Incidence of Injuries in Elite French Youth Soccer Players A 10-Season Study

BackgroundResearch on age-related injury incidence in elite youth soccer is needed to identify high-risk groups.PurposeTo investigate the incidence of soccer-related injuries in elite French youth players based at the Clairefontaine Football Center.Study DesignCohort study (Prevalence); Level of evidence, 1.MethodsInjuries sustained by players in the younger than 14-, 15-, and 16-year-old age groups during 10 seasons were diagnosed and documented by a sports physician according to type, location, severity, the date the injury occurred, and playing position.ResultsAltogether, 1152 injuries were documented across all age groups with 69.1% and 30.9% sustained during training and matches, respectively. A total of 4.8 injuries per 1000 hours’ exposure time were recorded and 11.2 and 3.9 injuries per 1000 hours for matches and training, respectively. There was no significant difference in injury frequency between age groups. The youngest group sustained more training injuries (P < .05) and osteochondroses (P < ...