Model for epidemiological studies on professional soccer player Arliani GG et al. soccer players. Creating and establishing this national model is extremely important to Brazil and other large tropical countries as the characteristics of soccer and the geographical dimensions are quite different from those of Europe and the rest of world. REFERENCES 1. Timpka T, Risto O, Bjormsjo M. Boys soccer league injuries: a community-based study of time-loss from sports participation and long-term sequelae. Eur J Public Health. 2008 Feb; 18(1):19-24, doi: 10. 1093/eurpub/ckm050. 2. Junge A, Dvorak J. Soccer injuries: a review on incidence and prevention. Sports Med. 2004;34(13):929-38, doi: 10.2165/00007256-200434130-00004. 3. Hawkins RD, Fuller CW. A prospective epidemiological study of injuries in four English professional football clubs. Br J Sports Med. 1999 Jun;33 (3):196-203, doi: 10.1136/bjsm.33.3.196. 4. Paus V, Del Compare P, Torrengo F. Incidence of injuries in prossional soccer players. Rev Asoc Argent Traumatol Deporte. 2003;10(1):10-7. 5. Paus V, Torrengo F, Del Compare P. Incidence of injuries in juvenil soccer players. Rev Asoc Argent Traumatol Deporte. 2003;10(1):28-34. 6. Cohen M, Abdalla R, Ejnisman B, Amaro J. Leso˜ es Ortope´dicas no futebol. Rev Bras Ortop. 1997;32(12):940-4. 7. Ladeira C. Incidence of football injuries: a prospective study with gambling canadian amateur adults male. Rev Bras Fisioter. 1999;4(1):39- 47. 8. Martinez D, Villani D. Sports injuries in soccer: statistical analysis. Rev Asoc Argent Traumatol Deporte. 2003;10(1):18-27. 9. Palacio E, Candeloro B, Lopes A. Injuries in the professional soccer players of Mar´ılia Atle´tico Clube: a cohort study of the Brazilian championship, 2003 to 2005. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2009;15(1):31-5, doi: 10.1590/S1517-86922009000100007. 10. Selistre L, Taube O, Ferreira L, Barros Junior E. Injury incidence in sub-21 male soccer players during Regional Games of Serta˜ozinho-SP 2006. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2009;15(5):351-4, doi: 10.1590/S1517-869220 09000600006. 11. Hagglund M, Walden M, Ekstrand J. Previous injury as a risk factor for injury in elite football: a prospective study over two consecutive seasons. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Sep; 40(9):767-72, doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2006.026609. 12. Azubuike SO, Okojie OH. An epidemiological study of football (soccer) injuries in Benin City, Nigeria. Br J Sports Med. 2009 May; 43(5):382-6, doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.051565. CLINICS 2011;66(10):1707-1712 13. Walden M, Hagglund M, Ekstrand J. UEFA Champions League study: a prospective study of injuries in professional football during the 2001- 2002 season. Br J Sports Med. 2005 Aug;39(8):542-6, doi: 10.1136/bjsm. 2004.014571. 14. Yoon YS, Chai M, Shin DW. Football injuries at Asian tournaments. Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1 Suppl):36S-42S, doi: 10.1177/ 0095399703258781. 15. Kucera KL, Marshall SW, Kirkendall DT, Marchak PM, Garrett WE Jr. Injury history as a risk factor for incident injury in youth soccer. Br J Sports Med. 2005 Jul;39(7):462, doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2004.013672. 16. Petrie A. Statistics in orthopaedic papers. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2006 Sep;88(9):1121-36, doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.88B9.17896. 17. van Mechelen W, Hlobil H, Kemper HC. Incidence, severity, aetiology and prevention of sports injuries. A review of concepts. Sports Med. 1992 Aug;14(2):82-99. 18. Witvrouw E, Danneels L, Asselman P, D’Have T, Cambier D. Muscle flexibility as a risk factor for developing muscle injuries in male professional soccer players. A prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2003 Jan-Feb;31(1):41-6. 19. Alonso AC, Greve JM, Camanho GL. Evaluating the center of gravity of dislocations in soccer players with and without reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament using a balance platform. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2009;64(3):163-70. 20. Fuller CW, Junge A, Dvorak J. An assessment of football referees’ decisions in incidents leading to player injuries. Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1 Suppl):17S-22S, doi: 10.1177/0363546503261249. 21. Rahnama N, Reilly T, Lees A. Injury risk associated with playing actions during competitive soccer. Br J Sports Med. 2002 Oct;36(5):354-9, doi: 10. 1136/bjsm.36.5.354. 22. Ekstrand J, Walden M, Hagglund M. Risk for injury when playing in a national football team. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2004 Feb;14 (1):34-8, doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2003.00330.x. 23. Dvorak J, Junge A. Football injuries and physical symptoms. A review of the literature. Am J Sports Med. 2000;28(5 Suppl):S3-9. 24. van Mechelen W. Sports injury surveillance systems. ’One size fits all’? Sports Med. 1997 Sep;24(3):164-8, doi: 10.2165/00007256-199724030- 00003. 25. Fuller CW, Ekstrand J, Junge A, Andersen TE, Bahr R, Dvorak J, et al. Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection proce- dures in studies of football (soccer) injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Mar;40 (3):193-201, doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2005.025270. 26. Hagglund M, Walden M, Bahr R, Ekstrand J. Methods for epidemiolo- gical study of injuries to professional football players: developing the UEFA model. Br J Sports Med. 2005 Jun;39(6):340-6, doi: 10.1136/bjsm. 2005.018267. 1712