Injuries in women soccer - Results of a prospective study - In cooperation with the German football association (DFB)

Within the twelve female first division soccer teams 131 players of all 254 were injured during the season 2000/01. A total of 216 injuries was found, among them 74 minor (less than a week absence from sport), 84 moderate (max. 6 weeks) and 58 major injuries (more than 6 weeks). The average time to recover after an injury was 26.5 days. Within 116 joint injuries 16 sprains and 22 ligamental ruptures of the ankle, 16 meniscal lesions and 71 ACL ruptures could be found. Women soccer shows - compared to men - a higher selective risk of severe injuries, especially to the ankle joint and cruciate ligament. The accumulation of major injuries at the beginning of the season might be due to a too great demand during the preparation. There seems to be a need of improvement of the coordinative skills and to establish proprioceptive joint exercises as a relevant part of training.