Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41195945›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports2025

The International Match Calendar in Men's Professional Football: An Expert Position Statement.

Steve Den Hollander, Darren Burgess, Gino Kerkhoffs, Vincent Gouttebarge

Abstract readConsensus Statement
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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.

Steve Den HollanderFootball Players Worldwide (FIFPRO), Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6064-038X
Darren BurgessAdelaide Football Club, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Gino KerkhoffsDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Vincent GouttebargeFootball Players Worldwide (FIFPRO), Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0126-4177

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Given the challenges and concerns associated with the congested schedule dictated by the International Match Calendar (IMC), there is a need for a player-centric expert position statement with specific recommendations and guidance related to the key dimensions of the IMC in men's professional football. Following a review of scientific and occupational health literature and surveys of players and staff in professional football, 19 statements across 6 key dimensions of the IMC were formulated. The statements were then reviewed and refined through a three-round Delphi study, engaging experts to a consensus-based position statement. Expert consensus was reached on 12 statements across 5 key dimensions of the IMC: in-season rest and recovery, off-season break, mid-season break, travel, and young player workload. Although consensus was not reached on statements related to match workload, 69% of experts agreed on the need for a maximum limit of matches per player per season. The expert position statement provides recommendations and guidance on structural safeguards within the IMC that prioritize the long-term health and performance of players.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceSoccerDelphi TechniqueHumansMaleRestWorkloadDelphi studyfixture congestionresttravelworkload

Identifiers

PMID41195945
PMCPMC12591028

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.