Influence of poor preparation and sleep deficit on injury incidence in amateur small field football of both gender

Introduction Amateur small-field football tournaments are rather common worldwide. Adequate preparation is essential for injury prevention. The consequences of insufficient injury preparation at this level are still unclear. This study investigates the factors influencing injuries in this football population. Materials and methods In 2017, medical students participating in a national amateur football tournament were analysed in a prospective cohort study. Injury incidence, injury pattern and factors influencing injuries were investigated according to the statement on data collection and injury definition of Fuller et al. (Br J Sports Med 40:193–201, 2006 ). Preparation for the tournament was assessed for both sexes by means of hours of sleep, alcohol consumption, training level and warm-up performance. Level of evidence: II. Results Of 694 amateur football players (423 men and 271 women) with a mean age of 23 years (SD 2.5), 321 (21.1%) injuries happened during the tournament. 60% of injuries affected the lower extremity. The most common types of traumatic injury were skin abrasions (40.0%) and muscle strains (23.3%). The injury incidence of male players during match exposure was 469 per 1000 h football and significantly higher than in female players 313 ( p = 0.025). One potential reason for the higher injury rate of male players as measure for inadequate preparation was significantly higher alcohol consumption the evening before the tournament ( p