FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup records fewest injuries per match in almost a decade
While leading international women's footballers led a campaign against the use of artificial turf for the recent 2015 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the technical study on the competition from world football's governing body has reported that “there was no significant difference regarding injuries sustained there and those on grass at previous editions.”
The first ever FIFA World Cup held on artificial turf, the surface techology was in the spotlight throughout the tournament. However, FIFA's 232-page Technical Report and Statistics refuted concerns that the artificial turf surface would result in injuries.
The study complied information from team doctors who were asked to report all injuries incurred by their players during each match of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The report, released six weeks after the United States defeated Japan in the final, showed that the overall injury rate was 2.1 injuries per match - lower than the overall injury rate at both the 2007 and 2011 Women’s World Cups, both of which were played on grass.
The 2.1% injury rate also was equal to or lower than injury rates during women’s football at the previous four Olympic Games (which were all played on grass).
In relation to heat concerns, assessed as wet-bulb globe temperatures (WBGT), as occurred at the Men’s World Cup 2014 in Brazil and in the USA in 1994, FIFA permitted cooling down/drinking breaks as needed during Women’s World Cup 2015 matches when the heat stress threshold was surpassed.
This development was implemented, in part, out of concerns that the artificial turf would cause on-field temperatures to increase. FIFA’s Medical Committee recommended this stoppage in play whenever the Temperature index reached or exceeded 32 degrees Celsius.
No cooling breaks were needed in Canada compared to one stoppage in Brazil and numerous stoppages in the USA.
The WBGT index, an effective way to assess heat stress, provides a composite temperature used to estimate the effect of actual temperature, humidity, wind speed and radiant heat on players.
In terms of fan experience, the turf didn’t appear to bother fans either, as more than 1.35 million spectators attended matches at the six Canadian venues, and record-breaking television audiences tuned into coverage in 188 territories - confirming that World Cup is the world’s largest women’s single-sport event.
Click here to view the report FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 Canada Technical Report and Statistics.
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