Background: Recreational mini-football is associated with a high incidence of lower-limb injuries, largely driven by neuromuscular deficits and insufficient exposure to structured preventive training. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a hybrid injury-prevention program combining the FIFA 11+ protocol with customized neuromuscular interventions on functional performance and injury-related risk factors. Methods: Forty male recreational mini-football players were included in a retrospective analysis of data collected during the routine implementation of a 12-week hybrid preventive training program. Participants were allocated to an intervention group (n = 20) or control group (n = 20) according to routine training practices rather than randomization. The intervention was performed twice weekly. Outcome measures included lower-limb strength (Kineo system), dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test), functional hop performance (Single Hop and Side Hop tests), and agility/change-of-direction ability (Illinois and 505 tests). Results: The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in lower-limb peak force across all muscle groups (all adjusted p < 0.001), as well as in single-leg hop, side hop, and agility/change-of-direction performance (all adjusted p < 0.001) compared to controls. No significant changes were observed in dynamic balance outcomes. Conclusions: A hybrid neuromuscular training program combining FIFA 11+ with customized exercises was associated with improvements in lower-limb strength, hop performance, and agility/change-of-direction ability in recreational mini-football players. These findings suggest that integrating customized exercises into standardized training programs may enhance functional performance and positively influence modifiable factors associated with injury risk.
Munteanu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.