Boots and balls made for men an injury risk to women footballers

Sports scientists are highlighting the deficiency of shot kit designed for women, saying the usage of antheral boots and balls could beryllium putting them astatine higher hazard of injury.

Knee-ligament injuries successful women are causing interest astatine an elite level.

Despite immoderate progress, the researchers accidental nary ample footwear shaper has yet invested successful a plan to suit women.

The illustration and popularity of women's shot successful the UK has soared since England won Euro 2022.

But astir products are inactive predominantly designed for men's shot and small attraction has been paid to the requirements of the women's game, a insubstantial says.

Writing successful the diary Sport Engineering, a radical of sports and workout researchers, doctors and unit progressive successful the elite women's crippled - including England subordinate Leah Williamson - constituent to the request for much kit and exertion tailored to women's needs and assemblage shape.

For example, shot boots neglect to relationship for the information women's feet, heels and arches are shaped differently.

And wearing boots designed for men is causing blisters and accent fractures successful elite pistillate players.

Women besides determination and tally successful a antithetic mode to men and yet the magnitude of studs connected boots are designed astir antheral question and traction.

This increases the hazard of women getting their footwear stuck successful the aboveground and an wounded being caused, writer and sports rehabilitation lecturer Kat Okholm Kryger, from St Mary's University, Twickenham, says.

And women could beryllium playing "on uneven surfaces wherever men's teams person played the time before".

Many large manufacturers are reportedly processing boots circumstantial to women successful clip for the World Cup successful 2023.

Co-author Spurs sports-and-exercise advisor Dr Craig Rosenbloom says anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) genu injuries are "at slightest doubly arsenic communal successful elite pistillate footballers erstwhile compared to antheral footballers", putting "a immense burden" connected the players and the clubs.

Most elite antheral footballers instrumentality wrong 7 to 8 months of the wounded - but for elite pistillate footballers, it is usually astatine slightest 10.

"Elite pistillate shot squads are usually smaller than antheral squads, truthful missing players for longer has a large interaction connected subordinate availability," Dr Rosenbloom adds.

The insubstantial besides highlights the request to plan much comfy and applicable sports bras, shorts and hijabs.

The FA says it wants players to consciousness afloat supported connected this contented and immoderate feedback from women volition beryllium fed into aboriginal kit designs.

The authors accidental technology, specified arsenic devices tracking health, show and menstrual cycles, needs to beryllium amended designed for women too.

And they telephone for much probe into pistillate players' concussion hazard from heading the ball.

"There's a higher level of microtrauma successful the achromatic substance successful women's brains," Dr Kryger says.

"That's not seen successful men's shot - truthful determination could beryllium a aesculapian crushed to alteration the ball."