Jason McKenna examines the claims that certain match time slots produce more injuries than others
The time football matches are played has gathered a lot of attention in recent seasons. Discourse has intensified over whether certain schedules are unfair. As fixture congestion for top flight footballers are growing there is emerging evidence of how the timing of fixtures also affects player welfare.
This article will look into three main time slots; that being “early”, mid afternoon and then late time slots. The report referenced in this article will put these time slots at 13.30pm, 17.30pm and 20.00pm. However, due to the one hour time difference in Germany to Britain, the Premier League’s 12.30pm “breakfast slot” will be mentioned.
The analysis will explore the impact of football match timings on player health, specifically focusing on biological factors and injury patterns associated with early, afternoon, and late kick-off times. By using the findings of recent studies and data trends, it aims to provide insights, spark discussion and hopefully boost player safety.
Early Kick-Off Fears
If you go by the general discussions held by fans, players, and managers, there are certain time slots for matches that are preferred, and others that are worrisome. Some even say “cursed”. The main fixture slot that seems to come under the most fire is the early kick-off on a Saturday at 12.30pm.
To neatly summarise some of the (extreme) views that certain groups have against this time slot we turn to a description from Liverpool’s former manager Jurgen Klopp who said early kick-offs are a “crime”. This comment was made in jest and got a good laugh from the press conference room, but the frustration is shared by many other managers and players.
The logic behind the complaint about the early kick off is that it disrupts players too much. The slot is often occupied by teams playing in European positions and thus this earlier kick off time eats into much needed rest and preparations after a midweek fixture. Klopp could feel especially aggrieved: his Liverpool side were placed in that time slot more times than other teams during his tenure. Data from Opta, via the BBC[1], shows that during his 331 matches in the Premier League, 13.6% of his games were played at this Saturday early kick-off time, which was a higher percentage than any other club.
This reduced rest time couples up with increasing numbers of games for players as football authorities seemingly ignore health warnings. The added volume of fixtures each season has already been having a huge impact, with a record numbers of injuries last season in the Premier League. In 2023/24 the number of total injuries rose by 11% on the season before showing that players are at breaking point (data from Premier Injuries).
But the worries that Klopp had should, in fact, be reserved for a different time slot. The early kick-off is not the game time with the worst impact on players. It still has negative effects, but the data suggest that another kick-off time is far more detrimental to the welfare of footballers.
Shift The Narrative
The latest data around injuries associated with kick off times has brought forward seemingly data which goes against the generally held beliefs within football. A November 2024 analysis of afternoon, evening and night kick-offs found strong links to injuries[2].
Researchers in the SICOT Journal looked at data from five consecutive seasons (2014-2019) in the Bundesliga, with a group of 1530 matches. They carefully defined injuries as “ if the player was unable to participate in training or competition for at least one day beyond the day of injury”. Injuries were considered as a ‘match injury’”if reported on the same day or the following day of a match in that the player was actively participating”.
Although the analysis showed no significant association with kick-off time and injury incidence rate, there was an identifiable trend with injury severity for each of the kick-off time groups. After studying the data it was found that “the mean lay-off time for muscle injuries was significantly longer when suffered in night matches compared to matches that started in afternoon or evening”[3].
Afternoon matches seemed to be the “safest” with the lowest mean days lost to injury of all three groups, and this ties into what a lot of the literature says about football players and why warnings from organisations such as FIFPro need to be more carefully considered.
Long Term Effects of Qatar 2022
The analysis from researchers Schiffner, Schoeps, Kuokos, Lakomek, Windolf and Latz (Schiffner et al.) is also complemented by recent findings about the relationship of injuries and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Professional Footballers Association’s (PFA) investigations have shown that the 2022 World Cup has brought about a huge cost to player health as footballers are “literally at breaking point”[4]. Matches at the Qatar tournament were played throughout the day to maximise TV viewing time. But the fans’ viewing pleasure was placed over player safety. The tournament had a large number of late night matches with the timeframe for players being stretched from some starting at 13.00pm local time and going through to 22.00pm as the latest kick off. This all happened in such a short space of time which meant that it was incredibly hard for coaches to be able to get healthy schedules in place for their players.
The negative effects of this tournament are seen in the data. The PFA’s report states that injury costs have risen by 30% across Europe’s top five men’s leagues, thus adding to literature about the timing of football matches being detrimental for player health. The World Cup did not initially see an injury incidence spike, but rather its impact was felt in injuries after the tournament and more severity with the numbers showing that “Injuries sustained post-World Cup led to nearly double the average recovery time, from 11.35 to 19.41 days”[5].
The reasons for the spike in injuries after the Qatar World Cup will also be compounded by many other factors, and this analysis is not stating that the late kick offs are the main reason. But coupling the findings of the research with the outcomes after the World Cup shows another link to late kick offs and dangers for players’ health.
The Reasoning Behind This
Looking into the science of sports and the research shows clearly why later kick-offs have such a detrimental effect to the health of players.
First of all, there is likely a mental fatigue factor at play which can lead to worse injuries. By playing these matches late at night footballers are outside of their daily routine and the time of the game will put them close to their sleeping hours.
This will therefore most likely see them in a state of tiredness, or fatigued. The research done around fatigue has shown that tired football players are impaired in decision making which can lead to errors. The studies show that the ability to make attacking or defensive decisions in a match are diminished by being in this physical state[6]. These errors then play into poor decision making on the pitch so that there is a higher likelihood of a player committing to dangerous engagements that would put them at risk.
This is represented in studies showing how fatigued players will get more non-contact as well as contact injuries. A non-contact injury will be something like a muscular issue, for example a hamstring tweak, whereas contact injuries come about from engagements where players make contact with one another. Although research is still sparse, the reasoning is that a player may make poor judgements when mentally fatigued and thus when the contact comes they have overstretched and put themselves in danger.
