This international project aims to improve how injury prevention programmes (IPPs) are implemented in women’s football across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) - a region where female players are often underrepresented in sports research and healthcare planning.

Despite the growing popularity of women’s football in CEE, many players still face structural and cultural barriers that limit their safe participation and increase their risk of injury. Existing injury prevention strategies are rarely adapted to the specific realities of the region, which makes them less effective or harder to implement.

To address this gap, our project brings together medical and health professionals, coaches, players, and administrators from six CEE countries using a collaborative, systematic and highly structured mixed-methods approach called concept mapping. Together, we will identify key barriers and facilitators that impact the use of IPPs in local women's football divisions.

The findings will be used to:

• Create context-specific recommendations and guidelines for improving IPP implementation,

• Identify research and policy priorities,

• And support the development of long-term regional collaborations that place women’s health and safety at the centre of football development.

By grounding this work in the lived experiences of stakeholders across the region, we hope to influence both practice and policy, contributing to safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable participation for women and girls in football throughout CEE