FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA PERFORM+
The Football Australia Perform+ was developed in 2020 as the primary injury prevention program for football in Australia. The Football Australia Perform+ is an updated version of the 11+ program (1) with more flexibility for coaches and new content targeting hip and groin injury prevention (2).
Importantly, the content in the Football Australia Perform+ is underpinned by extensive research showing that the program is effective in reducing injury incidence by ~ 40% (3, 4), is an effective warmup (5) and improves physical performance (6,7).
The Football Australia Perform+ is a key component of Football Australia’s Player Availability Model and is designed to reduce injury risk for the most common injuries in football.
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The development of the Football Australia Perform+ is the result of extensive collaboration between Australian injury researchers, sports medicine practitioners, coaches and sports scientists to ensure that the national prevention program is not only effective in reducing injuries but can be easily delivered by coaches at all levels. The program targets players from the age of 10 to 59 years.
The Football Australia Perform+ is divided into 2 main components – Warm Up and Performance. The Warm Up component will now only take 8-10 minutes to deliver while the Performance exercises can be delivered throughout training, at the end of the training session or at home.
Importantly, the Football Australia Perform+ should be performed a minimum of 2x/week with 3x/week ideal. The new program design also allows for coaches to prescribe the Performance section exercises as an additional home exercise program and only take 10 minutes to complete (7).
[1] Bizzini M, Dvorak J. FIFA 11+: an effective program to prevent football injuries in various player groups worldwide—a narrative review. Br J Sports Med 2015;49(9):577-579.
[2] Whalan M, Lovell R, Thorborg K, Sampson JA. The 11+ of the future: a primary injury prevention framework for sub-elite football. Br J Sports Med Online First: 15 October 2020. Doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102788.
[3] Thorborg K, Krommes KK, Esteve E et al. Effect of specific exercise-based football injury prevention programs on the overall injury rate in football: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the FIFA 11 and 11+ programs. Br J Sports Med 2017;51(7):562-571.
[4] Whalan M, Lovell R, Steele JR, Sampson JA. Rescheduling Part 2 of the 11+ reduces injury burden and increases compliance in semi-professional football Scand J Sci Med Sport 2019;29(12):1941-1951.
[5] Bizzini M, Impellizzeri FM, Dvorak J et al. Physiological and performance responses to the "FIFA 11+" (part 1): is it an appropriate warm-up? J Sports Sci 2013;31(13):1481-1490.
[6] Impellizzeri FM, Bizzini M, Dvorak J et al, Physiological and performance responses to the FIFA 11+ (part 2): a randomised controlled trial on the training effects. J Sports Sci 2013;31(13):1491-1502.
[7] Veith S, Whalan M, Williams S et al. Part 2 of the 11+ as an effective home-based exercise programme in elite academy football (soccer) players: a randomised control trial Science and Medicine in Football 2020 under review