Dynamic Balance, Flexibility and Agility as Predictors of Lower-extremity Injury in Football Players

Prospective Cohort Study, Follow-up of Subjects Over Long Periods, Assessment of Test Reliability in Predicting Injury Risk

This research investigates the reliability of tests to assess injury risk. Participants will be tested at the beginning of the survey and will be monitored for over 5 months. Participants will take 4 types of tests related to dynamic balance, flexibility, and agility. Subsequently, the relationship between test results and the incidence of injury in the subjects will be analyzed. If the tests prove reliable, they will be included in standard tests to assess the risk of injury to football players.

Too often, injuring athlete results in a large amount of money being spent on rehabilitation. In a world of sports where the speed of recovery means a lot, ways are sought first and foremost to minimize the frequency of non-contact injuries. To prevent certain things, it is important to know the initial state, therefore, to see if certain factors at the outset indicate to us that there is a certain imbalance that can result in the injury. Since we live in a country where sports clubs are unable to spend large amounts of money on rehabilitation, it would be of great benefit to find reliable tests that can help to prevent an injury. Studies have shown that tests of balance, flexibility, and agility can help to prevent injury to football players in other countries. The same tests will be applied to Premier League footballers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and their effectiveness in assessing the degree of risk of lower limb injuries will be tested. If they prove reliable, they can become a standard in the prevention of these injuries, that is, they will help in the development of injury prevention programs, which would be of great benefit to both clubs and football players.

The study aims to determine whether dynamic balance and flexibility tests can be used as reliable predictors of lower limb injuries in football players and whether reduced agility influences the increased risk of injury.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Professional players
• Age above 18 years
• Voluntary access to research

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age under 18,
• Refusal to take the research,
• Remaining in the club until the end of the examination,
• Errors in keeping records of injuries by responsible persons,
• Injuries to the lower limbs in the last ten days,
• Vestibular disorders.