Head impacts in semiprofessional male Soccer players: a prospective video analysis over one season of competitive games

ABSTRACT

Soccer exposes players to head injuries and involves repeated intentional head impacts through heading the ball. Our objective was to investigate the rate of both intentional headers and involuntary head impacts in semiprofessional male soccer players during one season.

In this prospective cohort study, we followed 54 men (16–35 years) playing in two soccer clubs participating in the same regional French championship throughout the 2017–2018 season. All head impacts that occurred in competitive games were analyzed using video recordings. Player position, game exposure, referee’s decision were also reported. Head impact incidence rate (IR) per 1000 player-hours, with the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results: Headers IR was 3584.7 per 1000 player-hours (95% CI = 3431.9, 3737.5). Forwards and center-backs performed a higher number of headers. Involuntary head impacts IR was 44.1/1000 player-hours (95% CI = 27.1, 60.9). Just under half led the referee to stop playing time for a caregiver examination. Three concussions with a loss of consciousness after a head-to-head impact in a heading duel were recorded.

Conclusions: Intentional headers were relatively common, contrary to involuntary head impacts that were however mainly due to heading duels. Head-to-head impact should lead to a systematic exit from the game for suspicion of concussion.

KEYWORDS:

• Soccer
• head impact
• concussion
• incidence
• video analysis

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the participants and the coaches of each soccer team for their support and help in collecting data.

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Data sharing

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.