FIFA Women's World Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude, and behaviour around concussion at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: part 1 - medical staff.

The objective of this observational cross-sectional study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of medical staff participating in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 regarding the assessment and management of concussion in football. Medical staff from 32 teams qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 were invited to answer an online survey. Results were analysed descriptively. 47 participants completed the survey. Concussion knowledge: 98% were aware of concussion protocol(s). Most concussive signs or symptoms were recognised, though only 36% of participants (n = 17) correctly reported potential symptom onset time. Knowledge on assessment and return to play elements varied. Attitude: 77% (n = 36) reported being very confident or confident in recognizing a suspected concussion. When assessing a suspected concussion on the pitch, 55% (n = 26) reported to have felt pressured by the player sometimes, very often or always, and 47% (n = 22) by the coaching staff. Behaviour: Among doctors, 70% reported their national team performs baseline concussion assessments. Reported use of on-field assessment elements suggested in concussion guidelines varied between 5% and 95%. In conclusion, most medical staff participating in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 were generally knowledgeable about concussion, reported on-pitch and return to play attitudes and behaviours aligning with evidence-based standards for safeguarding players' health. However, gaps were observed in all three domains, compared to guidelines. Expanding education to players and coaching staff is suggested to facilitate the delivery of evidence-based best practice.

Investigation of the Effect of Technical and Physical Performance on Success in Elite Level Women's Soccer

The aim of this study is to reveal the differences in the technical, physical and tactical performances of the countries participating in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and their impact and relationship on the success of the tournament. 14 technical-tactical and 2 physical performances, 16 parameters in total were evaluated. As a result of the analyses, statistically significant differences were found between the number of goals scored, the number of goals conceded, the number of shots on goal, the number of possession in the final third and the number of corners used by the countries that reached the last 16 and the countries that failed to advance to the next round. At the end of the quarter-final matches, no statistically significant difference was found between the performances of the countries that advanced to the semi-finals and the countries that were eliminated. There is a moderate to high positive correlation between the percentage of possession, total and accurate number and percentage of passes, attempts at goal, attempts at goal on target, completed line breaks and interceptions in the final third and total number of goals for the countries that won the competition in the tournament. As a result, it can be said that physical performances are similar in elite level women's soccer, but teams that have more possession of the ball and are willing to take advantage of opportunities to score goals can make a difference.

On the cost of wearing white shorts in women's sport

The menstrual cycle and associated issues are still considered taboo in many societies, causing a lack of understanding and sub-optimal decision making. Sport can effectively promote awareness of social issues in general, including those concerning the menstrual cycle. One such issue is the anxiety arising from wearing white shorts. Despite increased awareness, still over half the teams participating in the recent 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup played in white shorts. In this study, I investigated women's and men's football games from the World Cups and the European Championships between 2002 and 2023. Using regression analysis, and after controlling for teams’ abilities and other factors, I found that women's teams wearing white shorts achieved between 0.32 and 0.37 fewer points per game. No such effect was observed among men. This result illustrates that a lack of understanding of period anxiety has an immediate cost that is very easy to avoid by simply not playing in white shorts. Most importantly, given that sport is an important vehicle of gender equality, increased awareness of period anxiety could result in higher participation of women in sports and, ultimately, in narrowing other gender gaps.

The incidence and characteristics of heading in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup™

ABSTRACT Introduction To quantify the incidence and characteristics of purposeful heading and other head impacts in professional women’s football at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Methods This cross-sectional cohort study analysed purposeful headers (uncontested and contested) and their characteristics (e.g. playing position, match situation, field location, and distance ball travelled), and other head impact events using video analysis. Total headers and head impact events, and incidence rate (IR) per 1000 match-hours were calculated for countries, positions, and other characteristics, such as location on the pitch. Results Purposeful headers accounted for 76% of all coded events (uncontested: 71%; contested: 29%), followed by attempted headers (21%), unintentional ball-head impacts (2%), and other head impacts (1%). Headers ranged from 0 to 22 per player, per match with a mean of 4.8 [±1.2]. Of all field positions, centrebacks had the highest heading rates and wingers the lowest. Strikers performed significantly more contested headers than any other position, and significantly less uncontested headers. Most headers occurred in the middle third (48%), from free game play (72%) and from long balls (>20 m) (68%). Conclusion The findings of this study could assist the development of player heading risk profiles, sex-specific heading guidelines, and coaching practices.

