Perceptions of the technical staff of professional teams regarding injury prevention in Spanish national futsal leagues: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Futsal is a sport with increasing popularity and level of performance, both in male and female categories. Also, there are several injuries along a season, so it is needed to know how to reduce this burden. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of technical staff on injury risk factors, risk testing and preventive measures, and the strategies used by them within professional male and female futsal teams. A cross-sectional study was designed during the 2017–2018 season. A total of 32 futsal teams involved in male and female Spanish national futsal leagues completed, through an online survey platform, a questionnaire about injury risk factors, risk testing and preventive measures. Findings showed that: (a) most teams reported enough human resources, but insufficient material and time resources, (b) the main risk factors detected were previous injuries, strength deficits and dehydration, (c) functional movement patterns, flexibility tests and self-report questionnaires were the most applied tests for detecting injury risks in their players and (d) most of the main preventive measures used by technical staff matched with the best valued by them. Technical staff defined properly the main risk factors in futsal performance, as well as they applied preventive strategies with scientific support. The information provided in this research could be of interest for sport scientists and technical staff when designing more accurate and efficient injury prevention programs in futsal.