Worley, EE, Stray-Gundersen, SO, Mastrofini, GF, and Arent, SM. Injury characteristics among an NCAA DI football team over the course of 1 year. J Strength Cond Res 40(6): 676-681, 2026-Injury surveillance may be a useful tool for maintaining optimal health and performance of American football players. Monitoring injury rates across the year can help identify high-risk periods and guide training to reduce injuries and optimize in-season performance. This study examined the differences in the rate and type of injuries across season segments among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players. Data were collected throughout 2023 from 120 athletes (age = 20.9 ± 1.7 y, height = 187.96 ± 5.9 cm, body mass = 107.7 ± 21.3 kg). Athlete exposure (AE) was defined as participation in a team strength and conditioning session, practice session, or game. Injuries were defined as events requiring medical attention. Injury characteristics were categorized by season segment: winter off-season, spring season, summer off-season, preseason, and fall season. The number of athletes is multiplied by the number of exposure events to determine total AEs. Injury rates are presented as the number of injuries per 1,000 AEs. The overall injury rate was 6.52 per 1,000 AEs. Most injuries occurred during preseason (12.34 per 1,000 AEs), followed by fall season (11.48), summer off-season (4.92), spring season (0.69), and winter off-season (0.19). Knees (24%), shoulders (13.7%), and hamstrings (9.3%) were the most commonly reported injured body parts. Preseason exhibited the highest injury rates, potentially driven by sharp increases in workload and contact forces, or cumulative fatigue from high workloads experienced during summer training. Coaches should implement position-specific prehabilitation strategies. In addition, training programs should be periodized to account for the heightened injury risk during preseason and in-season phases.

Montoye, AHK, Slater, TL, Pfeiffer, KA, Curtis, KC, Melcher, R, and Burghardt, W. The relationship between lower-body muscular power and running performance in Division I American football players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-This study investigated the relationship between lower-body muscular power and vertical jump with maximal on-field running acceleration and velocity in collegiate Division I American football players. Data from 97 to 115 players (depending on analysis) across all playing positions on the Michigan State University football team during the 2022 calendar year were included. Muscular power was assessed through yoke bar back squats and yoke bar reverse lunges (Eliteform system) in the offseason (January-June), with countermovement jump power and height (Vald ForceDecks) collected throughout the year. Maximal running acceleration and velocity were measured during practices and competitions throughout the year using the Catapult wearable system. Cross-sectional correlation analyses evaluated associations between muscular power and running performance, both overall and by player position (big, mid, skill). Additional, longitudinal analyses correlated spring (offseason) muscular power with fall (in-season) running outcomes 6-9 months later. Significant ( p < 0.05), direct correlations were found in cross-sectional analyses between squat peak and mean power and running outcomes for big ( r = 0.22-0.62) and mid ( r = 0.45-0.67) positions, with similar results for vertical jump relative power and height (big: r = 0.39-0.58; mid: r = 0.33-0.40). Stronger relationships were shown with longitudinal correlations (spring power, fall running measures) between muscular power and jump measures with running outcomes ( Squat - big: r = 0.23-0.82; skill: r = 0.35-0.51; mid: r = 0.30-0.55. Reverse lunge - big: r = 0.19-0.74; mid: r = 0.36-0.54. Jump relative power and height - big: r = 0.51-0.71; mid: r = 0.25-0.57). The associations between lower-body muscular power and jumping with running performance may provide insights for player development, training program design, talent identification, and injury reduction.

Abstract Introduction Sleep is essential for physical recovery, cognitive functioning, and overall well-being, yet collegiate athletes experience significant sleep disturbance. Given limited research on elite athlete sleep, this study aims to establish a baseline for D1 football players’ sleep quantity, quality, caffeine use, and self-reported mental health to inform targeted interventions and support future research. Methods A questionnaire was administered to 114 members of a Division I football team. Demographic measures included age, childhood economic status, and ethnicity. Other factors that were measured included caffeine consumption, chronotype, and total sleep disturbance (Athletic Sleep Screening Questionnaire; ASSQ). Results Descriptive analyses characterized the sample of 114 athletes (age = 21.18, weight = 234.43 lbs), with diverse racial representation and predominantly middle class childhood SES. ANOVAs examined how caffeine use and mental health, analyzed in separate models, correlated with the measured sleep-related factors. Poorer mental health was associated with higher sleep disturbance (p &amp;lt; .001) and later chronotype patterns (p = .048). Adjusted R² = .235, signifying that the model accounted for 23.5% of variance in mental health scores. No significant correlates with caffeine use were found. Conclusion Sleep is essential for health and performance, yet collegiate athletes commonly experience inadequate or disturbed sleep. Prior literature establishes that football players are at higher risk of sleep disturbances such as insomnia symptoms and sleep-disorder breathing. Higher sleep disturbance and later chronotype patterns appear to be correlated with self-reported mental health. This indicates that sleep timing and sleep hygiene may be the most effective sleep interventions to impact the mental health of football players. These patterns indicate both behavioral and physiological contributors. Establishing this baseline supports targeted sleep-health interventions, enhances performance and recovery, and provides a foundation for future research on sleep, mental health, and modifiable factors in elite athletes. Support (if any)

