Predicting Football Injuries: A Smart Way to Stay Safe

Football players often get injured without any contact. Most studies look back at these injuries and focus on GPS data. But injuries happen because of many reasons, not just one. This study used machine learning to predict these injuries. It looked at GPS data and other player details from a Portuguese team. The study used three types of machine learning models: Support Vector Machines, Feedforward Neural Networks, and Adaptive Boosting. These models were really good at spotting injuries. The best one could tell when an injury happened 71. 43% of the time and when it didn't happen 74. 19% of the time. It was also good at predicting injuries in short time frames. The models looked at where the player stood on the field, what kind of practice they were doing, how much they were running, and how fast they were going. These models can help coaches find players who might get hurt and help the team play better. They can also save money on rehab.