Luis Rubiales as a symptom of Spanish sport poor governance standards

ABSTRACT The contentious actions of Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, following the FIFA Women's World Cup final sparked debates about his aptitude to lead the national governing body. Compelled to stand down, Rubiales faced dual three-year bans, one imposed by FIFA and the other by the Spanish government. This paper contends that the emergence of unskilled and controversial figures, exemplified by Rubiales, within the realm of Spanish sports leadership is a manifestation of the insufficient emphasis on sound governance. The governance framework of Spanish sport, notably the internal structures of national federations, coupled with a general neglect of governance standards, are compounded by a restrained regulatory stance by public authorities. This creates a context prone to clientelism, lack of accountability and lack of innovation. The reform of the National Sports Act in 2022 represents a squandered opportunity to enhance governance standards in Spanish sport. The paper scrutinises the governance provisions of the National Sports Act and compares international sport governance standards with the structures of Spanish sport federations. The article concludes that the conduct of leaders like Luis Rubiales is not a problem, but rather a symptom of Spanish sport's disregard for contemporary governance standards.

Tino Rangatiratanga- Indigenous (MĀORI) Sovereignty and the messy realities of reconciliation efforts at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Organisers of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup event made explicit their aim to ‘be and do better’ regarding the inclusion and representation of Indigenous peoples. This was particularly important because in seeking to jointly secure the right to host the event, both Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia made much of including and showcasing Indigenous cultures in their respective countries. Subsequently, organisers incorporated Indigenous flags, language, and rituals throughout the event. FIFA appointed cultural advisors to enhance cultural understanding among teams. However, the Spanish national team, “La Roja”, sparked controversy by posting a video mocking the haka, ‘Ka Mate,’ a cultural treasure to Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. This led to public outcry, calls for apology, and efforts to reconcile relations. In this commentary, we explore this incident, critiquing FIFA and the current state of event management regarding the inclusion of Indigeneity and engagement with Indigenous Peoples.

Analysis of Match Performance Indicators of Women Soccer Players in World Cups

The aim of this study is to compare the technical analysis of the successful and unsuccessful countries in the FIFA Women's World Cup held in France in 2019. The study group of the research consisted of the countries that finished their groups in the first 2 places and the countries that finished their groups in the last 2 places in the FIFA World Cup held in France in 2019. As match technical analysis criteria, Instat Index, Goal, Position, Successful Goal Position, Goal from Penalty, Counter attack, Corner, Shot, Accurate Shot, Pass, Accurate Key pass and midfield were considered. SPSS v25 package program was used to analyze the data obtained from the research. The data obtained are shown as mean and standard deviation. Independent T test was used for pairwise comparisons of the obtained data. Pearson correlation test was used in the relational evaluations of performance parameters. In all evaluations, the significance level was taken as p

Kadın Futbolunda Rölatif Yaş Etkisinin İncelenmesi

Early identification and development of “talented” athletes in youth sport is of primary interest to national governing bodies of sport and sport clubs across all sports. Selection bias during recruitment and planning the developmental pathways of athletes is a critical issue to address, and relative age effect (RAE) is one of the concepts to be investigated in this regard. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of RAE in U17 and U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and to investigate the role of age category, playing position and continents with regard to RAE. A total of 2016 female soccer players (U17=1008, U20=1008) participating in the last three consecutive U17 and U20 FIFA Women's World Cups were evaluated based on the birth month distributions. Inter-quartile differences were assessed using the Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit test, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare quartiles. RAE was more prevalent in U17 compared to U20 (χ2=43.865, p<.001, V=0.12; χ2=24.071, p<.001, V=0.09, respectively). For all positions, the number of female soccer players born in the first quarter of the year was higher than those born in the last quarter. In U17, RAE was statistically significant in all positions, while in U20 only defenders and midfielders’ distributions were significantly skewed. In conclusion, RAE is a critical issue to investigate in female soccer context, and age categories, playing position and continents seem such moderators of RAE that coaches and policy makers need to consider.