The conjunction of sport and literature has given rise to unique cultural phenomena, one of these being the Polish National Football Team of Writers. Comprising authors (journalists, novelists, etc.), the team is characterized by its literary achievements, but also love of football. Its mission is to promote the close relationship between artistic creativity and sport. It also acts as a vehicle to propagate the importance of physical activity in the often sedentary domain of literature. The team’s matches, successes and off-field functioning serve as examples of diverse interests that writers can pursue. This article explores the team’s formation, its activity, including participation in international tournaments, and the cultural resonance it generates. By charting the evolution of the team, the article examines its multifaceted impact on literary and sports communities. Thus, it aims to elucidate the ways the team blurs the boundaries between the worlds of writing and athletics.

Evaluate the effect of supported implementation on a co-created injury prevention programme (Prep-to-Play) use and injury incidence and evaluate the dose response relationship between adherence and injury incidence. In this hybrid implementation-effectiveness stepped wedge cluster randomised trial, 165 women's/girls' Australian Football teams (2481 players) were randomly allocated to transition from unsupported to supported implementation at one of five time points during 2021/2022. Supported implementation included in-person workshops and support visits for coaches/team leaders. Unsupported implementation was access to online resources. Prep-to-Play includes warm-up, contact and strength activities. Primary (Prep-to-Play use) and secondary (concussion, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)) outcomes were reported weekly. Weekly Prep-to-Play use (yes/no) was defined as using ≥75% of programme elements, ≥two-thirds of sessions each week. Analyses compared outcomes between supported and unsupported phases, adjusted for clustering, period, age group, competition level and region. Average weekly Prep-to-Play use by teams was 13.1% (95% CI 11.5% to 14.9%) in the unsupported and 29.7% (95% CI 27.6% to 31.9%) in supported phase (OR 3.7 95% CI 2.4 to 5.7). The concussion and ACL injury incidence (per 1000 game hours) was 6.80 (95% CI 5.75 to 8.05) and 1.36 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.89) in unsupported, and 3.50 (95% CI 2.72 to 4.52) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.44 to 1.15) in supported, respectively, but the effect of supported implementation on injury incidence was unclear (concussion: incidence rate ratios (IRR) 1.36; 95% CI 0.74 to 2.49; ACL: IRR 2.27 (0.56 to 9.12). Higher Prep-to-Play adherence was associated with fewer total injuries (IRR: 0.95 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99). Supported implementation via in-person workshops and support visits was associated with greater Prep-to-Play use compared with unsupported implementation, and greater adherence was associated with fewer injuries. NCT04856241.

Co-designing a year-round injury surveillance system: longitudinal monitoring for a small-nation football team (PhD Academy Award).

This study aims to analyze the effect of product quality and price on purchasing decisions of Erspo Indonesian National Football Team jerseys in Surabaya. The background is rooted in the rising enthusiasm of Indonesian football fans and the emergence of Erspo as an official national team apparel brand, which faced opportunities as well as criticism concerning product quality and pricing. The research employed a quantitative approach using purposive sampling with 108 respondents. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires using a Likert scale, and data analysis utilized the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The findings indicate that both product quality and price have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions. This study contributes to the literature on consumer behavior in the sports apparel market and provides practical insights for local brands to strengthen their competitivene

ABSTRACT Determinants of success in professional football are well documented, with technical, physical, and situational factors associated with match outcomes. However, these factors are unexplored in English Non-League Football (NLF). This study investigated match-level performance variables and associations with match outcomes and situational factors. Data from a professional NLF team were collected from 33 matches during one season. Technical (pass completion, possession estimated by pass ratio, and shots) and physical (running speed) metrics were compared, and assessed against match outcome, location, and opposition quality. Results revealed the team was technically superior to its opposition, recording significantly higher possession, passing metrics, and total shots (p < 0.05). However, a paradox emerged in pass ratio dominance: possession was significantly higher in matches lost (56.5 ± 6.2%) compared to matches won (48.3 ± 6.1%; p = 0.011, d = 1.34). Additionally, pass completion was higher in draws than wins (p = 0.045, d = 1.30). Match location did not influence performance metrics. Opposition quality did not impact physical performance metrics, though team total shot volume was higher against lower-ranked opposition (p = 0.029, d = -1.45). These findings highlight that for a professional NLF team, technical superiority and possession-based strategies do not guarantee success.

