Physical and mental health represents one of the main concerns of nowadays society, characterized by sedentarism, unhealthy food and unprecedented multimedia impact. Under these circumstances, sports are a sustainable alternative to overcome nowadays society’s challenges, with social, economic and personal positive effects. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between the anthropometric and physical indicators, measures between 2022 and 2025, of the University of Oradea FC football team’s players. The research methodology used was multicriterial analysis. In this respect, 9 indicators were analyzed, 4 anthropometric and 5 physical ones. The results showed the existence of strong negative relationships, followed by positive strong relationships, negative weak and positive weak relationships. The preponderance of strong negative relationships indicated the role of sports in children’s harmonious and balanced development. Based on tendencies in the evolution of relationship types according to the differences between the values of -1 and 1, assumptions were made and some players were identified in need of personalized training programs, as well as players for whom it was necessary to depict external factors to make the training more efficient and to improve their athletic performance.

Abstract This article explores the discursive and multimodal strategies through which leadership is accomplished collectively among the coaches of a professional football team. We demonstrate the benefits of using a modified version of Drath and colleagues’ (2008) DAC ontology in sociolinguistic research, and we show what can be gained by conceptualising leadership as a process rather than a set of behaviours or traits associated with an individual in a senior position. Drawing on authentic audio- and video-recordings of the interactions among the coaches of a national football team during a live match, and utilising the analytical concepts of epistemic and deontic status and stance (Stevanovic & Peräkylä 2014), we describe some of the complex discursive and multimodal processes through which leadership unfolds across a web of different interactions, taking place at different moments and in different locations throughout the match. (DAC ontology, collective leadership, professional football, web of leadership)

Background:Previous research has noted barriers to recognizing sport-related concussions (SRC) among rural populations and secondary schools without access to an athletic trainer (AT). These populations have lower emergency care utilization for concussions and are less likely to report concussions, respectively. Because most SRC-based epidemiological studies use health records or AT-driven databases, rural communities with limited healthcare access are underrepresented. This study aimed to estimate clinical incidence of concussion among high school football athletes in rural communities with healthcare barriers.Hypothesis:The clinical incidence of concussion will be lower in rural schools and schools without AT access.Methods:A prospective cohort design was used to evaluate the clinical incidence of SRC among 10 Alabama high school football teams (four urban, six rural) over two consecutive competitive seasons. Inclusion criteria for SRC were (1) occurring during participation in a football activity (e.g., practice, competition, conditioning, weightlifting, etc.) and (2) diagnosed by a licensed healthcare professional (i.e. AT/physician). A weekly SRC count was recorded at each school, coordinated by a research liaison using community-engaged methods. Distributions of SRC were examined by count per team-season and time in season (e.g., preseason, regular season). One-season SRC risk was calculated as the sum of concussed athletes divided by the sum of participating athletes across all seasons. Subsequent clinical incidence ratios (RR) were calculated by rurality and AT access.Results:There were 32 concussions reported across 1,001 athlete-seasons, resulting in an overall one-season SRC risk of 3.2% (95%CI: 2.1-4.3%). Sixteen SRCs (50.0%) occurred in team-seasons from rural high schools (one-season risk=3.2%; 95%CI: 1.6-4.7%). Sixteen SRCs (50.0%) occurred in team-seasons from urban high schools (one-season risk=3.2%; 95%CI: 1.7-4.8%). The resultant risk-ratio was not statistically significant (RR=0.99; 95%CI: 0.50-1.96). Overall, 24 SRCs (75.0%) occurred in team-seasons from high schools with an AT presence (one-season risk=4.4%; 95%CI: 2.7-6.1%). Eight SRCs (25.0%) occurred in team-seasons from high schools without an AT presence (one-season risk=1.8%; 95%CI: 0.6-3.0%). AT presence was associated with SRC risk, with a higher reported incidence found in schools with an AT (RR=2.49; 95%CI: 1.13-5.49; large effect size).Conclusion:An estimated concussion risk of 3.2% translates to 3-4 of every 100 football athletes will report a SRC per season. However, risk varied widely, with one-fifth of teams reporting none and others reporting 9-10 per 100 athletes. Findings signify the need for AT services in rural communities with healthcare barriers, particularly since AT presence may help encourage SRC reporting.

ABSTRACT Elite football clubs rely heavily on medical and performance units to optimise players’ health care and performance. Despite their growing importance, little is known about how these departments are structured and managed. This study investigates the organisational structure and operational processes within medical and performance departments in elite European football clubs. An online survey was distributed to 193 professional football clubs in 29 European countries, with 66 complete responses (34% response rate). Descriptive quantitative analyses and descriptive analyses of open-ended items explored leadership models, communication, data management, and return-to-play (RTP) procedures. Organisational structures varied, with flat (30%), functional (21%), and matrix (23%) models most common. Regional differences in leadership configurations were observed, though not statistically significant between European regions. Most departments reported to a Sports Director (42%) and operated with established communication pathways, with 89% agreeing that information was effectively transferred. Data were primarily stored centrally within the medical department or the club. Return-to-play practices almost exclusively followed a phased model, with physiotherapists central across all stages. Team doctors were heavily involved in early stages but less so during return to performance, where sport scientists and rehab coaches became more prominent reflecting current multidisciplinary RTP frameworks. High levels of external engagement (91%) and research involvement (62%) highlight a growing emphasis on evidence-based practice. These findings describe substantial structural heterogeneity and increasing professionalisation of medical and performance departments in European elite football. Regional variability and differences in leadership, data management, and decision-making processes warrant further investigation rather than direct comparison.