“The World Cup of Empowerment” and “They Really Missed the Ball”: Gender Discourses at the 2019 Women’s World Cup

The FIFA Women's World Cup disseminates ideas about gender, women, and sport to a global audience. I report on a short-term ethnography involving participant observation at the 2019 Women's World Cup and in-depth interviews with fan attendees to examine the gender discourses produced through the tournament and fans’ responses to them. Integrating the concept of neoliberal postfeminism with an affective lens, I illustrate how discourses of empowerment and the progress of women's sport circulate positive affects in order to bring fans into neoliberal postfeminist ideas, ultimately presenting tournament organizers as benevolent supporters of women. While fans sometimes produced these discourses themselves, finding them emotionally resonant, they also championed a discourse of inequality that was skeptical about organizations’ true commitments and circulated an affect of frustration to call public attention to gender inequality. Fans’ simultaneous embrace and rejection of empowerment and progress discourses reveal both their reflexive agency and the powerful emotional pull that these discourses present.

The "Matildas Effect": Will the FIFA Women's World Cup Generate a Legacy in Australia?

The "Matildas Effect": Will the FIFA Women's World Cup Generate a Legacy in Australia?

Deconstructing stereotypes: Stature, match-playing time, and performance in elite Women's World Cup soccer.

Recruiting companies recommend elite female soccer players be ≥165 cm (5'5″) in stature. This study investigated if stature limits match-playing time and performance in elite World Cup soccer among players, positions, and countries. We hypothesized stature would not affect match-playing time or performance. Descriptive data were collected on 552 players from 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Odds ratios determined likelihood of starting for players <165 cm and ≥165 cm. ANOVAs compared playing time between stature groups, among positions, and between countries. Performance factors including assists, goals, attempts, corners, shots blocked, and defending blocks were reported. Independent t-tests compared differences between players (≥165 cm, < 165 cm). Data are reported, mean difference [95% confidence interval] [MD (95%CI)] and effect sizes (ES). On average, 32.3% of players were <165 cm. Of total players, no differences existed in total minutes (F = 0.98, p = 0.32), matches (F = 0.27 p = 0.59), or average minutes per match (F = 0.48, p = 0.49) between stature groups, regardless of position. No differences existed in playing time between players <165 cm and ≥165 cm among any positions (p > 0.05), or between countries (p > 0.05). Taller mid-fielders exhibited greater performance in goals, assists, attempts, shots blocked, and defending blocks (MD [95%CI] ES; assists, -0.44[-0.76,-0.11]0.59, p = 0.009; goals, -0.35[-0.69,-0.01]0.44, p = 0.047); attempts, 3.14[1.38, 4.90]0.80, p = 0.001; corners, 2.04[0.12, 3.95]0.48, p = 0.037; shots blocked, 0.96[0.40, 1.51]0.75, p = 0.001; defending blocks, 0.43[0.32,0.82]0.48, p = 0.035), however, actual differences were minimal. Our findings indicate stature does not inhibit playing and performing elite women's soccer, as nearly one-third of players were <165 cm.

Deciphering the offensive process in women's elite football: A multivariate study

Over the last few years, there has been considerable increase in scientific knowledge about women's football. However, the tactical and tactical-strategic aspects have not yet been sufficiently covered in scientific literature. Therefore, this work proposed the following aims: To describe how the offensive phase is produced in women's football, to identify the significant statistical criteria that may be modulating success in attack, and finally to propose different predictive success models, with the ultimate aim of passing this knowledge on to the applied field. The observational methodology was used, one of the most appropriate methodologies for the analysis of motor behaviors in sport. The units of analysis collected and analyzed were 6063 attacks carried out during the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 and France 2019. The available results demonstrate that, on the one hand, offensive team actions are ineffective (almost 70% finish unsuccessfully), but criteria such as the start form of the attack, zone of ball possession, partial match result, or ball possession time are statistically significant criteria that modulate attack success (goal, shot or pass into the area). Lastly, the multivariate results allow us to propose a theoretical model, passing the probability of success from 31% in the absence of a model, to a theoretical auction probability of 52.6%, based on fast attacks with the intervention of few players, and with possession zone in the opposite field. These results could be directly transferred to the practical field where trainers and technical bodies can put this information into practice in training sessions or matches.

