High-Risk Periods during the Year

When studying risk factors for injuries, some studies have indicated high-risk periods during the year . Such high risk periods could, for example, include training camps during the preseason period, where the amount and  often is higher than during the preceding period.Other factors such as changes of the playing ground and weather conditions could also play a role. Another period could be the last part of the preseason periods, where the training might be more intensive including a lot of training games or competitions. 

During the start of the competitive season some teams experience increased injury rate, maybe because of a higher tempo, more games, and, in the northern countries, a change from artificial turf to natural grass in some types of sport. During the end of the competitive season some teams also show an increase in injury rate possible because the players are getting tired .

Player’s Attention and Ball Control 

In ball games where collisions are common, for example, in soccer, Australian Rules football, and other football codes,attention of the exposed player is important. Studies by video analyses of soccer games indicate that many injuries during duels occurred when the attention of the exposed player was focused on the ball either in the air, when the players were attempting to head the ball, or when a player is attempting to control the ball after receiving it. During these situations, the players’ attention is often focused on the ball and away from the opponent challenging him for ball possession. Moreover, the exposed players often seemed not to be aware of the opponent at all .

Rules and Foul Play 

In contact sport, rules can decrease the risk of injuries,and studies have been performed, for example, in volley ball that shows that rule changes as a part of a prevention program can decrease the injury rate . In some sport,rule changes have been made to reduce injury risk, for example, in soccer when red card was adopted for tackling from behind. Foul play can also increase the risk of injuries.Studies on soccer players have, for example, indicated that foul play could be responsible for 16% to 28% of all injuries. Therefore, fair play has been included in many prevention programs.