Male football players are at a greater risk of injury when their own team is in the lead, according to a new study carried out by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, who, in collaboration with FIFA, have analysed injuries over the last three World Cup tournaments.
The study revealed that injury frequency follows a clear pattern that is dependent on how various events in the course of a match affect players' emotional and physical states.
Injury frequency varies depending on whether a team is winning, losing or if the outcome is not yet decided and players in winning teams are at the greatest risk of injury, the report said.
A contributor to the study said that this might be due in part to the fact that a losing team starts to play more aggressively.
The risk of injury varies between the various positions, the frequency of injury being greatest amongst strikers, the report added.
Continued research could also result in new rules and a source mentioned as one example the introduction of temporarily sending off players for aggressive behaviour, as is the case with ice hockey, the report further said.