Abstract: Football is one of the most popular sports worldwide, but it is also associated with a high risk of injuries due to the dynamic and physically demanding nature of the game. The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of injuries and their impact on training participation and match performance among elite football players. A descriptive retrospective research design was adopted for the study. A total of 1000 elite football players aged between 14 and 30 years were selected from various clubs, universities, and state-level teams affiliated with the All India Football Federation using purposive sampling. Data were collected through a self-developed football injury questionnaire modified from Singh (2012). The questionnaire included demographic information and injury-related details. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and percentages with the help of SPSS version 16. The findings revealed that 18.67% of players reported absence from training sessions due to injuries, while 22.50% reported absence from matches or tournaments. Age-wise analysis indicated that younger players aged 14–17 years showed slightly higher absence rates compared to other age groups. The study highlights that injuries significantly influence player participation in both training and competitions. The findings emphasize the importance of injury prevention strategies, proper training methods, and sports medicine support systems in football to reduce injury risks and enhance athlete performance and longevity.

Keywords: Football injuries, sports participation, training absence, match absence, injury prevention, elite football players

Downloads: | DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2026.13268