OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The TQCC of Science and Medicine in Football is 6. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2021-04-01 to 2025-04-01.)

Article	Citations
A special issue only for one virus: has the football research community responded well to the pandemic?	45
The effect of knee-flexion angle on peak force and muscle activation during isometric knee-flexor strength testing using the Nordbord device in soccer players	44
Reliability of spatial-temporal metrics used to assess collective behaviours in football: an in-silico experiment	40
Re: A contemporary multi-modal mechanical approach to training monitoring in elite professional soccer: a statistical problem?	37
Single leg drop jump is affected by physical capacities in male soccer players following ACL reconstruction	35
Mortality of Spanish soccer referees and coaches: a retrospective cohort study	33
Relative age and biological maturity-related selection biases in male youth soccer across different competitive levels within a national association	30
Sport-related concussion knowledge and attitudes of staff working in English elite women’s football: a survey-based study	23
Acute locomotor, heart rate and neuromuscular responses to added wearable resistance during soccer-specific training	23
The introduction of the six-again rule has increased acceleration intensity across all positions in the National Rugby League competition	22
Decrease in aerial challenges after revision of goal kick rules in Japan Professional Soccer League: explorative study of the possibility of a risk reduction for head injury, concussion, and brain dam	22
Examining the mental health status of referees in the turkish professional football league	20
Time to change direction in training load monitoring in elite football? The application of MEMS accelerometers for the evaluation of movement requirements	16
What contextual factors influence pain management decision making concerning player availability in professional men’s football? A qualitative analysis of practitioner perceptions	14
Determining age-specific velocity thresholds for elite youth female soccer players	14
Video analysis of anterior cruciate ligament injury situations in the women’s Australian football league	14
Strength effects of the Copenhagen adduction exercise vs an adductor squeeze exercise in male football players – A randomized controlled trial	14
A mechanical comparison of the translational traction of female-specific and male soccer boots	14
Identification of potential risk factors for lower limb injuries in female team-sport athletes: a prospective cohort study	13
A commentary on soccer match-play simulations for applied research and practice	13
Individually randomized trial mislabeled as a cluster-randomized trial. Comment on: “Effectiveness of wearable technology to optimize youth soccer players’ off-training behaviour and training response	13
The effect of bio-banding on technical and tactical indicators of talent identification in academy soccer players	13
The effect of team formation on match running performance in UEFA Champions League matches: implications for position-specific conditioning	13
The keys of pressing to gain the ball – Characteristics of defensive pressure in elite soccer using tracking data	12
Exploring decision-making practices during coaching sessions in grassroots youth soccer: a mixed-methods study	12

Individual and situational factors affecting the movement characteristics and internal responses to Touch match-play during an international tournament	12
Developmental activities of professional male British rugby-league players versus controls	12
Analysing the impact of the 50:22 kick law changes in South African rugby tournaments between 2021 and 2022	11
Heading in Football: insights from stakeholders in amateur football	11
Evolution of passing network in the Soccer World Cups 2010–2022	11
Menstrual cycle performance barriers experienced by elite women football players and their management strategies applied: A semi-structured interview-based study	11
Perspectives of the barriers and enablers to nutritional adherence in professional male academy football players	11
Knowledge, attitude and behaviour around concussion at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: part 2 – coaches, performance staff and players	11
No independent or synergistic effects of carbohydrate-caffeine mouth rinse on repeated sprint performance during simulated soccer match play in male recreational soccer players	10
Dealing with small samples in football research	10
Sport-related concussion return-to-play practices of medical team staff in elite football in the United Kingdom	10
Research on women’s futsal: a scoping review	10
Characteristics of potential head injury situations at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ^TM	10
Change of direction frequency off the ball: new perspectives in elite youth soccer	9
Perceiving, reporting and managing an injury – perspectives from national team football players, coaches, and health professionals	9
Effect of ball inclusion on jump performance in soccer players: a biomechanical approach	9
Oral contraceptive use in Premiership and Championship women’s rugby union: perceived symptomology, management strategies, and performance and wellness effects	9
A formative investigation assessing menstrual health literacy in professional women’s football	9
Linear advancing actions followed by deceleration and turn are the most common movements preceding goals in male professional soccer	9
Incidence of concussion and associated risk factors in collegiate soccer: findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE consortium	9
Isokinetic hamstring and quadriceps strength interpretation guideline for football (soccer) players with ACL reconstruction: a Delphi consensus study in the Netherlands	9
Fundamental movement skills and perceived competence, but not fitness, are the key factors associated with technical skill performance in boys who play grassroots soccer	9
Quantifying change of direction load using positional data from small-sided games in soccer	8
Assessing the association between on-field heading technique and head impact kinematics in a cohort of female youth soccer players	8
Is there a relationship between lower-extremity injuries and foot postures in professional football players? A prospective cohort study	8
Survey of the current practices of German football academies towards biological maturation assessment	7
Are there differences in the attention of elite football players concerning playing positions?	7
Assessing the usefulness of submaximal exercise heart rates for monitoring cardiorespiratory fitness changes in elite youth soccer players	7
Effects of concussion on technical performance in professional Australian football	6
Seasonal health tracking of Australian Football League Women’s athletes	6
The incidence and characteristics of heading in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup™	6
Exploring the impact of athletic identity on gender role conflict and athlete injury fear avoidance in male English professional academy football players	6
Competitive level differences in the activity profile of elite Gaelic football referees	6
Analysis of potential hydration opportunities during future football tournaments based on data from the 2018 FIFA World Cup	6
Monitoring of sprint and change of direction velocity, vertical jump height, and repeated sprint ability in sub-elite female football players throughout their menstrual cycle	6
Effect of support foot placement on football instep kick performance	6
Early identification of the opposition shot taker characterises elite goalkeepers’ ability to read the game	6
Time-loss injuries and illnesses at the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022	6
Low sleep quality and morningness-eveningness scale score may impair ball placement but not kicking velocity in youth academy soccer players	6
Preseason multiple biomechanics testing and dimension reduction for injury risk surveillance in elite female soccer athletes: short-communication	6
The impact of simulated soccer match-play on hip and hamstring strength in academy soccer players	6