Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34029321›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2021

Effect of the FIFA 11+ soccer specific warm up programme on the incidence of injuries: A cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Assuman Nuhu, Jennifer Jelsma, Kim Dunleavy, Theresa Burgess

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. The Effect of FIFA 11+ on the Isometric Strength and Running Ability of Young Soccer Players.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Trial
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Dynamic Warm-ups Play Pivotal Role in Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Assuman NuhuDepartment of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.ORCID 0000-0002-5330-6340
Jennifer JelsmaDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Kim DunleavyDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-5128-5593
Theresa BurgessDivision of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
University of Cape Town · ZAUniversity of Florida · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSoccer players incur injuries that typically affect their performance. Injuries are caused by intrinsic and extrinsic factors that call for multifactorial preventive interventions. The study examines the impact of the FIFA 11+ warm up programme on the incidence and severity of injuries in second division soccer players in Rwanda.

methodsTwelve teams (309 players) were randomised in the intervention group and 12 teams (317 players) in the control group using a cluster randomized controlled trial with teams as the unit of randomization. Intervention group teams implemented the FIFA 11+ soccer specific warm-up programme during training and matches at least three times a week over seven months of the Rwandan soccer season. Control group teams continued with usual warm up exercises. The primary outcome of this study was the overall incidence of training and match injuries. Injuries, training and match exposure as well as severity categories were recorded per the F-MARC guidelines.

resultsA lower proportion of players sustained injuries in the intervention group (52%) compared to the control group (63%) (Odd ratio: 0.7; 95%CI: 0.5-0.9). A significantly lower rate ratio was observed in the intervention group for overall (RR = 0.6; 95%CI: 0.5-0.8) and match (RR = 0.6; 95%CI: 0.5-0.8) injuries. Compliance to the injury prevention programme was 77%. In the intervention group, the incidence of injury was similar across all teams and across the medium and highly compliant teams. There was a statistically significant 55% and 71% reduction of the rate of moderate and severe injuries in the intervention group respectively.

conclusionThe 11+ warm up injury prevention programme resulted in a significant reduction in the odds of sustaining injuries. In addition, injuries sustained were less severe. The programme should be rolled out to all teams in Rwanda and may well result in a decrease in the incidence and severity of injury in similar contexts.

trial registrationPan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201505001045388).

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAthletic InjuriesHumansMaleRwandaSoccerWarm-Up Exercise

Identifiers

PMID34029321
PMCPMC8143390
OpenAlexW3164334703

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC0
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.