Improved Functional Movement Skills Reduce Drop Landing Injury Risk Movement Patterns in Male and Female Youth Soccer Players

This study examined the relationship between Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) scores, a tool to assess anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk, in youth soccer players. Following institutional ethics approval and informed consent, 105 children (54 boys and 51 girls), 13–16 years of age (14.2 [1.1] y), took part. ACL injury risk was determined using the LESS and the FMS used to assess functional movement performance. Pearson product–moment relationships were significant between FMS and LESS for the whole sample and boys and girls separately (all P < .001). Backward linear multiple regression (P = .001, adjusted R² = .584) explained 58% of the variance in LESS scores, with only FMS (P = .001) significantly contributing to the model. Chi-square analysis for the whole sample and for boys and girls separately (all P = .0001) indicated that children who were classed as “poor” for the FMS were significantly more likely to be classified as poor for the LESS, and children classed as good for the FMS were significantly more likely to be classed as excellent for the LESS. This study provides evidence to support that functional movement skills may be important in reducing high-risk movement patterns associated with ACL injury in youth soccer.