Examination of injury anxiety levels of football players competing in regional amateur league according to positions

This study aims to examine the injury anxiety levels of football players competing at the Regional Amateur League (BAL). It was questioned whether there were differences in injury anxiety according to positions (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward); at the same time, the effects of variables such as injury history, training frequency and income status on this type of anxiety were examined. The "Sports Injury Anxiety Scale (SIA)" was used within the scope of the study and data were collected from 98 male football players via an online survey. The findings show that the participants' SIA scores were generally at a moderate level. However, no significant difference was found according to positions as a result of One-Way ANOVA. This situation can be associated with the similarity of training and match conditions of football players at the BAL level. The relatively limited infrastructure and expert support compared to professional leagues can make injury anxiety a "super-positional" issue. In particular, the high rate of football players with an injury history (67.3%) indicates that "fear of re-injury" or "concern about performance loss" has become widespread, regardless of position. The findings emphasize the importance of considering injury anxiety as a problem that concerns the entire team, not just a position. In this context, it is recommended that coaches working at the BAL level should spread injury prevention programs to the entire team; manage psychological support processes, rehabilitation planning and training intensity with a holistic perspective. At the same time, clubs and federations should provide semi-professional football players with adequate medical and psychological support mechanisms and effectively support the post-injury rehabilitation process. In future studies, it will be possible to reach more comprehensive findings by comparing injury anxiety in female football players, different league levels and using qualitative data collection methods. Keywords: Injury anxiety, football positions, rehabilitation