Effect of a Shortened FIFA11+ Warm-up Program and Sex-specific Footwear on Cutting in Youth Soccer Players

NCT ID: NCT06638346

Last Updated: 2025-12-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

64 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-01-29

Study Completion Date

2024-05-22

Brief Summary

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This research aims to look at how warm-up programs and types of footwear affect movement patterns that are associated with injury risk during change-of-direction tasks, also known as cutting, in youth soccer players. Specifically, this research is conducted in two parts with two different study designs: a quasi-randomized controlled trial and a crossover design. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* \[Part 1: Quasi-RCT\] How does sex and a shortened FIFA11+ warm-up program, lasting 3 months, affect movement patterns during cutting compared to a standard warm-up program in youth soccer players?
* \[Part 2: Crossover design\] How does female-specific footwear affect movement patterns during cutting, compared to unisex footwear, in youth female players? Secondarily, whether specific shoe properties (comfort, functional traction, pressure distribution) differ between the two types of footwear.

For part 1 of the research:

* Researchers will compare a shortened FIFA11+ with a Brazilian warm-up program (standard) to see its effect on movement patterns during cutting.
* Participants will perform their assigned warm-up program twice a week for 3 months (12-weeks).
* To assess movement patterns, participants will perform an unplanned sidestep cutting task, captured with markerless cameras, before and after the training period.

For part 2, only female participants will be involved:

* Researchers will compare the effects of female-specific soccer cleats (designed exclusively for female) with unisex soccer cleats on cutting patterns and certain shoe properties.
* All participants will test both types of footwear and perform an unplanned sidestep task captured with markerless cameras, run through a slalom course (multiple acceleration and change of directions) to test for shoe traction, and complete an online survey on shoe comfort and perceived performance.
* A subset of participants will perform a planned sidestep task with wireless insoles to test for pressure distribution.

Detailed Description

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With the rise of soccer's global prominence, injury risks among players remain a concern. Deceleration and change of direction maneuvers are frequently employed as an evasive strategy during games. However, they often contribute to higher risk of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Sidestep cutting involves planting with one foot and pushing off in the opposite direction. Improper movement patterns may increase loads on the planted leg leading to injuries. Injury prevention initiatives such as the FIFA11+ have been introduced to reduce injury rates, but it is unclear whether these programs can correct movement patterns during cutting. Moreover, the length of these programs (often lasting 20 minutes) can reduce adherence and hinder their practical implementation in the real-world. This results in alternative programs like the Brazilian warm-up to be used instead.

In addition, females are significantly more at-risk of ACL injuries than males. This is often attributed to differences in movement pattern and anatomy. Variations in foot anatomy can affect how players interact with footwear, which may in turn, influence cutting patterns. Yet, soccer footwear is typically designed using a male foot template (i.e. last), resulting in a one-size for all approach for female athletes.

In order to address current limitations, this study aims to estimate the effect of a shortened FIFA11+ and sex-specific footwear on cutting kinematics in youth soccer players. This will be done in two parts, where part 1 examines two warm-up programs, and part 2 examines two types of footwear. Ethics approval and informed participants and parental consent as well as assent have been obtained.

For part 1 of the study, 64 healthy soccer players will be recruited from Soccer Montréal (formerly known as Association Régionale de Soccer Concordia (ARSC)) sport study program. Soccer Montréal provides soccer sport study programs to high schools for high performance soccer players. Soccer Montréal conducts soccer training with pre-established cohorts separated by sex and age. Two male and 2 female cohorts will be allocated to either the intervention or control group. Male cohorts of similar age groups will be selected, and the entire cohort will be randomly allocated using a computer. The female cohorts have different age groups, and thus allocation to intervention or control will be divided within each cohort following a quasi-randomized fashion. During the testing, participants are required to perform an unanticipated sidestep maneuver at 45 (±10) degrees on artificial turf. Data will be collected with markerless motion capture systems. A total of 7 trials will be captured in each direction, only 5 out of 7 will be analyzed.