Abstract Research has shown that when ‘xxx English’ is used in reference to an English variety, the attribute ‘xxx’ is more likely to be an adjective than a noun. This is true of traditional ENL and ESL varieties, whose speakers can legitimately claim that ‘English is our language’. EFL varieties tend to follow the same trend, with ‘China English’ being a glaring exception to date. Corpus analysis shows that the pre-head attribute of a noun phrase may be filled by a noun (e.g., Belgium, Canada) or an adjective derived from it (e.g., Belgian, Canadian). A pre-head nominal attribute expresses the meaning ‘a type of’ (e.g., ‘communication skill’, ‘generation gap’), while a pre-head adjective signals either a quality (e.g., ‘smart city’ – with quality of being smart) or membership of a class (e.g., ‘smart card’, distinct from other cards). A pre-head nominal attribute and its adjectival counterpart signaling ‘class membership’ thus share a classificatory function. This helps explain stylistic variation such as free alternation between ‘Scottish flag’ and ‘Scotland flag’ in the same text; nor is there anything unusual using names of countries in sports reporting (e.g., ‘Brazil national football team’). But such a stylistic shift is semantically nuanced and not always licensed (consider, e.g., ‘Ukrainian security’ and ‘Ukraine war’, where the pre-head attributes ‘Ukrainian’ and ‘Ukraine’ are not interchangeable). The adjectival form of a toponym is usually longer in speech and writing than the toponym itself. Apparently, phonology matters when naming an English variety, witness the rarity of ‘Guamanian English’ and ‘Peruvian English’.

On September 25, 2024, Matthew Sluka, former starting quarterback for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) football team, announced that he would forgo participation in all team activities for the 2024–2025 season. Using a multimethod approach that combined computational semantic network analysis and qualitative grand narrative analysis, we analyzed 1,515 news articles (n = 1515) covering Sluka’s departure from the UNLV football program and the controversy surrounding a name, image, and likeness dispute that accompanied it. Results indicated a narrative reconstitution of blame that positioned university athletes, like Sluka, as the cause of current instability in the collegiate sports landscape. The theoretical and practical contributions of this research can be summarized in three key points: (1) agentic control in elite athletics organizations is tied to the economic exploitation of aspirational labor, (2) the NIL bargaining landscape operates as a tool of flexibility in vocational membership across totalistic organizations, and (3) systemic resistance to the grand narrative critique of NIL bargaining begins with a reframing toward critical pragmatism.

ABSTRACT Research question We aim to explore how sociocultural elements of the integration of a women’s semi-professional football team into a men’s professional football club in Scandinavia are perceived and experienced by those involved in and impacted by the process. Research methods Our case study design draws on interview data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with eleven participants holding different roles across both the women’s and men’s clubs, including board members, administrative staff, coaches and players. Results and findings Three key sociocultural themes emerged that were central to the integration process and outcomes: (1) maintaining a culture of trust and identity as a community-rooted club, (2) perceived trust and justice in gendered hierarchies and (3) the coming together of club cultures. Our findings across these themes were somewhat contradictory, with surface-level narratives of gender equality contrasting with clear signs of gender hierarchies and resultant potential challenges and threats to long-term successful integration. Post-integration benefits for the women’s club were clear to see, particularly with increased resources, but such benefits are balanced with secondary status in the integrated club. Implications Our findings demonstrate the importance of research on mergers and integrations of sport organisations adopting multi-level and nuanced perspectives. This is because processes, outcomes, opportunities and threats span strategic and sociocultural elements, are highly context-specific and influence different actors and stakeholders in different ways and at different times. Such research can support the development of post-integration plans that are dynamic and address changing contexts, needs and priorities.

"A football team with no midfield": A qualitative analysis of anti-vegan stigma in Italy.

Concussions in German professional football (soccer) - an epidemiological and etiological analysis over nine consecutive seasons.

