Potential head injury situations doubled over the past 10-year in beach soccer: a time-trend video-analysis study

This study examined 10-year trends in potential head injury situations across five consecutive FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups (2015-2024). Footage from 160 matches (974 match-hours) was analysed to identify potential head injury situations and associated mechanisms, player actions, outcomes, and visible signs of possible concussion. A total of 463 potential head injury situations were identified, corresponding to an incidence rate (IR) of 475.3 potential head injury situations/1000 match-hours (2.9/match). The overall IR increased significantly by 6.6% biennially, resulting in a 1.95-fold increase over the 10-year period. Increases were most pronounced in incidents involving upper-extremity-to-head contact (9.0%), those occurring during other-duels (17.5%), and those where players were competing for the ball with their feet (14.4%). The IR of medically assessed incidents and those presenting visible signs of possible concussion did not significantly change over time (p>0.05). Findings suggest that increasing potential head injury situations are primarily driven by contested situations involving greater upper-extremity use, warranting targeted prevention strategies.