Best examples of injury risk profiles: diverse sports examples that actually matter

Before talking about screening tools or risk scores, it helps to look at real examples of injury risk profiles: diverse sports examples that practitioners see every week. Different sports stress different tissues, in different directions, at different speeds. That’s why a smart risk assessment always starts with the sport and position.

Below, we’ll walk through several of the best examples of sport-specific risk profiles and how coaches, athletic trainers, and clinicians are adjusting their prevention strategies in 2024–2025.

Soccer and football (soccer): classic example of lower-limb injury risk profiles

If you want a textbook example of an injury risk profile, look at elite soccer. High-speed running, cutting, and contact create a predictable cluster of problems:

• Non-contact ACL tears, especially in female athletes
• Hamstring strains during sprints and late in matches
• Groin/adductor strains from kicking and change of direction
• Ankle sprains from tackles and landing on another player’s foot

Recent surveillance from FIFA and UEFA continues to show lower-limb injuries dominating the picture, with hamstring strains increasing as match congestion grows. A 2023 UEFA injury report noted that muscle injuries still account for about a third of all time-loss injuries in professional men’s soccer, with hamstrings leading the pack.

A practical example of an injury risk profile in soccer:

• Female winger, age 18–22
• Plays year-round: high school, club, showcases
• History of patellofemoral pain and one minor ankle sprain
• Valgus knee collapse on single-leg landing tests
• Limited hip strength on the non-dominant leg

For this athlete, the risk profile screams non-contact ACL plus potential patellofemoral flare-ups under high match load. That profile should drive programming: neuromuscular training, deceleration mechanics, hip and trunk strength, and tight control of weekly spikes in high-speed running.

For deeper background on soccer injury patterns and prevention, FIFA’s medical resources and consensus statements (via FIFA Medical Network) and the CDC’s injury prevention pages are solid starting points:

• CDC sports injury overview: https://www.cdc.gov/sportsafety/index.html

Basketball: jumping, landing, and the overuse profile

Basketball gives us some of the clearest examples of injury risk profiles: diverse sports examples centered around vertical load and tight spaces.

Common patterns include:

• Lateral ankle sprains from landing on other players’ feet
• Patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee) from repetitive jumping
• ACL tears, especially in youth and female athletes
• Low back pain from repeated extension and rotation

A very typical real example of a basketball risk profile:

• Male guard, age 16–19
• Plays school ball and AAU with minimal off-season
• Reports chronic patellar tendon soreness and occasional ankle “rolls”
• Limited ankle dorsiflexion and stiff landings on jump tests
• High weekly jump count in practice and games

This athlete’s profile leans heavily toward overuse knee issues and recurrent ankle sprains. The prevention strategy is not just taping ankles; it’s modifying jump volume, improving landing mechanics, restoring ankle mobility, and building calf–quad strength to tolerate the load.

The NBA and NCAA have both invested heavily in load monitoring and landing mechanics research, and recent work continues to highlight that sudden spikes in minutes and jump volume are more predictive than any single screen in isolation.

For a clinical perspective on jumper’s knee and basketball overuse injuries, see Mayo Clinic’s overview of patellar tendinitis:

• Mayo Clinic – Patellar tendinitis: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/patellar-tendinitis

Distance running: overuse injuries as the dominant example of risk

If soccer and basketball are about acute non-contact injuries, distance running is the best example of how chronic load shapes an injury risk profile.

Common injuries include:

• Medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints)
• Stress fractures (tibia, metatarsals, femur)
• Patellofemoral pain
• Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis

A representative example of an injury risk profile in distance running:

• Female collegiate distance runner
• Weekly mileage jumps from 30 to 50 miles in early season
• History of irregular menstrual cycles and low energy availability
• Prior tibial stress reaction in high school
• Mild hip abductor weakness and contralateral pelvic drop on single-leg squat

This is a classic bone stress injury profile. The risk is not just the mileage; it’s the combination of high volume, rapid workload increases, energy deficiency, and biomechanical factors. In 2024, more coaches are screening for REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) and menstrual history as part of standard risk assessment.

