Manager Urges Protection for Top Players Against Burnout as PFA Survey Highlights Concerns Over Player Workload and On-Field Safety

PFA Survey Highlights Concerns Over Player Workload and On-Field Safety as Manager Urges Protection for Top Players Against Burnout

A survey carried out by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has highlighted growing concerns among players regarding workload and on-field safety. The survey, which was distributed to players across the Championship, League One, and League Two, aimed to gather insight into player opinions on several key issues. These included the new additional time rules implemented in English football this season, player safety during pitch invasions, the potential extension of VAR to leagues beyond the Premier League, and various other workload-related challenges facing players. THE PFA will share a number of findings with the game’s governing bodies to help support efforts to ensure players’ voices are heard.

Survey Highlights:

• Almost 60% of EFL players surveyed by the PFA do not support the new rules relating to additional time at the end of each half.
  Nearly 60% also said that they believed longer games, resulting from new additional time rules, were causing more players to get injured.

• Three-quarters of EFL players surveyed by the PFA survey said that they felt players were not given a proper break between seasons.
  Over 60% felt that a lack of rest and recovery time was resulting in players getting injured more often.

• Over half of EFL players surveyed by the PFA said they had been part of a game where a pitch invasion had resulted in a player being attacked or harassed.
  Less than 20% felt enough was being done to identify those responsible for pitch invasions, harassment of players and discriminatory chanting.

• EFL players surveyed by the PFA are split almost 50/50 on whether they would support the expansion of VAR use beyond the Premier League.
  Almost a third of EFL players surveyed said they did not support the use of VAR in the game. Nearly 60% said that, although they broadly supported the use of VAR, the way it is currently used needed to be “significantly improved”.

The PFA has raised concerns over insufficient rest and recovery time for players, particularly between seasons. They highlighted a provision in the current men’s standard contract, negotiated by the union, which guarantees players five weeks of paid vacation annually. The contract also stipulates that clubs cannot "unreasonably refuse" a player's request to take three consecutive weeks of holiday, such as during the off-season.

PFA boss warns top players 'need protecting' from burnout

In August, PFA CEO Maheta Molango expressed concerns ahead of the upcoming club season, about the growing demands placed on players, for teams like Madrid and City, who will compete in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup next summer and warned that young stars like Bellingham, Saka and Foden could be forced to shorten their careers unless a solution is found to ease the burden of fixture congestion:

“Issues around player workload continue to be raised by players at all levels, whether that’s Virgil van Dijk and Raphael Varane speaking about the work we are doing with them to address the uncontrolled growth of the fixture calendar, or EFL members telling us that, overwhelmingly, they are not getting suitable rest and recovery between seasons. This will continue to be a priority for us, but where there are already rights in place to protect players, it’s important that they are aware of them. It’s equally important for us as a union to know when players may feel they need support enforcing such rights.”

"I think one of the big question marks is what would be the impact in the long run of that overload? Because we as a union also see the consequence of people when they retire in front of their body.”

"And I can tell you the number of people having hip replacement, knee replacement was already big. What will happen to someone who plays consistently 60, 70 games back-to-back in back-to-back seasons? How will their hips be? How will their knee be? I think it's a big question mark."

"I want to see Saka, Rice, Jude play for a number of years and celebrate a title for this country. But unfortunately, if we do not protect them, their ability to perform at the highest level will be hampered.”

"There is no secret recipe to be fit physically and mentally and if you keep playing back-to-back season with no rest, you'll end up paying a price. And that's what we don't want.”

"We should all be careful of protecting players who are part of the heritage of English football.”

Players’ lack of physical and mental recovery at top level of women’s football.

The 2023/24 season has been equally demanding for top-tier women’s footballers, with limited guaranteed rest with packed match schedules. Workload data from FIFPRO and Football Benchmark reveals that Aitana Bonmati, Keira Walsh, and their Barcelona teammates Lucy Bronze and Caroline Graham Hansen are among those facing the heaviest demands, each having played over 40 competitive matches since the start of the season.

Speaking to FIFPRO in January 2024, Keira Walsh added: "If you look at the amount of injuries that have happened in women’s football, I think it’s no accident - it’s the amount of games and how little rest players are having.”

“The World Cup was probably the most intense tournament I've played at. People speak about [recovery] physically, but mentally as well you need the rest. Player workload is getting a lot more. Sometimes as female players, we don't get the same support that the male players do in terms of facilities, and I'm very lucky I’ve had that support in the clubs that I've played at. Some other players aren’t, and I think we need to feel that support, and we also need to listen to how many games [are being played] and whether it is a positive step for us.”

"It's difficult because you want to be playing in those games, but at the same time, we want to know that you're going on the pitch in good shape, and that you're going to be coming off the pitch healthy too."

Is player recovery a priority in the current women's match calendar?

FIFA recently announced a new international calendar for women's football for 2026-2029. While some positive changes have been introduced, concerns remain regarding the continued pressure on high-usage international players. Notably, the new schedule lacks regulated safeguards for adequate in-season and off-season breaks.

For example, Spain’s Liga F and France’s Division 1 Féminine both began their 2023/24 seasons on 15-16 September, less than four weeks after the Women's World Cup final in Australia. This left players with little time to recover both physically and mentally from such a demanding tournament. Understandably, players are worried that the tight schedule and limited rest periods could increase the risk of injury.

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is characterised by three elements, which can reinforce each other and create a vicious cycle:

1. Feeling continuously exhausted

2. Feeling more cynical about work

3. Feeling less capable about work performance

If you're struggling with these emotions, keep in mind that burnout isn't a personal shortcoming—it's a result of the working conditions you're in. Next time you're tempted to hurl your coffee mug at a complaining sports millionaire on TV, keep in mind: wealth doesn’t protect your well-being.

The Importance of Career Ending Insurance Cover

Whilst the risk of injury and illness may be unavoidable, its financial impact can be significantly mitigated with the proper planning and the correct cover. A player’s contract determines how long their club is obliged to pay their salary after they sustain a serious or career ending injury.

This timeframe is governed by the contract and a country’s legislation, which varies from one country to another. If the worst happens to a player, their club can terminate their contract and, in some cases, stop paying their salary after six months.

Having a personal accident and illness policy can therefore safeguard a player’s financial future should the unthinkable happen. As long serving business partners of the PFA, Pro-Secure is the only football insurance recommended and endorsed by the PFA protecting careers and ensuring financial stability.

Pro-Secure policies cover career-ending injuries, safeguarding professional players against the financial impact of unexpected accidents, on and off the pitch.