High compliance with the 11+ injury prevention program results in better win-loss records

Key points

1. 01Teams in the high-compliance group recorded more wins and fewer losses than low- and moderate-compliance teams.
2. 02High compliers averaged about 13 wins per season versus about 8 for low compliers and about 10 for moderate compliers.
3. 03High compliers averaged the fewest losses (about 4) compared with about 6 for both low and moderate compliers.
4. 04Differences in wins between high and low or moderate compliance were statistically significant; differences in ties were mostly not.
5. 05The finding is an association from compliance grouping, so better win-loss cannot be attributed to the program alone.

How it was conducted

Design

Observational comparison of season win-loss-tie records grouped by level of compliance with the 11+ program

Setting

Competitive soccer (the FIFA 11+ injury prevention warm-up program)

Groups

Compliance levels classified as low, moderate, and high

Outcomes

Season wins, losses, and ties compared between compliance groups

What they found

• Wins by compliance: low 8.0 +/- 1.63, moderate 9.86 +/- 1.46, high 13.11 +/- 2.57.
• Losses by compliance: low 6.25 +/- 1.89, moderate 6.29 +/- 1.9, high 4.11 +/- 1.36.
• Ties by compliance: low 3.5 +/- 2.38, moderate 2.43 +/- 1.79, high 1.78 +/- 0.67.
• Wins, high vs low: difference 5.1111, p=0.001, 95% CI 2.23 to 7.99.
• Wins, high vs moderate: difference 3.2540, p=0.002, 95% CI 1.20 to 5.30.
• Wins, moderate vs low: difference 1.86, p=0.224, 95% CI -0.86 to 4.58 (not significant).
• Losses, high vs moderate: difference 2.1746, p=0.019, 95% CI 0.32 to 4.03.
• Ties showed no significant differences between groups (for example moderate vs high, p=0.196).
• A separate two-group comparison: wins 8.15 +/- 3.83 vs 10.67 +/- 2.63, p=0.005; losses 8.12 +/- 3.59 vs 5.56 +/- 1.97, p=0.002; ties 2.29 +/- 1.61 vs 2.37 +/- 1.64, p=0.856.

Limitations

• This is an observational association, so it cannot prove the 11+ program causes more wins rather than stronger or better-resourced teams simply complying more.
• Teams that comply more may differ in coaching quality, fitness, or fewer injuries, which could independently drive results.
• Win-loss totals depend heavily on schedule strength and opponent quality, which are not accounted for here.
• Group sizes appear small, which limits precision and how broadly the findings apply.

Why it matters

For patients

For players, consistently completing a structured warm-up like the 11+ may go hand in hand with healthier, more successful seasons.

For clinicians

Clinicians can use these results to motivate full, consistent adoption of the 11+ rather than partial use, while noting the evidence is associative.

For readers

High adherence to the 11+ warm-up tracks with better team win-loss records, though this does not prove the warm-up alone produces the wins.