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Its efficacy in reducing the overall number of injuries has been previously reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the \u2018FUNBALL\u2019 programme in reducing the incidence of severe injuries (absence from training\/match\u2009\u2265\u200928 days) in young male football players.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>55 football teams from Kosovo, 21 in the Under-15, 22 in the Under-17, and 12 in the Under-19 age groups, were cluster-randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. The intervention group performed the \u2018FUNBALL\u2019 programme after their usual warm-up at least twice per week. The control group followed their usual training routine. Teams were followed for one football season (August 2021\u2013May 2022). The outcome for the present analysis is severe injuries.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The overall incidence rate (IR) was 0.31\/1000 football hours in the intervention group and 0.62\/1000 football hours in the control group. Players in the age group of the Under-19s sustained the highest number of severe injuries (IR 0.77\/1000 football hours). The overall number of severe injuries was significantly reduced by 49% (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.51; 95% CI 0.28\u20130.91;\n                      <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.02), with a 63% reduction in those that occurred during training (IRR 0.37; 95% CI 0.15\u20130.87;\n                      <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.02). When analyzed by age group, only the Under-17s showed a significant reduction of 76% (IRR 0.24; 95% CI 0.06\u20130.82;\n                      <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.02). The low number of subgroup injuries prevented statistical significance. However, a promising protective effect was observed. Severe knee injuries were reduced by 62%. By injury type, sprains or ligament injuries were reduced by 67%, and meniscus or cartilage lesions by 58%. Overuse\/growth-related injuries were reduced substantially by 85%.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The \u2018FUNBALL\u2019 programme showed a large efficacy in reducing the incidence of severe injuries in young male football players. Considering that these injuries cause the longest absence from football, it is recommended to implement the programme at least twice per week to exert a preventative effect.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Trail Registration Number<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Clinical trials NCT05137015.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s40798-025-00945-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,27]],"date-time":"2025-11-27T16:57:14Z","timestamp":1764262634000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Impact of the \u2018FUNBALL\u2019 Programme on Severe Injuries Among Young Male Football Players: A Secondary Analysis from a Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3468-8822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rilind","family":"Ob\u00ebrtinca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rina","family":"Meha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ilir","family":"Hoxha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bujar","family":"Shabani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tim","family":"Meyer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karen","family":"aus der F\u00fcnten","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"945_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/sms.13933","author":"N Light","year":"2021","unstructured":"Light N, Johnson A, Williams S, Smith N, Hale B, Thorborg K. 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Phys Ther Sport. 2022. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ptsp.2022.02.024.","journal-title":"Phys Ther Sport"}],"container-title":["Sports Medicine - Open"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s40798-025-00945-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s40798-025-00945-3\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s40798-025-00945-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,27]],"date-time":"2025-11-27T16:57:15Z","timestamp":1764262635000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s40798-025-00945-3"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,27]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["945"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s40798-025-00945-3","relation":{},"ISSN":["2198-9761"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2198-9761","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,27]]},"assertion":[{"value":"13 July 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"30 October 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"27 November 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The study was performed in accordance with the standards of ethics outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. It was approved by the Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapists (identifier 2020\/368). Players or in case of under-age players their parents provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"TM is chairman of a DFL working group entitled \u201cMedicine in Professional Football\u201d and chairman of UEFA's and the German FA's (DFB) medical committees. RO, RM, IH, BS, and KadF declare that they have no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"151"}}