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Zahra Saharkhiz Tochahi1, Raheleh Ghaffari Cherati2, Seyed Hossein Mirkarimpour *2, Qasemali Karimaei2
1- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2- Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shomal University, Amol, Iran.
2- Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shomal University, Amol, Iran.
Abstract: (29 Views)
Purpose: The dynamic, multidirectional, high-intensity, and competitive demands of soccer place young players at considerable risk of lower-limb injury. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a six-week FUNBALL warm-up program on injury risk screening tests (including the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) and Tuck Jump) and functional tests (including the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and NINE Test) in male soccer players aged 17–20 years.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, thirty male soccer players aged 17–20 years with no lower-limb musculoskeletal injury in the preceding six months were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group (FUNBALL; n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Over six weeks, the intervention group completed the FUNBALL warm-up three times weekly for about 20 minutes per session, combining balance, core-stability, eccentric hamstring, gluteal-activation, plyometric, and running/sprinting exercises with ball-based cognitive challenges, while the control group continued its usual routine warm-up. Tuck Jump, LESS, FMS, and the Nine-Test were assessed before and after the intervention. Normality was evaluated with the Shapiro–Wilk test; ANCOVA, adjusted for baseline scores, was used for normally distributed variables, and the Mann–Whitney U test for the non-normally distributed Tuck Jump variable, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: Baseline characteristics did not differ between groups (p > 0.05), and both groups improved significantly within group. ANCOVA showed significantly greater post-test gains in the FUNBALL group for LESS (F(1,28)=188.88, p=0.001, η²=0.87), FMS (F(1,28)=304.49, p=0.001, η²=0.91), and NINE Test (F(1,28)=21.59, p=0.001, η²=0.44) at post-test in favor of the FUNBALL group. ). No significant between-group difference was found for the Tuck Jump at post-test (p = 0.30).
Conclusion: A six-week FUNBALL warm-up produced greater gains in landing quality, functional stability, and overall performance than a routine warm-up in male soccer players aged 17–20 years, though it offered no added benefit for Tuck Jump performance. FUNBALL may serve as a practical alternative to conventional warm-ups for lowering injury-risk indicators in young male players; findings should not be generalized to females, and future research should assess injury incidence over longer follow-up.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, thirty male soccer players aged 17–20 years with no lower-limb musculoskeletal injury in the preceding six months were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group (FUNBALL; n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Over six weeks, the intervention group completed the FUNBALL warm-up three times weekly for about 20 minutes per session, combining balance, core-stability, eccentric hamstring, gluteal-activation, plyometric, and running/sprinting exercises with ball-based cognitive challenges, while the control group continued its usual routine warm-up. Tuck Jump, LESS, FMS, and the Nine-Test were assessed before and after the intervention. Normality was evaluated with the Shapiro–Wilk test; ANCOVA, adjusted for baseline scores, was used for normally distributed variables, and the Mann–Whitney U test for the non-normally distributed Tuck Jump variable, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: Baseline characteristics did not differ between groups (p > 0.05), and both groups improved significantly within group. ANCOVA showed significantly greater post-test gains in the FUNBALL group for LESS (F(1,28)=188.88, p=0.001, η²=0.87), FMS (F(1,28)=304.49, p=0.001, η²=0.91), and NINE Test (F(1,28)=21.59, p=0.001, η²=0.44) at post-test in favor of the FUNBALL group. ). No significant between-group difference was found for the Tuck Jump at post-test (p = 0.30).
Conclusion: A six-week FUNBALL warm-up produced greater gains in landing quality, functional stability, and overall performance than a routine warm-up in male soccer players aged 17–20 years, though it offered no added benefit for Tuck Jump performance. FUNBALL may serve as a practical alternative to conventional warm-ups for lowering injury-risk indicators in young male players; findings should not be generalized to females, and future research should assess injury incidence over longer follow-up.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Sport injury and corrective exercises
Received: 2026/05/1 | Accepted: 2026/09/4
Received: 2026/05/1 | Accepted: 2026/09/4
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