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.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate (1) Football coaches' and players' experiences with a co‐created injury prevention (IP) implementation strategy, (2) Football coaches' and players' visions for improving the implementation of IP; and (3) to which extent the initial co‐created implementation strategy increases the use of IP exercises. A mixed‐method design consisting of observations and interviews. An implementation strategy was co‐created with five youth girls' coaches in a community‐based football club. The process was evaluated through semi‐structured focus group interviews with five coaches and eight youth players. Observations of football sessions were conducted before intervention, 5 weeks after and 7 months after implementation. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes were generated from the coaches' interview: (1) use of IP during intervention period, (2) challenges during intervention period, (3) positive experiences during the intervention, (4) responsibility and other stakeholders, and (5) visions for future implementation. Four themes were generated from interviewing the players: (1) experiences with IP during the intervention, (2) injuries and consequences, (3) motivation, and (4) visions for implementation. Observations showed increased duration of IP and increased number of IP exercises after 5 weeks, but limited changes after 7 months. The co‐created strategy led to a limited increase of IP exercises used. While coaches had mixed experiences with IP during the intervention, the players generally had positive experiences. The participants' visions for improving the implementation were to engage multiple stakeholders, change the culture of the club, and gain knowledge.

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.

Antenucci, L, Schmidt, C, and Malatesta, D. Comparing match-related physical performance using arbitrary and individual running speed, acceleration, and deceleration zones in professional football players (part 1). J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-This study aimed to compare match-related physical performance and its match-to-match variability using arbitrary (ARB) and individualized (IND) intensity thresholds for running speed, accelerations (ACC), and decelerations (DEC) in a professional football team. Global navigation satellite system data from an entire Swiss first-division season (30 matches) were analyzed for 14 players. The match-related physical performance was assessed across 4 intensity zones for running speed, ACCs, and DECs: low-speed running, high-speed running (HSR), very high-speed running, sprinting and ACC1/2/3/4/DEC1/2/3/4. The distance covered and the number of ACCs/DECs in each zone were recorded through 3 thresholds for both ARB (speed: 14.4/19.8/25.2 km·h-1; ACCs/DECs: 1.0/2.0/3.0 m·s-2) and IND (speed: speed at the second lactate threshold, peak incremental speed, and anaerobic sprint reserve; ACCs/DECs: 25%/50%/75% of maximal ACCs/DECs). Within-player match-to-match variability coefficient of variation was also calculated. Significant differences were found between both methods across all zones (p ≤ 0.033). Running distances were significantly greater in IND than in ARB for all zones (4.5-110.7%) except HSR (-37.0%). Accelerations/DECs were significantly greater in IND for ACC1 (74.7%) and DEC1 (117.9%), but lower for ACC2/3/4/DEC2/3/4 (-16.0% to -96.3%). The number of ACC4/DEC4 was nearly negligible in IND. Coefficients of variation were lower for sprint distance, and greater for ACC4/DEC4 in IND than in ARB. The significant differences between ARB and IND running speed zones suggest that IND method should be used to assess match-related running performance accurately, while ARB method should be used for quantifying the number of ACCs/DECs.

Vicens-Bordas, J, Colomar, J, Altarriba-Bartés, A, Yeto-Jiménez, A, Jiménez, A, Carrera-Prat, J, García, F, Peña, J, and Beato, M. Comparison of external load demands across three competitive tiers in Spanish football: A three-season single-club study. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-The purpose of this study was to compare the match external load demands experienced by a football team competing for 3 consecutive seasons across various competitive tiers (fourth, third, and second) of Spanish football. Independent variables included player position, match location, and match outcome. A total of 747 individual official match observations from 47 male players were recorded using 10-Hz global positioning system devices. External load metrics (relative to minutes played) included total distance, high-speed running (HSR > 21 km·hour-1), sprint distance (>24 km·hour-1), high metabolic load distance (HMLD > 25.5 W·kg-1), accelerations (>3 m·second-2), and decelerations (<-3 m·second-2). Linear mixed models (significance level set at p < 0.05) assessed the effects of competitive level, position, location, and result, including interaction effects. Cohen's d was also calculated with 95% confidence interval. Results showed that HSR and HMLD differed across competitive levels, with professional (second tier) matches requiring higher HSR demands (medium effects), and fourth tier greater HMLD demands than third tier (small effect). Positional differences were present in all metrics except accelerations, with wide roles (wingers and wide backs) being exposed to greater demands than central positions (medium to large effects). Match location had limited influence, though total distance was slightly higher at home matches (small effect). Winning was consistently associated with higher physical demands, particularly in the second tier, where players covered more distance at high intensities (HSR and sprinting) than when drawing or losing (small to medium effects). Interaction effects indicated that competition level modulated the influence of player position, match location, and result on physical demands. These findings suggest that professional football imposes higher physical demands (although not for all parameters, e.g., accelerations) than semiprofessional football. Coaches and practitioners should consider competition level and contextual factors when designing training and recovery strategies, particularly for wide-position players and during high-stakes matches.

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.

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.