This issue has been cited in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance where researchers questioned whether high levels of fatigue “could elevate the susceptibility to collisions during gameplay, potentially leading to injuries”[7]. However, while the link between fatigue and contact injuries is still an area of research in need of investigating, many analysts are making a logical link as described above with the latest 2024 stating that “future research should focus on unraveling this relationship between MF (Mental Fatigue) and sport injuries”[8].
The second, more analysed area of research is due to the effect that late matches have on players’ biological patterns. The late matches interrupt the daily processes of their bodies. These processes are known as circadian rhythms and are part of our biological clock. These rhythms are linked to our sleep cycle and daily tasks and sports performance is best aided when a player is allowed to compete at the best point of their circadian rhythm.
By having a game later in the day the body has its natural processes interrupted. One big example of hormonal interruption is to do with the hormone cortisol. This hormone is associated with stress and is released during strenuous activity. Normally cortisol peaks in the morning, after waking, and reduces through the day, but by having a game so late in the day this sees cortisol increased and hinders the ability to sleep in the long term and the cortisol also inhibits the healing processes of the body[9].
A 2023 study showed that the peak time for most athletes would be during the afternoon, with the conclusion being that “afternoon training or physical activity encourages the best muscular performance and enhances muscle development”[10]. Moreover, “physicians should consider approaching competition schedules and the effects of training schedules on sleep quality and exhaustion levels”[11] which adds to the growing calls for footballing authorities to listen to medical advice and reduce schedules for the health of players.
But the effect is not just on the processes of the body, but on sleep itself. A 2015 analysis in the International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine shows the direct link between late night matches and the impact it has on players’ sleep. On average the players that were part of the analysis showed that the sleep duration of a player during a training day or a daytime match was over 8 hours, but this reduces significantly to around 5 hours when the match is played at night[12].
This is then linked to the fact that a poor sleep pattern interrupts the important processes that a professional athlete’s body needs in order to recover properly from the stresses put on their bodies. During sleep many hormones are released by the body which are important for helping the body restore itself. It is therefore essential that players have optimal sleep time and good sleep quality. However, late night matches do not allow this and by adding this interruption into their schedule footballers are then put at a much higher risk of injury.
Early Kick-Offs Still Impactful
This analysis will not overlook the impact of the “breakfast” kick-off. This early match causes interruption to the usual scheduling of players who are used to afternoon fixtures.
Testimony from players and coaches will tell you about how it is difficult to fit in meals early on in the day. Or that waking up extra early can make players in a less than perfect state.
But biologically it is clear that the later time has a much larger impact on the health of footballers. This is in part because the 12.30pm kick off is within the desired “acrophase”, or optimal timing for performance, which “ usually occurs between ?15:30 and 20:30”[13]. Players are ramping up into their optimal time, whereas a late kick off will see them start as they move out of their peak performance zone.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while early kick-offs have traditionally been criticised for disrupting player routines, emerging evidence indicates that late kick-offs may have a more significant impact on player health and injury severity. Factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms, increased mental fatigue, and reduced recovery time are central to this finding. To safeguard player welfare, football authorities must consider scientific insights when designing schedules, balancing commercial interests with the physical and mental health of athletes. Future research should continue exploring the nuanced relationships between match timings, performance, and injuries to inform evidence-based policy changes.
Header image copyright IMAGO / News Images
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cpeg2j2wx8jo
[2] Schiffner E, Schoeps D, Koukos C, Lakomek F, Windolf J, Latz D. Afternoon kick-off, evening kick-off, or night kick-off in the first German Bundesliga – A possible Injury risk factor? SICOT J. 2024;10:52. doi: 10.1051/sicotj/2024049. Epub 2024 Nov 26. PMID: 39589099; PMCID: PMC11590477.
[3] Pg 3 of Sciffner et al.
[4] https://www.thepfa.com/news/2023/11/20/players-at-breaking-point-post-world-cup
[5] https://www.thepfa.com/news/2023/11/20/players-at-breaking-point-post-world-cup
[6] Sun H, Soh KG, Mohammadi A, Wang X, Bin Z, Zhao Z. Effects of mental fatigue on technical performance in soccer players: A systematic review with a meta-analysis. Front Public Health. 2022 Jul 22;10:922630. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.922630. PMID: 35937235; PMCID: PMC9354787.
[7] Schampheleer, E., & Roelands, B. (2024). Mental Fatigue in Sport—From Impaired Performance to Increased Injury Risk. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 19(10), 1158-1166.
[8] Schampheleer, E., & Roelands, B. (2024). Mental Fatigue in Sport—From Impaired Performance to Increased Injury Risk. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 19(10), 1158-1166.
[9] Gouin JP, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. The impact of psychological stress on wound healing: methods and mechanisms. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2011 Feb;31(1):81-93. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2010.09.010. PMID: 21094925; PMCID: PMC3052954.
[10] Nobari, Hadi, et al. ‘Narrative Review: The Role of Circadian Rhythm on Sports Performance, Hormonal Regulation, Immune System Function, and Injury Prevention in Athletes’. Heliyon, vol. 9, no. 9, Sept. 2023, p. e19636. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19636.
[11] Nobari, Hadi, et al. ‘Narrative Review: The Role of Circadian Rhythm on Sports Performance, Hormonal Regulation, Immune System Function, and Injury Prevention in Athletes’. Heliyon, vol. 9, no. 9, Sept. 2023, p. e19636. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19636.
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[13] Hayes, L. D., Bickerstaff, G. F., & Baker, J. S. (2010). INTERACTIONS OF CORTISOL, TESTOSTERONE, AND RESISTANCE TRAINING: INFLUENCE OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS. Chronobiology International, 27(4), 675–705. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420521003778773