For part 2 of the study, female participants from part 1 (32 females) will test two types of footwear: Female-specific and unisex soccer cleats. Testing will be done at one time point. Female-specific cleats are provided from IDA sports, specifically the IDA centra FG/AG model. Unisex cleats are the Nike Tiempo Legend 10 Academy. Proper fit of shoe sizes will be examined manually by the research team prior to testing. Kinematic data will be collected using the same unanticipated sidestep task as part 1. Additional testing will include a slalom course to examine functional traction of the shoes. Participants will complete an online comfort survey, following the slalom course, once for each shoe. A subset of female participants will also complete a sidestep cutting task with wireless insoles to measure pressure data.

Findings of this study will advance knowledge of ACL injury mechanism during cutting tasks, aid in the design of more practical injury prevention programs and guide the development of female-specific footwear.

Conditions

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Healthy

Keywords

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sidestep cutting markerless motion capture system injury prevention program female-specific footwear kinematics shortened FIFA11+ youth soccer players

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

\[Part1: Warm-up intervention\]: It will consist of a longitudinal and prospective study conducted as a 2-group parallel quasi-randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation and two time points (baseline, after 12-weeks). Both groups will complete a 12-week warm-up program. Group allocation will be done in a quasi-randomized fashion (see study detailed description).

\[Part2: Footwear study\]: It will consist of a prospective, crossover design at one time point. All female participants will test both types of footwear (female-specific and unisex).
Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

All the participants are within the same soccer organization and therefore complete masking of participants to group allocation is not possible. Coaches will be aware of allocations given that they will need to supervise the groups and give appropriate feedback if required. The primary investigator will be implicated in all aspects of the study (recruitment, data collection, supervision of training sessions, analysis) and thus will be aware of group allocations. Other research members that will help with data collection procedures will not be aware of group allocations.

Study Groups

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[Part 1 of study]: Shortened FIFA 11+ Intervention Group

The intervention group will complete a shortened FIFA11+ pre-activation training, incorporating 5 exercises from FIFA11+. The program will be performed twice a week for 12 weeks. The program lasts approximately 7 minutes.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Shortened FIFA 11+ warm-up exercise program

Intervention Type OTHER

The shortened FIFA11+ incorporates 5 exercises from the original FIFA11+ part 2 and 3: Sideways bench, single-leg stance, squats, jumping and plant and cut (refer to FIFA 11+ manual). All exercises, except plant and cut, have three levels of difficulty. Difficulty progression will follow FIFA11+ guideline option C where all players progress to the next level of all exercises after 3 or 4 weeks. This program is done on artificial turf.

Coaches will be trained on FIFA guidelines by the primary investigator and provided with explanatory placards and the FIFA 11+ manual. The primary investigator will conduct checks twice a week with the coaches to address any questions and review the program. Only the shortened FIFA11+ group will receive verbal feedback as per FIFA11+ guidelines.

[Part 1 study]: Control Group (Standard warm-up)

The control group will engage in a Brazilian warm-up, lasting approximately 7 minutes, 2 times a week for 3 months. Brazilian warm-ups are typically performed the usual warm-up routine at Soccer Montréal. A standardized version of the warm-up will be given so that all participants in the control group will undergo the same program.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Brazilian warm-up exercise program

Intervention Type OTHER

The control group engages in a Brazilian warm-up. The warm-up consists of exercises performed in standing and while running including the following:

* Performed in standing: Circular Arms (20-30 sec total), Opening and closing of the hips (20-30 sec total).
* Performed while running back and forth on the field: Jogging (2 times), high kicks (2 times), glute kicks (2 times)
* Performed while running forward (exercise), then small jog back without performing the exercise: hand-to-heel touches (2 times), knee and heel touches (2 times each side), side leg swings (2 times) and progressive sprint 80-90% speed (2 times).

Coaches will supervise the session but will not be allowed to give verbal feedback. This program is done on artificial turf.

Interventions

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Shortened FIFA 11+ warm-up exercise program

The shortened FIFA11+ incorporates 5 exercises from the original FIFA11+ part 2 and 3: Sideways bench, single-leg stance, squats, jumping and plant and cut (refer to FIFA 11+ manual). All exercises, except plant and cut, have three levels of difficulty. Difficulty progression will follow FIFA11+ guideline option C where all players progress to the next level of all exercises after 3 or 4 weeks. This program is done on artificial turf.