Physical workload and fatigue pattern characterization in a top-class women's football national team: a case study of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

With the growing scientific interest in women's football it is critical to understand the match demands and fatigue patterns during a top-class women's competition. Physical characteristics and performance of top-class women football matches during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was investigated from data collected using global positioning system for 21 outfield players during the tournament. Relative total distance (TD; m·min-1) was moderately lower (P≤0.05, ES:0.6) in the final match (96.1±5.0 m·min-1) compared to the first (104.1±5.9 m·min-1) match. Performance in relative total high-speed running (THSR; m·min-1) declined -27.5% (P≥0.05) throughout the tournament following peak performance in the third match (M3) (5.3±1.7 m·min-1). Match performance between halves was reduced -25.4±0.13% (P≤0.05, ES:1.2-2.3) across all measures in M3. Relative high-intensity running (HIR; 25.9±3.5 m·min-1) and THSR (9.8±1.5 m·min-1) were greater (P≤0.05, ES:0.2-0.7) for forwards, while midfielders performed greater (P≤0.05, ES:0.6) relative total distance (102.0±5.5 m·min-1), compared to central defenders (HIR: 16.1±3.7 m·min-1; THSR: 3.1±1.6 m·min-1; TD: 92.5±5.7 m·min-1). Reductions in relative HIR between halves (-10.9%), within the first half (-31.0%), and the start and end of the match (-36.9%) were most pronounced for midfielders (P≤0.05, ES:0.6-2.3). Across all matches, relative THSR performance was reduced, with moderate to large differences (P≤0.001, ES: 0.7-0.8) observed between halves, within the first half, and throughout the match. In conclusion, specific fatigue patterns observed within and between matches throughout the women's World Cup, may be influenced by playing positions, the rank of the opposition, as well as the stage of the tournament.

Key performance indicators at FIFA Women's World Cup in different playing surfaces.

The aim of this study was to examine the key performance indicators of female professional soccer players during the 2011 and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, played on different surfaces (natural and artificial turf respectively). A total of 438 women from 24 national teams who participated at Canada 2015 (artificial turf) and 283 players from 16 national teams who played in Germany 2011 (natural grass) were selected for this study. The collected data were provided by OPTA Sports. Twenty-nine key performance indicators were included for analysis. The variables were calculated for the total sample and independently by positions (defense, midfielders and forwards) for matches on natural grass (2011) and artificial turf (2015). A Mann–Whitney U test was used out to identify differences between the sport surfaces. Moreover, a discriminant analysis was performed with the forced entry method to find the variables that better differentiated between the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 (natural grass) and FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 (artificial turf). Key performance aspects were very similar between the two tournaments, but on natural grass, we observed a significantly higher number of total passes, successful dribbles, total tackles, successful tackles and interceptions. However, on artificial turf there were significantly higher percentages of success in total passes, and a higher number of fouls. This is an important factor for the choice of an elite competition surface because technical actions are crucial to the quality of the game and can influence the future behavior of spectators and fans.

Sisters doing it for themselves: the rich history of women’s football in Scotland from the 1960s to 2020

ABSTRACT Women's football has provided a valuable source of investigation for the social sciences and in particular sports history and gender studies. Yet within this growing body of academic work, the study and analysis of the ‘Scottish experience’ has been limited. This article provides an overview of the development of women's football in Scotland from 1960 onwards, charting the journey from ad hoc matches with inadequate facilities to record participation levels following the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019TM. It draws on feminist debates concerning sports history and the erasure of women from the narrative to situate the current lack of awareness of women's long involvement in football in relation to the dominant white male heteronormative discourse of the football community in Scotland. The core research information is obtained from oral history interviews with key players, coaches and administrators and archive material from Scottish Women's Football, the Scottish Football Museum and private collections. Together these sources reveal the determination of the women who ignored the barriers placed in their way, persisted in playing the game they loved and worked tirelessly to develop and promote women's football in Scotland.

