Effect of the FIFA 11+ on Landing Patterns and Baseline Movement Errors in Elite Male Youth Soccer Players

Abstract

Context: There is no evidence regarding the effect of the FIFA 11+ on landing kinematics in male soccer players, and few studies exist regarding the evaluating progress of interventions based on the initial biomechanical profile.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the FIFA 11+ program on landing patterns in soccer players classified as at low or high risk for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Field-based functional movement screening performed at the soccer field.

Participants: A total of 24 elite male youth soccer players participated in this study.

Intervention: The intervention group performed the FIFA 11+ program 3 times per week for 8 weeks, whereas the control group performed their regular warm-up program.

Main outcome measures: Before and after the intervention, all participants were assessed for landing mechanics using the Landing Error Scoring System. Pretraining Landing Error Scoring System scores were used to determine risk groups.

Results: The FIFA 11+ group had greater improvement than the control group in terms of improving the landing pattern; there was a significant intergroup difference (F1,20 = 28.86, P < .001, ηp2=.591). Soccer players categorized as being at high risk displayed greater improvement from the FIFA 11+ program than those at low risk (P = .03). However, there was no significant difference in the proportion of risk category following the routine warm-up program (P = 1.000).

Conclusions: The present study provides evidence of the usefulness of the FIFA 11+ program for reducing risk factors associated with noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The authors' results also suggest that soccer players with the higher risk profile would benefit more than those with lower risk profiles and that targeting them may improve the efficacy of the FIFA 11+ program.

Keywords: Landing Error Scoring System; anterior cruciate ligament injury; landing biomechanics; risk profile; warm-up program.