The FIFA 11+ injury prevention program reduces the incidence of lower extremity injuries in football players: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional trials
PubMed 39360984 · doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.24.15910-5
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis searching Scopus, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, and ProQuest to evaluate the effect of the FIFA 11+ program on lower extremity injury incidence in male and female football players. Study selection and data extraction were conducted by two independent researchers. Quality assessment was performed against a combined 39-criteria tool derived from multiple assessment scales.
What was found
The review identified 12 trials of variable methodological quality, with 10 trials pooled in meta-analysis. The FIFA 11+ program demonstrated a reduction in lower extremity injury incidence in young and adult males compared to other programs (P < 0.1). The abstract provides no exact numerical risk estimates, confidence intervals, or total participant counts. Evidence regarding effectiveness in female players was reported as lacking.
Why it matters
This review supports implementing the FIFA 11+ program for male football players to reduce lower limb injury rates, while highlighting the evidence gap in female athletes.
Limits
The abstract provides no specific numerical effect sizes, confidence intervals, or total participant numbers, and relies on an unconventional significance threshold (P < 0.1). Included trials had variable methodological quality, high between-study heterogeneity was noted, and data were insufficient to draw conclusions for female players.
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