Football Studies

Football Studies is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal committed to advancing understanding of football in all its forms—association football (soccer), futsal, and beach soccer. The journal provides a dedicated platform for original research that investigates the sport through four core dimensions: The Player, The Game, The Industry, and Fans & Culture.

Football Studies welcomes contributions from across the academic spectrum, including sport science, data analytics, engineering, sociology, psychology, economics, media studies, policy, and cultural studies. It aims to foster a deeper understanding of football’s evolving dynamics, inform practice and innovation, and stimulate critical reflection on the sport’s role in society.

The Player

This dimension focuses on the athlete at all levels of the game, from amateur to elite, emphasizing both performance and holistic development. Topics include:

• Physical training, conditioning, and technical/tactical preparation

• Injury prevention, rehabilitation, and sports medicine

• Football and public health

• Recovery protocols, sleep science, and load management

• Nutrition, supplementation, and hydration strategies

• Psychological health, motivation, identity, and well-being

• Talent identification, youth development, and career transitions

The Game

Research in this area centers on the structure, conduct, and analysis of the game itself, with a strong emphasis on innovation and methodology. Topics include:

• Tactical analysis and game modeling

• Match performance assessment and player tracking

• Officiating, rules, and use of technologies such as VAR

• New frontiers in data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning for game analysis, prediction, and decision support

• Methodological and computational advances in football research

The Industry

This dimension explores the global football ecosystem as an economic, organizational, and technological enterprise. Topics include:

• Governance, policy, and ethical regulation of the sport

• Financial operations, sponsorship, and commercialization

• Club, league, and federation management

• Player transfers, migration, and labor markets

• Innovation in football-related engineering, materials science, and equipment design (e.g., wearables, smart surfaces, ball technology)

• Sustainability and the environmental impact of football operations

Fans & Culture

Focusing on the social and cultural dimensions of football, this area highlights the ways football shapes and is shaped by communities around the world. Topics include:

• Fan identity, rituals, activism, and community formation

• Media, digital platforms, and global fan engagement

• Representation, diversity, and inclusion in football cultures

• Historical and political contexts of football institutions

• Football as a site for social change, diplomacy, and resistance

Football Studies places particular value on interdisciplinary work, comparative and international perspectives, and engagement with key stakeholders—including players, coaches, supporters, administrators, and policy makers. The journal aims to bridge academic rigor and practical insight, advancing both knowledge and innovation in the world’s most global game.