This study aims to analyze the influence of promotion, product quality, and fear of missing out (FOMO) on the purchase intention of ERSPO Indonesian National Football Team jerseys. The study uses a quantitative descriptive approach with primary data collection through an online questionnaire of 200 respondents who are active fans of the national team on social media and have experienced FOMO. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method with the help of SmartPLS. The results showed that promotion had a positive and significant effect on purchase intention, while product quality and FOMO had no significant effect. These findings indicate that the effectiveness of promotional strategies plays a dominant role in increasing consumer purchase intention for ERSPO jerseys compared to product quality and the psychological factor of FOMO. Therefore, companies are advised to focus their marketing strategies on strengthening promotional activities that are relevant and attractive to consumers.

Objectives. The study aimed to determine the structure and integral assessment of technical and tactical activity in highly qualified football players across different playing positions based on a systematic approach. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted during the UEFA European Football Championships in 2021 and 2024. The competitive activity of football players representing the national teams of England, Spain, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine was analyzed. The following research methods were applied: theoretical analysis of scientific sources and literature, pedagogical observation, video analysis of competitive activity, and methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The technical and tactical activity structure in highly qualified football players across different playing positions — full-backs, central defenders, defensive midfielders, central midfielders (inside midfielders), wide midfielders (wingers), and forwards —was determined. It was established that the performance of ball control actions, passes, dribbling, feints, tackles, interceptions, and shots on goal differs significantly across playing positions, which reflects the specific characteristics of their competitive activity. Conclusions. The findings suggest that the identified structural indicators and integral assessment of technical and tactical activity inhighly qualified football players across various playing positions allow for more effective managerial decision-making in both training and competitive processes of football teams.

In the realm of sports analytics, identifying the critical factors that distinguish successful football teams from those that underperform is of paramount importance. This paper conducts a comprehensive investigation into the similarities and differences between championship-winning teams and relegated teams in La Liga by harnessing the power of graph theory. We develop detailed player similarity networks, where individual nodes represent players and weighted edges denote the degree of performance similarity derived from an extensive set of statistical data. By employing a range of centrality and connectivity metrics, we uncover structural patterns that are intrinsically linked to team success. Our findings reveal that championship teams typically exhibit higher values in metrics such as degree, closeness centrality, clustering coefficient, and PageRank—indicators of robust team cohesion and distributed influence—while relegated teams often rely on a few key players with high betweenness centrality, a pattern that exposes vulnerabilities in their network structure. These insights contribute valuable perspectives to team performance analysis, recruitment strategies, and tactical planning in modern football.

Scandals have been characterized as catalysts of contentious actions of fringe stakeholders against powerful organizations, which might even transform a political opportunity structure. Such claims ignore, however, that the abundance of scandals, media logic, and crisis management routines strongly favors individual “scapegoating”, limiting the impact of scandals. Hence, marginalized actors aiming to exploit scandals might need strong political allies and should not refrain from contentious actions. We provide support for our arguments by investigating the “kissing scandal” surrounding the Spanish women's national football team. The scandal was sparked by an unsolicited kiss by the president of the Spanish Football Association, Luis Rubiales, to the team's striker, Jennifer Hermoso, immediately after the team won the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia. Although the scandal made headlines around the world, it only left a limited impact on Spanish football governance due to a highly favorable political opportunity structure and the willingness of women's activists to engage in further contentious action. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Attack and defense cooperation mechanism of robot football team based on eligibility trace Q-learning algorithm

ABSTRACT This article examines world cups as spaces to represent political causes, with particular reference to the Palestinian-Israeli issue. The Qatar World Cup witnessed several expressions of support for the Palestinian cause by both fans and players of national football teams such as Morocco. With the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza and the increasing calls to ban Israel from international football, the issue is likely to dominate the build-up to the next world cup and the tournament itself. This article analyses the political dimension of World Cups, focusing on how these tournaments provide (or do not provide) spaces to express political stances. Major tournaments are not ‘neutral’ international spaces, but rather theatres where the expression of political views is controlled and limited by state and footballing authorities. Despite this, the global attention towards World Cups provides actors with an opportunity to defy these limitations and modify the main narrative around the tournament.

ABSTRACT As the world awaits its first joint North American World Cup in 2026, the tournament’s global spectacle strengthens fans’ emotional bonds with their teams. This study analyses Kerala football fans’ loyalty to the Spanish National Team. Kerala is an Indian state with a passionate football culture. We investigate how different cultural and sporting contexts influence football fans’ devotion. The study takes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with Indian fans and a focus group with the board of directors of Spanish Football Fans Kerala (SFFK), a registered organization under the Kerala Government. This study concludes that team performance and historical legacy are the main reasons why Kerala supporters support the Spanish National Football Team. Younger fans are crucial for future fan engagement tactics since they exhibit higher levels of involvement and emotional attachment. The results also highlight how important digital platforms are for building fan loyalty and improving international engagement.