Coaches will be trained on FIFA guidelines by the primary investigator and provided with explanatory placards and the FIFA 11+ manual. The primary investigator will conduct checks twice a week with the coaches to address any questions and review the program. Only the shortened FIFA11+ group will receive verbal feedback as per FIFA11+ guidelines.

Intervention Type OTHER

Brazilian warm-up exercise program

The control group engages in a Brazilian warm-up. The warm-up consists of exercises performed in standing and while running including the following:

* Performed in standing: Circular Arms (20-30 sec total), Opening and closing of the hips (20-30 sec total).
* Performed while running back and forth on the field: Jogging (2 times), high kicks (2 times), glute kicks (2 times)
* Performed while running forward (exercise), then small jog back without performing the exercise: hand-to-heel touches (2 times), knee and heel touches (2 times each side), side leg swings (2 times) and progressive sprint 80-90% speed (2 times).

Coaches will supervise the session but will not be allowed to give verbal feedback. This program is done on artificial turf.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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Usual soccer warm-up Standard warm-up Typical warm-up

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Soccer players
* Enrolled in Association Régionale de Soccer Concordia (ARSC), now known as Soccer Montréal, soccer sport study program.
* Age between 13-17 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

* Any history of major lower limb or back injuries (e.g., torn ACL, herniated vertebrae)
* History of any lower extremity surgery
* Current medical/neurological condition preventing cutting maneuver or training.
Minimum Eligible Age

13 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

17 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

IDA sports

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Soccer Montréal

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

McGill University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Karen Chen

PhD Candidate

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Shawn Robbins, Associate Professor, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

McGill University

Karen Chen, PhD Candidate

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

McGill University

Locations

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McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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Sterzing, T., Müller, C., Hennig, E. M., & Milani, T. L. (2009). Actual and perceived running performance in soccer shoes: A series of eight studies. Footwear Science, 1(1), 5-17. https://doi-org.proxy3.library.mcgill.ca/10.1080/19424280902915350

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lam WK, Ng WX, Kong PW. Influence of shoe midsole hardness on plantar pressure distribution in four basketball-related movements. Res Sports Med. 2017 Jan-Mar;25(1):37-47. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2016.1258643. Epub 2016 Nov 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27868427 (View on PubMed)

Kanko RM, Laende E, Selbie WS, Deluzio KJ. Inter-session repeatability of markerless motion capture gait kinematics. J Biomech. 2021 May 24;121:110422. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110422. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33873117 (View on PubMed)

Ford, K. R., Nguyen, A. D., Westbrook, A. E., Mulrey, C. R., & Taylor, J. B. (2017). Footwear-induced changes in ankle biomechanics during unanticipated side-step cutting in female soccer players. Footwear Science, 9(sup1), S68-S70. https://doi-org.proxy3.library.mcgill.ca/10.1080/19424280.2017.1314343

Reference Type BACKGROUND

O'Brien J, Young W, Finch CF. The use and modification of injury prevention exercises by professional youth soccer teams. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2017 Nov;27(11):1337-1346. doi: 10.1111/sms.12756. Epub 2016 Oct 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27714907 (View on PubMed)

Soligard T, Nilstad A, Steffen K, Myklebust G, Holme I, Dvorak J, Bahr R, Andersen TE. Compliance with a comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in youth football. Br J Sports Med. 2010 Sep;44(11):787-93. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.070672. Epub 2010 Jun 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20551159 (View on PubMed)

Agel J, Rockwood T, Klossner D. Collegiate ACL Injury Rates Across 15 Sports: National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System Data Update (2004-2005 Through 2012-2013). Clin J Sport Med. 2016 Nov;26(6):518-523. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000290.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27315457 (View on PubMed)

Carlson VR, Sheehan FT, Boden BP. Video Analysis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries: A Systematic Review. JBJS Rev. 2016 Nov 29;4(11):e5. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.15.00116.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27922985 (View on PubMed)

Wunderlich RE, Cavanagh PR. Gender differences in adult foot shape: implications for shoe design. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Apr;33(4):605-11. doi: 10.1097/00005768-200104000-00015.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11283437 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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RGPIN-2018-06525

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

A12-M61-23B (23-10-088)

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id