Injuries of football referees: a representative survey of Swiss referees officiating at all levels of play

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and characteristics of injury and musculo-skeletal com-plaints in Swiss football referees of all levels. A representa-tive sample of 489 Swiss referees was interviewed regarding their socio-demographic characteristics, refereeing qualifi-cations, time spent in training and in matches, history of injuries and musculo-skeletal complaints caused by training or refereeing, and other medical problems. A total of 110 referees (22.5%) reported having suffered at least one injury related to officiating, and 126 referees (25.8%) at least one refereeing-related musculo-skeletal complaint. Thigh strains and ankle sprains were the most frequent injuries, with the most frequent locations of complaints being the knee and lower back. The incidence of match injuries in the last 12 months was on average 2.06 per 1000 match hours