Methodological approaches in video analysis studies of hamstring injuries in football: a systematic review

This systematic review examined how video analysis has been applied to study hamstring injuries (HSIs) in football, with a focus on methodological procedures, reporting practices, and classification systems. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (last search: 12 December 2024). Observational studies of professional players of either sex that used video footage to analyze HSIs were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies and the QA-SIVAS tool. Data were synthesized narratively according to methodological domains and descriptive variables.Out of 215 records, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 399 HSIs in total. All studies involved professional players, with only one including female athletes. Six studies investigated HSIs exclusively, while five included multiple injury types. Methodological quality varied, with frequent limitations in observer training, coding procedures, inter/intra-rater reliability, diagnostic confirmation, and study design clarity. Statistical analyses were mostly descriptive. Injury mechanism (non-contact or indirect contact) was most consistently reported, whereas injury-inciting activities were heterogeneously defined, particularly at the situational pattern level (run- and stretch-type) and their football-specific subcategories. Biomechanics and contextual factors were inconsistently addressed.The lack of standardized procedures limits comparability and generalizability across studies and may restrict the ability to derive clinically meaningful conclusions. This review highlights the need for more rigorous and consistent reporting practice in video-based research on HSIs in football and provides a structured visual synthesis of the methodological domains identified in the literature. PROSPERO registration: CRD42025629162.