The NFL preseason sets the stage not only for intense competition but also for showcasing the remarkable intersection of athlete performance and business strategy. As teams harness advanced sports science to push player capabilities to their peak, this not only affects the outcome on the field but also plays a crucial role in shaping team branding and commercial appeal.

Preparations for France’s World Cup final appearance vs Argentina have been seemingly hit by an outbreak of illness amongst the squad. Prior to their semi-final, reports started to emerge that players were unwell. Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot missed the 2-0 victory over Morocco with the France Football Federation (FFF) confirming the reason both players were absent was due to illness. 

Concussion and brain trauma are emotive subjects in sport. As research continues to uncover the impact of traumatic head injuries, discussions about safety and the long-term health of players will continue to grow. In the USA, as early as 1906 doctors were publishing papers highlighting the dangers of concussion linked to playing American Football. In the UK, the FIELD study and other research have begun to uncover a pattern between increased incidence of dementia in ex-footballers and heading the ball.

Concussion and brain trauma are emotive subjects in sport. As research continues to uncover the impact that traumatic head injuries have, discussions about safety and the long term health of players will only get louder. In the USA, as early as 1906 doctors were publishing papers highlighting the dangers of concussion linked to playing American Football. In the UK, ongoing research that identifies a link between heading and dementia in football has drawn major attention.

It’s been a turbulent few weeks in the UK. U-turns and diversions have been front and centre of the news agenda. It seems U-turns come at considerable cost in many walks of life. In a sporting context, turning, particularly at high speed and repeatedly come at a significant physiological cost. Fortunately, a new paper evaluating the turning demands of a Premier League team has recently been published and could help create a new understanding of this vital performance metric.

A few weeks ago we wrote a blog that highlighted the danger of pseudoscience. That article focused on how products and activities that don't stand up to scientific rigour can harm the industry and individuals. The issue put simply, is that by offering quick fixes and false hope, people don’t engage in proven strategies to support health or performance gains and therefore miss out on benefits in either health or performance.

The Premier League has announced that it will once again allow players to take a drinks break during this weekend’s fixtures. Temperatures in the UK are set to exceed 30OC during the majority of the games, meaning the policy to allow for a break midway through each half is activated.

Concussion is an issue for athletes in many sports. In a recent blog, we highlighted the higher relative risk of concussion amongst female athletes compared to their male counterparts. In this follow-up blog, we will take a deeper look at some of the proposed reasons women are at a higher risk and what the stakeholders in women's sport can do to help as part of their sponsorship or partnership mix.

The concept of players fulfilling specialist roles isn’t a new one when looking across international sports. American sports such as football and basketball are perhaps the most obvious examples. American football has specialist kickers and even special teams squads. In basketball dependent on the game situation it is common to see coaches rotate players on an offence, defence basis. Closer to home, rugby has progressed to the notion of finishers rather than substitutes, a sign that players who are not stating will come off the bench to fulfil a specialist role.

Technology has permeated sport in numerous ways. With the global popularity of football, it should come as no surprise that in many instances, the game is at the forefront of technological innovation. In this clip, from the BBC’s technology show, BBC Click Manchester-based VR company Rezzil’s player22 technology is the focus of attention.

The issue of fixture congestion and player welfare, perhaps predictably, came back to the fore recently as it seems to at this time every year. Multiple managers, and most notably Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, have spoken out about the demands on players during the festive period. The usual debates surrounding fatigue, recovery, and injury have now been heightened by squad depletion that has hit many teams due to Covid-19.

Recent comments from Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has given player welfare a greater spotlight. Fixture congestion, injury, illness and obviously Covid-19 make his comments difficult to ignore.

Take a look at the video below to see SSA’s Dr Tom Brownlee discussing the matter with the BBC’s Olly Foster on Sports Day.

The signing, by Manchester United, of Cristiano Ronaldo, created considerable media coverage. The nature of the transfer, with the Red Devils seemingly snatching him from under the noses of cross-city rivals Manchester City only heightened the intrigue. In modern football, signing a player with a global reach and appeal such as Ronaldo heightens any club’s commercial opportunities. Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram meaning club partners are set to benefit from increased exposure and value across numerous metrics.

As research continues to suggest a link between heading in football and the development of neurodegenerative disease authorities have begun to act. New guidelines have been introduced at every level of the game to limit heading.

With the ending of the UK’s month-long autumn COVID-19 national lockdown, the government has moved to continue its tentative steps back towards normality by allowing crowds to return to sporting fixtures. Inevitably, the focus has fallen on football with clubs in tiers 1 and 2 areas allowed to welcome 4,000 and 2,000 fans respectively.