La Trobe study: supported training cuts ACL injuries

La Trobe University researchers said on May 14 that supported injury-prevention training increased use of a football warm-up and strength program designed to cut serious knee injuries in women’s and girls’ Australian football. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tracked 2,481 players in 165 teams across Victoria during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. (latrobe.edu.au) The trial compared teams that received in-person workshops and follow-up support with teams that had online materials alone. The researchers said higher adherence to the program was linked with fewer injuries overall, while estimates for ACL and concussion reductions were directionally lower but statistically uncertain in the trial. (bjsm.bmj.com) ### What exactly did the study test? The trial tested Prep-to-Play, a program developed by La Trobe University with the Australian Football League that includes eight warm-up activities, three contact skills and three strength exercises. Supported implementation meant accredited physiotherapists delivered workshops and follow-up visits to coaches and team leaders, while unsupported implementation meant teams received online resources only. ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study as a La Trobe University-sponsored effort to compare supported and unsupported implementation of the program in female community Australian football. The registry says the study aimed to assess program use, injury reduction, sustainability and cost-effectiveness across community teams in Victoria. (latrobe.edu.au) ### How much more often did teams actually use the program? The study found average weekly Prep-to-Play use was 13.1% in the unsupported phase and 29.7% in the supported phase. The paper reported an odds ratio of 3.7, meaning teams in the supported phase were substantially more likely to use the program at the target level. (latrobe.edu.au) La Trobe University said coaches and teams that received the hands-on workshop, two follow-up visits and online resources were “almost four times more likely” to adhere than teams relying on online tools alone. The university said more than 50 workshops were delivered to coaches, player leaders, club administrators and parents during the study period. (clinicaltrials.gov) ### What did the paper say about ACL injuries? The paper reported ACL injury incidence of 1.36 per 1,000 game hours in the unsupported phase and 0.69 per 1,000 game hours in the supported phase. The abstract also reported concussion incidence of 6.80 per 1,000 game hours in the unsupported phase and 3.50 in the supported phase. (bjsm.bmj.com) The authors said the direct effect of supported implementation on ACL and concussion incidence was “unclear,” citing wide confidence intervals around those estimates. The same abstract said higher adherence to Prep-to-Play was associated with fewer total injuries, with an incidence rate ratio of 0.95. (latrobe.edu.au) ### Why are the authors emphasizing support rather than just the drills? Lead author Brooke Patterson said hands-on, interactive training was needed if injury-prevention programs were to be implemented “properly and consistently.” Patterson, a physiotherapist and former AFLW player at La Trobe’s Sport and Exercise Medical Research Centre, said coaches and players needed support that built confidence and capability. (bjsm.bmj.com) Professor Kay Crossley, director of the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medical Research Centre, said the findings offered what she called “a practical blueprint for safer community sport.” Crossley said the AFL’s backing helped align the program with the needs of community football clubs. (bjsm.bmj.com) ### How big was the setting for this trial? La Trobe University said the study covered under-16, under-18 and senior women’s teams in metropolitan and regional Victoria. The university called it the first trial of injury prevention in women’s and girls’ Australian football and the second-largest randomized trial in sport injury prevention worldwide. (latrobe.edu.au) Australia’s ACL injury rate has been rising, particularly in adolescent girls, with increases of up to 6% a year over the past decade, La Trobe said in its release. The university also said participation in community women’s and girls’ football has risen 790% over the past decade. (latrobe.edu.au) ### What happens next? The ClinicalTrials.gov record says the study’s secondary aims included identifying barriers to long-term use and developing recommendations for a future national rollout of Prep-to-Play. La Trobe researchers said sport organizations should embed annual injury-prevention education, practical training and implementation processes into routine practice. (latrobe.edu.au) The paper by Patterson and colleagues is available through the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which listed it online in May 2026 under DOI 10.1136/bjsports-2025-110894. (bjsm.bmj.com) (clinicaltrials.gov) (latrobe.edu.au)