identified focus areas represent a variety of aspects, including social/behavioural/lifestyle, exercise programmes/training, load management, recovery and equipment. The top priorities included communication, the Nordic hamstring exercise, training load, recovery strategies, nutrition, sleep, warm-up, the Copenhagen adduction exercise and core and dynamic stability.

We have developed a comprehensive framework for preventing injuries and illnesses in football grounded in the general principles of risk management. This framework has proven feasible and led to the creation of a new multicomponent programme, The Aspetar IP² (Injury and Illness Prevention for Performance) NetWork, focusing on a range of areas beyond preventive exercise programmes only.