The Influence of Match Status on Ball Possession in High Performance Women's Football.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the situational match status variable on the ball possession of the teams that participated in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 52 games played during the championship have been collected, and 3,740 ball possessions made by the teams were analyzed. The teams have been divided into successful and unsuccessful. Three types of analysis have been carried out: a univariate analysis for both groups with the categorical and continuous variables selected; a bivariate analysis, using chi-square tests and the exact Fischer test; and finally, a multivariable technique such as the decision trees was incorporated. The available results show significant differences between the two groups considered. Specifically, there are significant differences between winning and losing teams in terms of match status. The results of the post hoc test have shown that unsuccessful teams make few ball possessions with a winning match status, most of the possessions are performed when they are losing. Instead, successful teams make more possessions when they are winning than when they are losing. Also, spend more time keeping the ball in their offensive zone, and completing a greater number of passes in it. The results of the decision tree identified that the unsuccessful teams have more ball possessions in forward and middle lines with a draw during the first half, while in the second, a large percentage of possessions are made with an unfavorable match status. Instead, the successful teams have more ball possessions in the first part with a draw, while in the second it happens with a favorable match status.

Application of multivariant decision tree technique in high performance football: The female and male corner kick.

The use of multidimensional statistical technique based on decision trees is of recent application in sports science. In the case of football, this technique has not yet been sufficiently proven. The aim of the present study was to search for different success models for the corners in the FIFA World Cup 2014 and FIFA Women's World Cup 2015. For this, the statistical analysis focused on the search for classification models for the different criteria considered (shot, shot between the three posts and goal), based on the creation of different decision trees that allow the most important variables to be identified quickly and efficiently. For this, 1117 corners were collected between the two competitions, performed in 116 international matches. It has been possible to establish multivariate models for the "shot" and "shot between the three posts" criteria, allowing, in some cases, to quadruple the potential for offensive success. On the other hand, we have been able to identify significant differences in the male and female model of execution. These findings suggest the need to continue deepening the study of tactical behavior in women's soccer from a multivariate perspective, and also propose a better optimization of the management and training of this type of actions for both male and female football. In addition, it has allowed to test the decision tree statistical technique in the analysis of high performance football, with satisfactory results and of great relevance in the applied field.

Steroid profile and IRMS analysis of musk administration for doping control.

Musk, the dried secretion of the musk pod (sac) of adult male musk deer, has been used as traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China and south-east Asian countries for thousands of years. Due to the anabolic steroid component in this TCM, musk preparations have been included in the list of medical products containing prohibited substances employed for doping by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. The application of musk pod formulation was claimed to be responsible for some adverse analytical findings (AAFs) in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Our preliminary study has suggested that musk ingestion did not lead to AAFs of doping control with the single dosage of 100mg. However, the influences of musk administration in large and multi dosage are still unclear. The aim of this study is to further investigate the influences of musk administration for doping control. Wild and domestic deer musk samples were collected. The concentrations and δ13 C-values of steroids in musk were analyzed. In an excretion study, 200 and 100mg of wild and domestic deer musk samples were administrated by 29 subjects, respectively. Fluctuations in steroid profile could be observed, and the ratio of 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol to 5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol was more sensitive than other parameters. In the IRMS test, the ∆Δδ13 C-value between endogenous reference compound and etiocholanolone was a sensitive parameter, and AAFs were obtained. It is the first time to confirm with excretion study that musk administration could lead to positive result of doping control. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High prevalence of medication use in professional football tournaments including the World Cups between 2002 and 2014: a narrative review with a focus on NSAIDs

The use of medication in international football has been monitored since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Team physicians were asked to provide information on prescribed medication 72 h prior to...

B-17 サッカーボール表面の意匠が空気力に及ぼす影響(飛翔特性ほか)

Soccer balls are constructed with 32 pentagonal and hexagonal panels. More recently Teamgeist 2 and Jabulani balls have 14 and 8 panels, respectively, with dramatically different panel shapes and designs from conventional balls. The latest model called Context15, made with 6 panels, has been adopted by 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. However, there are few studies on the aerodynamic characteristics of these balls. This study examined the aerodynamic characteristics of soccer balls constructed with different numbers and shapes of panels. Results of wind tunnel tests indicated that the aerodynamic forces varied significantly according to panel shape, suggesting that panel shape has significant effects on the flight of the balls.