The Association of Growth and Maturation with Injury in Academy Soccer Players: A Narrative Review

Hall, ECR ORCID: 0000-0003-0540-0735 and Erskine, RM ORCID: 0000-0002-5705-0207 (2025) The Association of Growth and Maturation with Injury in Academy Soccer Players: A Narrative Review. Sports Medicine. ISSN 0112-1642

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Abstract

Background
The point of fastest growth during somatic maturation is termed ‘peak height velocity’ (PHV), and the chronological age at which this occurs varies considerably. Academy football (soccer) players are typically categorised by chronological age, yet many children of the same age will naturally mature and grow at different ages and rates, respectively, which could affect injury risk. However, despite nearly two decades of studies investigating the association of growth and maturation with injury in academy footballers, confusion remains.

Objective
To critically appraise the literature concerning the association of maturity timing, maturity status and growth rate with injury in academy football.

Methods
Scopus, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and CINAHL databases were screened from inception until April 2025. Study design, setting, sample size, methods for estimating maturity timing/maturity status/growth rate, and injury reporting were evaluated in this narrative review to determine individual study quality.

Results
A total of 472 articles were screened with data extracted from 26 eligible studies published between 2007 and 2025.

Conclusions
We found that (i) early maturing players suffer more soft-tissue injuries than on-time or late maturing players; (ii) more growth-related injuries occur circa-PHV than pre- or post-PHV, but post-PHV players generally have greater injury risk than circa- or pre-PHV; and (iii) fast growth (stature increase ≥ 7.2 cm per year) increases injury risk in academy footballers. However, all eligible studies demonstrated inherent limitations and none investigated the impact of maturity timing, maturity status or growth rate on injury in female academy players, indicating future research should address these issues.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	0913 Mechanical Engineering; 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences; 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy; Sport Sciences; 4201 Allied health and rehabilitation science; 4207 Sports science and exercise
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Springer Nature
Date of acceptance:	9 October 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	17 November 2025
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2025 10:53
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2025 11:00
DOI or ID number:	10.1007/s40279-025-02340-0
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27570

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