NIH-backed research on stress fractures and REDs underscores the need to integrate nutrition and hormonal health into risk profiling, not just biomechanics.

Useful overview:

• NIH – Stress fractures in athletes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551528/

American football: contact, position-specific examples of injury risk profiles

American football offers some of the most position-specific examples of injury risk profiles: diverse sports examples you’ll find anywhere.

For linemen, the profile is dominated by:

• Hand and wrist injuries from blocking
• Shoulder labral and AC joint issues
• Low back pain from repeated collisions and flexion

For skill positions (receivers, defensive backs, running backs), the profile shifts toward:

• Hamstring strains from high-speed sprints
• Ankle sprains and turf toe
• ACL tears from cutting and contact near the knee

Quarterbacks bring a different risk profile again:

• Shoulder and elbow overuse (similar to throwers in baseball)
• Contact injuries from sacks and hits

A concrete real example of a football risk profile:

• Male wide receiver, age 17–20
• History of a grade II hamstring strain and one ACL reconstruction
• High exposure to sprinting and cutting in games and practice
• Poor eccentric hamstring strength on testing compared with the contralateral side
• Limited hip extension and stiff trunk during top-speed running

This profile points toward recurrent hamstring strains and an elevated risk for secondary ACL issues if change-of-direction mechanics remain poor.

Concussion risk is another layer. CDC data show that football still has one of the highest concussion rates among high school sports, so any injury risk profile for this sport now includes concussion history, recovery patterns, and reporting behavior.

For updated concussion guidance and sport-specific data, see:

• CDC HEADS UP: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/index.html

Tennis and racket sports: asymmetry and overuse as key examples

Racket sports provide excellent examples of injury risk profiles built around asymmetrical loading and high repetition.

Typical patterns in tennis, pickleball, and similar sports include:

• Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
• Rotator cuff tendinopathy and shoulder impingement
• Lumbar spine issues from repeated rotation and extension
• Patellar and Achilles tendinopathy from hard-court play

A specific example of an injury risk profile in tennis:

• Right-handed competitive junior player
• Plays singles and doubles, 5–6 days per week
• Reports intermittent shoulder soreness and forearm tightness
• Significant strength imbalance between dominant and non-dominant shoulder
• Limited thoracic rotation and poor trunk–hip separation on serve analysis

Here, the risk profile is skewed toward shoulder overuse and elbow tendinopathy. In 2024–2025, more tennis programs are using workload tracking (serve counts, match volume) and strength symmetry testing to adjust practice loads and add non-dominant side training.

WebMD and Mayo Clinic both have accessible overviews of common tennis-related overuse injuries and management options, which can inform screening questions and education.

Combat sports (MMA, boxing, judo): impact and joint-stress profiles

Combat sports give us some of the starkest examples of injury risk profiles: diverse sports examples where impact and joint locks are the core hazards.

Mixed martial arts, boxing, and judo commonly show:

• Facial cuts and fractures
• Concussions and sub-concussive head impacts
• Shoulder dislocations and labral tears
• Elbow hyperextension injuries
• Knee ligament sprains from throws and submissions

A real example of a combat sport risk profile:

• Amateur MMA fighter, age 20–25
• Trains striking and grappling 6 days a week
• History of two mild concussions and one shoulder subluxation
• Limited neck strength and poor breakfall technique
• Sparring volume is high, with frequent hard contact

This profile clearly highlights elevated concussion risk and recurrent shoulder instability. In recent years, many combat gyms have reduced hard sparring frequency and added neck strengthening and fall-training as standard risk mitigation strategies.

The injury risk profile in combat sports is also influenced by rule set and protective equipment. For example, headgear may reduce cuts but not necessarily concussion risk, which is why medical bodies continue to track head trauma data closely.

Youth vs. adult athletes: age-specific examples of injury risk profiles

Age is a major modifier of any injury risk profile. Two athletes in the same sport can have very different patterns based purely on developmental stage.

