Do injury prevention exercise programs in female team sports impact physical attributes and game skill performance? A systematic review

This study evaluated the impact of injury prevention exercise programs (IPEPs) on players’ physical attributes and game skill performance in female team sports. A systematic review was reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were electronically searched up to December 2025, using the following databases: MEDLINE, Sport Discus, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. Article types included randomised controlled trials and non-randomised interventions with females 16 years and over who participate in team sports, reporting at least one physical attribute or game skill outcome. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and Cochrane risk of bias tool. From 1652 papers, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies reported either significant improvements or no change in flexibility, balance, strength, power, agility and aerobic ability. Only three studies examined game skill performance in soccer. Two of the three studies found significant improvements in maximal kicking velocity and dribbling ability but no significant outcomes in shooting skills. Decreased physical attributes or game skill performance changes were not reported in any study. Injury prevention exercise programs can improve players’ physical attributes when of sufficient duration, with no adverse changes observed. However, their impact on game skills remains largely unexplored due to limited assessment tools. To overcome adoption barriers, the inclusion of performance related outcomes in IPEP design may enhance player and coach motivation, relevance, and adoption in women's team sports.