Looking for a specific women’s football research topic?
Analysis of running performance in the two main Spanish Women’s football leagues: A case study
This study analyzed the running performance of players in Spain’s top two women’s football leagues, focusing on training sessions and match demands. Data from 32 players over two seasons revealed that competition matches required significantly higher physical effort than training sessions, with only the post-match session (MD+1) occasionally surpassing match demands in sprinting and high-speed running.
Relationship Between Anthropometric Profile, Body Composition, and Physical Performance in Spanish Professional Female Soccer Players at Pre-Season Onset: A Cross-Sectional Study
This study examines how body composition affects the physical performance of professional female soccer players at the start of pre-season. The findings reveal a strong correlation between muscle mass and anaerobic power, while fat mass negatively impacts explosive strength, aerobic performance, and recovery capacity.
Analysis of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Elite Female Soccer Players: cohort study in one Brazilian Team
The article "Analysis of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Elite Female Soccer Players: A Cohort Study in One Brazilian Team" investigates the risk factors for lower limb injuries in elite women's soccer. The study followed 27 players over four months, analyzing physical attributes such as trunk mobility, hip stability, and flexibility.
Individual changes in neuromuscular performance in the Spanish women’s national football team throughout the 2023 World Cup
The article "Neuromuscular Performance During the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup" examines how physical performance evolved throughout the tournament for the Spanish women's national football team. The study tracked 20 elite players, assessing their strength and power using countermovement jumps (CMJ) and estimated one-repetition maximums (1RM) for back squats (BS) and hip thrusts (HT).
Optimizing Scanning in Youth Female Football: The Role of Verbal Instructions
The article "Optimizing Scanning in Youth Female Football: The Role of Verbal Instructions" examines how verbal instructions can improve visual exploration skills in young female soccer players. The study involved 25 elite U19 players who participated in small-sided games (4v4) under two conditions—one with verbal scanning prompts and one without.
Better the Devil You Know: Managers’ Networks, Hiring Decisions and Team Performance
The article "Better the Devil You Know: Managers’ Networks, Hiring Decisions, and Team Performance" examines how managers in professional football use their personal networks to make hiring decisions and how this impacts team performance. By analyzing data from both men’s and women’s football, the study finds that managers are significantly more likely to recruit players they have previously worked with, particularly for lower-cost, non-star players.
The opportunities and challenges facing participation indifferent types of women’s football in England
The article explores the opportunities and challenges surrounding women's football participation in England. It highlights how UK sports policy recognizes the importance of increasing female participation in football to address gender inequality in sports. Despite positive efforts by football authorities, there has been little formal statistical analysis of the factors influencing participation. Using a socio-ecological framework and economic theory, the study analyzes data from over 88,000 women and 68,000 men across 309 local authorities.
Effectiveness of an Exercise Protocol for Dynamic Balance in Amateur Female Soccer Players: A Randomized Clinical Trial
The article "Effectiveness of an Exercise Protocol for Dynamic Balance in Amateur Female Soccer Players: A Randomized Clinical Trial" examines how a structured balance training program impacts the stability and injury prevention of young female soccer players. Over six weeks, 24 amateur players were divided into an experimental group, which followed a dynamic balance exercise program, and a control group, which continued regular training.
Goal and shot prediction in ball possessions in FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: a machine learning approach
The article "Goal and Shot Prediction in Ball Possessions in FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: A Machine Learning Approach" explores the use of machine learning to predict goal-scoring opportunities in elite women’s football. Researchers analyzed 2,346 ball possessions and developed predictive models using Random Forest and XGBoost techniques.
A One-Stop Knowledge Shop
This section of the Women’s International Football Institute is all about the research. Women’s and girls’ football is in need of research specific to them. All over the globe and at all levels. This is where you will find as many article summaries and links as we can produce. The more accessible we can make the knowledge we already have the more we can improve our game and help those who work in it.
#SeAcabó: how a mass-mediated “social drama” made visible and confronted (subjective and objective) violence in women’s football in Spain
The article "#SeAcabó: How a Mass-Mediated ‘Social Drama’ Made Visible and Confronted Violence in Women’s Football in Spain" examines how the non-consensual kiss between Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup ignited a widespread social and political response. Using concepts like "moral shock" and "social drama," the study explores how this high-profile incident mobilized public discourse on gender inequality and violence in women's football.
Technical-tactical evolution of women’s football: a comparative analysis of ball possessions in the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 and Australia & New Zealand 2023
The article "Technical-Tactical Evolution of Women’s Football: A Comparative Analysis of Ball Possessions in the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 and Australia & New Zealand 2023" examines how women’s football has evolved in terms of ball possession and game control. By analyzing 4,669 ball possessions from both tournaments, the study identifies significant increases in possession time, passing accuracy, and structured team play.
Testing the validity of 360-video for analysing visual exploratory activity in soccer
The article "Testing the Validity of 360-Video for Analyzing Visual Exploratory Activity in Soccer" examines the effectiveness of 360-degree video technology in assessing how players scan their surroundings before making decisions on the field.
The “cost of football”: motherhood, coaching and work-family conflict
The article "The Cost of Football: Motherhood, Coaching, and Work-Family Conflict" by Isabel Martin and Ali Bowes examines the struggles faced by professional female football coaches who are also mothers. Through interviews with four full-time coaches in England, the study highlights the challenges of balancing a coaching career with motherhood.
Female Footballers Matter: Timeslive Coverage of South Africa’s Women’s Football Team Performance At 2023 FIFA World Cup
The article "Female Footballers Matter: TimesLIVE Coverage of South Africa’s Women’s Football Team Performance at the 2023 FIFA World Cup" analyzes how South African media portrayed the national women’s football team, Banyana Banyana, during the tournament. Through a critical discourse analysis of eleven articles published by TimesLIVE, the study examines how media representation influenced public perception and policy responses.
Club Days at Scottish Women’s Football: SWPL Fan Engagement Report.
The report "Club Days at Scottish Women’s Football: SWPL Fan Engagement Report" provides an in-depth analysis of fan engagement in the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL). The study highlights the league’s rapid growth in attendance, media visibility, and commercial investment since its formation in 2022.
Effect of Q angle on some performance parameters in adolescent female football players
The article "Effect of Q Angle on Some Performance Parameters in Adolescent Female Football Players" examines how the Q angle (the angle formed by the quadriceps and patellar tendon) influences lower limb performance in young female footballers. The study finds that a larger Q angle negatively affects vertical jump performance, as it alters knee biomechanics and reduces mechanical efficiency.
Incidence and burden of 671 injuries in professional women footballers: time to focus on context-specific injury risk reduction strategies
The article "Incidence and Burden of 671 Injuries in Professional Women Footballers: Time to Focus on Context-Specific Injury Risk Reduction Strategies" examines injury patterns in a professional women’s football team over two seasons.
Career development in Women Football Refereeing: an exploratory study in Portugal and Spain
The article "Career Development in Women’s Football Refereeing: An Exploratory Study in Portugal and Spain" examines the challenges and opportunities for female referees in a male-dominated sport. Based on a survey of 427 referees, the study identifies key factors influencing recruitment, retention, and career progression.
A critical feminist analysis of women’s football in Türkiye: Challenges, opportunities, and societal implications
The article "A Critical Feminist Analysis of Women’s Football in Türkiye: Challenges, Opportunities, and Societal Implications" examines the development of women’s football in Türkiye through a feminist lens, highlighting social, economic, and institutional challenges. The study, based on interviews with female players and male coaches, identifies key issues such as gender stereotypes, financial disparities, limited visibility, and regional inequalities.