Sports injury in Australia

An estimated 1.2 million Australians aged 15 and over played soccer in 2023–24 (ASC 2024). During this period, there were around 5,300 injury hospitalisations attributed to soccer: 4,400 males and 930 females. The highest number of injury hospitalisations was among those aged 10–14 (1,100 cases), while the 0–4 age group had the lowest number of hospitalisations (16 cases) (Figure 32).

For more detail, see data table 4.

Trends over the past decade

Between 2014–15 and 2016–17, the age-standardised rate of injury hospitalisations from soccer was relatively stable in females at an average of 6.4 hospitalisations per 100,000 population (Figure 33). The rate of hospitalisation for males was steadily decreasing during that time from 38 to 35 hospitalisations per 100,000 population. During this same period, the number of hospitalisations ranged from 4,000 to 4,300 for males and 690 to 710 for females.

Figure 33: Number of injury hospitalisations from soccer by 5-year age group, Australia, 2014–15 to 2023–24

For more detail, see data table 5.

From 2017–18 to 2023–24, the number of hospitalisations ranged from 2,700 to 4,400 for males and 530 to 930 for females. Between 2017–18 to 2018–19, injury hospitalisation rates were relatively stable for women (at an average of 6.9 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) and slightly increasing for males (from 33 to 35 hospitalisations per 100,000 population). 

From 2019–20 to 2021–22, injury hospitalisations fluctuated noticeably – a likely effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitalisation rates were lowest in 2019–20 for males (23 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) and females (4.6 hospitalisations per 100,000 population).

Across 2022–23 and 2023–24, injury hospitalisation rates for males appeared to be steadily increasing (from 32 to 35 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), while for females the increase was slower (from 6.6 to 7.6 hospitalisations).

Nature of injuries

For injury hospitalisations from soccer in 2023–24, the top 3 most injured body parts across all ages were:

• hip and lower limb, excluding ankle and foot (43% of injury hospitalisations or 2,300 cases)
• shoulder and upper limb, excluding wrist and hand (24% of injury hospitalisations or 1,300 cases)
• head and neck (14% of injury hospitalisations or 740 cases) (Figure 34).

Figure 34: Common injuries and causes of sports injury hospitalisations from soccer, Australia, 2023–24

For more detail, see data table 12.

Fractures accounted for more than half of all injury hospitalisations (or 3,000 cases), followed by soft-tissue injuries (26% of injury hospitalisations or 1,400 cases) and intracranial injuries (4.7% injury hospitalisations or 255 cases). About 95% of these intracranial injury hospitalisations were concussions: around 180 males and 60 females.

The top 3 common causes of injury hospitalisations from soccer in 2023–24 were:

• falls (36% of injury hospitalisations or 2,000 cases)
• contact with living things (20% of injury hospitalisations or just over 1,000 cases)
• overexertion (12% of injury hospitalisations or 610 cases).

Other causes not listed (including those unspecified causes of injury hospitalisations) contributed to about 22% of all injury hospitalisations from soccer.