Since the 2000 season, an injury surveillance system has been established to monitor injury risk and injury patterns in the Norwegian professional football [soccer] league. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of routine injury registration performed by medical staff in professional football. The team medical staff completed injury registration forms on a monthly basis throughout the 2007 season (January-October). Players were interviewed at the end of the season (October/November) about all injuries that occurred from July through September. Thirteen of fourteen teams, 296 of 310 A‐squad players were interviewed. An injury was recorded when a player was unable to take fully part in football training or match the day after injury. A total of 174 injuries were registered, 123 acute injuries and 51 overuse injuries. Of these, 141 were reported by medical staff and 122 by players. Eighty‐nine injuries (51%) were registered using both methods, 52 (30%) by medical staff only and 33 (19%) by player interviews only. Prospective injury surveillance by team medical staff in Norwegian male professional football underestimates the incidence of time‐loss injuries by at least one‐fifth.
LA - en SN - 0905-7188 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01085.x ID - ref1 ER -