Football incident analysis: a new video based method to describe injury mechanisms in professional football

T.E. Andersen, Ø. Larsen, A. Tenga, L. Engebretsen and R. Bahr

British Journal of Sports Medicine

2003, Vol 37, pages 226-232.

Researchers from Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Oslo, Norway and the Norwegian Football Association analysed video tapes from 35 of 76 (46%) official Norwegian under 21 matches played from 1994 to 1998. The stated objective for this study was to develop and test a new video based method for match analysis that combines football specific and medical information. The authors claimed this would improve understanding of injury mechanisms and events leading up to high risk situations. This study is similar to Rahnama et al (2002) and shares its flaws. The author's didn't say why only 35 of the 76 matches were analysed and why those particular 35 were chosen.

The researchers analysed "All situations in which the match was interrupted by the referee, or a Norwegian player was on the ground for more than 15 seconds, or the player appeared to be in pain or received medical treatment were noted as an injury risk incident. These incidents, including the playing events leading up to each incident, were transferred to a master videotape."

The validity of just analysing the tape on these specific incidents is questionable. Furthermore, although this method of injury analysis may help with contact injuries that are captured on camera, it offers very little help in analysing non-contact injuries. In some circumstances, a player will injure themselves by sprinting 'off the ball' - an activity that usually won't be picked up on the video analysis. However, the method may be helpful where a player can't remember or is unable to describe the mechanism of injury adequately.

The researchers found that during the 35 matches available for video analysis, 52 incidents were recorded for the Norwegian team-that is, 1.6 incidents per team per match or 94 incidents per 1000 player hours. Of the 52 incidents, 16 (31%) led to traumatic injuries - that is, 0.5 injuries per match or 29 injuries per 1000 player hours. The authors looked at some slightly confusing variables, such as, "Number of incidents classified according to attack effectiveness - whether the attack was not effective or had potential, depending on whether there was an attempt off target, attempt on target, or a goal was scored."

Some useful data was presented, although it is hardly surprising that tackling is the activity most associated with injury. Following on from this, it is no great surprise that midfield players appeared to be more susceptible to these types of contact injuries, or that the lower limb was demonstrated as the most injured anatomical location. The prospect of analysing (over 50) hours of video tape to ascertain this information is enough to frighten any sports medicine clinician, who might prefer to ask "Where does it hurt? How did it happen? What position do you play?" as well as numerous other questions in thorough subjective examination.

While video tape analysis may excite the sports medicine academic, it would appear to bring little value to the clinical environment. Really good research is clinically relevant and enhances clinical practice. Good research may not revolutionise clinical practice, but it will add to the clinician's knowledge base and reasoning process. Nothing in this 'new technique to analyse injuries in professional football' would appear to do that.

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