In youth athletes, examples include:

• Growth plate injuries (apophysitis) such as Osgood–Schlatter disease
• Overuse injuries from early specialization and year-round play
• Higher ACL risk in adolescent female athletes in cutting and jumping sports

In adult and masters athletes, profiles shift toward:

• Degenerative tendon issues (Achilles, rotator cuff, patellar)
• Meniscal tears and cartilage wear in knees and hips
• Slower recovery from muscle strains

A helpful example of an injury risk profile comparison:

• 14-year-old club volleyball player: high jump volume, still in a growth spurt, anterior knee pain, limited strength work. Risk profile: patellar apophysitis, early patellar tendinopathy, and potential stress reactions with sudden volume spikes.
• 38-year-old recreational basketball player: works a desk job, plays only on weekends, history of one Achilles strain. Risk profile: acute Achilles rupture, calf strains, and knee pain when weekly activity is packed into one or two intense sessions.

Both play jumping sports, but their risk profiles—and therefore prevention strategies—are very different.

How to use these examples of injury risk profiles in real-world assessment

Looking at these examples of injury risk profiles: diverse sports examples is useful only if it changes how you assess and program. The pattern is the point.

When you sit down with an athlete, you can mentally combine three layers:

1. Sport and position profile
   What injuries are common in this sport and position based on surveillance data and real-world experience?

2. Individual history and current status
   Prior injuries, pain patterns, strength asymmetries, movement quality, training volume, and recovery habits.

3. Context in 2024–2025
   Tournament density, year-round play, early specialization, and the pressure to always be “on” are changing risk profiles. Many injuries now are not random—they’re predictable results of chronic overload and poor planning.

For example, if you see a 17-year-old female soccer midfielder with:

• Year-round play and no true off-season
• Prior ACL tear on one side
• Weak hip abductors and poor single-leg landing control
• Weekly spikes in high-speed running

You don’t need a crystal ball to know where the risk lies. You’ve seen similar examples of injury risk profiles in the literature and on the field. That should trigger a prevention plan: neuromuscular training, progressive return of high-speed running, better scheduling, and honest conversations about rest.

Authoritative resources like the CDC, NIH, and major sports medicine centers (Mayo Clinic, hospital-based sports institutes) now emphasize multi-factor risk assessment: not just one screen, but a pattern of load, history, and movement.

FAQ: common questions about examples of injury risk profiles

Q: What are some of the best examples of injury risk profiles in team sports?
Some of the best examples include non-contact ACL and hamstring strain profiles in soccer and football, jumper’s knee and ankle sprain profiles in basketball and volleyball, and concussion-plus-shoulder instability profiles in contact and combat sports. Each profile combines sport demands, typical injury patterns, and individual history.

Q: Can you give an example of how injury risk profiles guide training changes?
Take a distance runner with a history of tibial stress fractures, low energy availability, and rapid mileage increases every pre-season. That injury risk profile points straight at bone stress injuries. A smart program will slow mileage progression, add strength training for bone and tendon health, monitor nutrition and menstrual status, and use pain or soreness patterns as early warning signals.

Q: Are these examples of injury risk profiles only for elite athletes?
No. Recreational athletes often fit these profiles just as clearly—sometimes more so, because workloads are less controlled. The weekend basketball player with chronic Achilles tightness and no warm-up fits a very recognizable rupture risk profile, even if they never see a formal sports scientist.

Q: How often should an athlete’s injury risk profile be updated?
Whenever something meaningful changes: new injury, big jump in training volume, position change, or major life stress. At a minimum, reassessing at the start and end of each season keeps the profile current.

Q: Where can I find more data and real examples of injury risk profiles?
Public health and sports medicine organizations regularly publish injury surveillance and prevention data. Good starting points include the CDC’s sports safety pages, NIH resources on specific injuries like stress fractures, and major clinical sites such as Mayo Clinic and WebMD for condition overviews that can inform your risk questions and screening.

By studying these real examples of injury risk profiles across diverse sports, you sharpen your ability to see patterns early—and that’s where injury prevention actually starts.