Data-Driven Gradual Preseason Practice Acclimation Ramp Reduces Lower Extremity Strains in the National Football League.

This article focuses on evaluating preseason practice schedule strategies in the National Football League (NFL) to reduce lower extremity (LEX) strains, which commonly affect players' hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, and calves. An observational study of NFL players from 2018 to 2023 identified five practice duration strategies during the first week of training camp, finding that gradual acclimation approaches—such as increasing practice duration by 15 minutes or less each day or varying durations—were associated with significantly lower LEX strain rates. Based on these findings, the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) implemented a mandatory league-wide gradual practice acclimation ramp in 2022, accompanied by club education sessions, resulting in a 35% reduction in training camp LEX strains over two years and a 50% decrease in recurrent strains during the regular season. The study highlights the effectiveness of time-based load management strategies in injury reduction while acknowledging limitations related to causality and generalizability beyond the NFL.