MPs criticise 'slow' sporting response to women's ACL injuries

On 5 March 2024, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, a cross-party group of MPs, published a report titled "Health barriers for girls and women in sport". It examined how issues such as injuries, kit and puberty affect female participation and performance.

On anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, a serious knee injury that can keep players out for many months, the MPs said the response of sport and sports science had been "disparate and slow". Reports cited research suggesting female footballers were between three and six times more likely to suffer such injuries than male players. The committee argued that a comparable problem among men would have prompted a quicker and better-coordinated reaction, and it also criticised the limited availability of kit designed for women, including football boots.

The report called for stronger coordination and a long-term strategy involving government and sporting bodies. It added pressure on football authorities such as the Football Association to invest in research into why women are affected so often, a debate that later fed into further studies.