Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025
06:52
An Inertial Measurement Unit Based Method to Estimate Hip and Knee Joint Kinematics in Team Sport Athletes on the Field
Published on: May 26, 2020
8.1K
Hamstring Strain Injury Patterns in Spanish Professional Male Football (Soccer): A Systematic Video Analysis of 78
Aitor Gandarias-Madariaga1, Antonio Martínez-Serrano2, Pedro E Alcaraz2
1Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (EHU), 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
|June 26, 2025
Summary
Hamstring injuries in professional football players often occur during sprints, but combined patterns and curved runs are also significant causes. Understanding these injury mechanisms is crucial for prevention strategies in male football.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Football Analytics
Background:
- Hamstring muscle injuries are prevalent in professional football.
- Detailed injury mechanisms for hamstring injuries in male professional football remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the specific injury mechanisms and contextual patterns of hamstring injuries in male professional football players during competition.
- To provide a detailed understanding of how hamstring injuries occur in this population.
Main Methods:
- Systematic video analysis of official matches from two consecutive seasons (2017/18, 2018/19) of the Spanish First Division (LaLiga™).
- Two independent evaluators used an ad hoc observation tool to identify injury moments and collect data on injury patterns.
- Analysis of 78 confirmed hamstring injury cases.
Main Results:
- Sprint-related patterns (SP) accounted for 54% of hamstring injuries, with curved runs being common within this pattern (52% of SP).
- Combined pattern 2 (COMB2) represented a significant 26% of injuries.
- Most injuries occurred without contact (83%) and during ball possession (88%).
- Fullbacks/wingbacks (28%), central defenders (27%), and wingers/wide midfielders (23%) were the most affected positions.
Conclusions:
- While sprint-related patterns remain the primary cause of hamstring injuries, other mechanisms like COMB2 and curvilinear runs during sprints are frequent and require attention.
- This study highlights the need to consider diverse injury mechanisms beyond simple sprints for effective hamstring injury prevention in professional football.
