What is Project ACL — US league joins global project to cut injuries in women’s football The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and its players’ union have joined Project ACL, a global initiative aimed at ⁠reducing the number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in professional women’s football.The collaboration brings the U.S.-based NWSL into a programme that was launched in England’s Women’s Super ‌League two years ago in response to a call for more research into ACL tears, with women more than twice ‌as likely to suffer the debilitating injury than men.Project ACL ‌seeks ⁠to better understand the multiple factors behind ACL injuries, with ⁠researchers saying there is limited evidence on how to reduce such injuries at the professional level, and women make up as little as eight per cent of sports science research.The NWSL and NWSLPA will work alongside ‌existing partners Nike, Leeds Beckett University and global players union FIFPRO to build evidence-based practices to help the women’s game, studying not just the physical causes but training conditions, scheduling demands and recovery ‌environments.ALSO READ | Study links poor childhood movement skills to rising ACL injuries in girlsSince its launch, Project ACL researchers have surveyed staff across all 12 WSL clubs and conducted interviews with more than 30 players, with support from England’s Professional Footballers’ Association.The project ⁠is also tracking players’ workload, travel and critical zone appearances (games with less than five days of recovery time) via the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring ‌tool to establish links between scheduling and injury risk.The formal launch of the NWSL partnership was held on Wednesday at Nike’s headquarters in New York.“We believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to establishing meaningful change in the soccer ecosystem and that players, competition organizers and stakeholders around the world will benefit from Project ACL’s ‌outputs and outcomes,” said Dr. Alex Culvin, FIFPRO’s director of women’s football.The NWSL’s vice-president of sporting, Sarah Gregorius, said player health was central to the league’s future.ALSO READ | Women’s EURO 2025: ACL research in women’s football needs to focus on prevention over cure“This is an area where we intend to ⁠lead,” she said. “By continuing to invest in this work, we can help ⁠build environments where our players are better supported and able to perform at their best.”More than 25 players missed the FIFA ‌Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries.Gotham FC defender Kayla Duran is the most recent NWSL player to suffer the season-ending knee injury, in a game against Kansas City Current on April 4.Published on Apr 22, 2026 #Project #ACL #league #joins #global #project #cut #injuries #womens #football

What is Project ACL — US league joins global project to cut injuries in women’s football
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and its players’ union have joined Project ACL, a global initiative aimed at ⁠reducing the number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in professional women’s football.
The collaboration brings the U.S.-based NWSL into a programme that was launched in England’s Women’s Super ‌League two years ago in response to a call for more research into ACL tears, with women more than twice ‌as likely to suffer the debilitating injury than men.
Project ACL ‌seeks ⁠to better understand the multiple factors behind ACL injuries, with ⁠researchers saying there is limited evidence on how to reduce such injuries at the professional level, and women make up as little as eight per cent of sports science research.
The NWSL and NWSLPA will work alongside ‌existing partners Nike, Leeds Beckett University and global players union FIFPRO to build evidence-based practices to help the women’s game, studying not just the physical causes but training conditions, scheduling demands and recovery ‌environments.
ALSO READ | Study links poor childhood movement skills to rising ACL injuries in girls
Since its launch, Project ACL researchers have surveyed staff across all 12 WSL clubs and conducted interviews with more than 30 players, with support from England’s Professional Footballers’ Association.
The project ⁠is also tracking players’ workload, travel and critical zone appearances (games with less than five days of recovery time) via the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring ‌tool to establish links between scheduling and injury risk.
The formal launch of the NWSL partnership was held on Wednesday at Nike’s headquarters in New York.
“We believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to establishing meaningful change in the soccer ecosystem and that players, competition organizers and stakeholders around the world will benefit from Project ACL’s ‌outputs and outcomes,” said Dr. Alex Culvin, FIFPRO’s director of women’s football.
The NWSL’s vice-president of sporting, Sarah Gregorius, said player health was central to the league’s future.
ALSO READ | Women’s EURO 2025: ACL research in women’s football needs to focus on prevention over cure
“This is an area where we intend to ⁠lead,” she said. “By continuing to invest in this work, we can help ⁠build environments where our players are better supported and able to perform at their best.”
More than 25 players missed the FIFA ‌Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries.
Gotham FC defender Kayla Duran is the most recent NWSL player to suffer the season-ending knee injury, in a game against Kansas City Current on April 4.
Published on Apr 22, 2026
#Project #ACL #league #joins #global #project #cut #injuries #womens #football

Sports news April 22, 2026

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and its players’ union have joined Project ACL, a global initiative aimed at ⁠reducing the number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in professional women’s football.

The collaboration brings the U.S.-based NWSL into a programme that was launched in England’s Women’s Super ‌League two years ago in response to a call for more research into ACL tears, with women more than twice ‌as likely to suffer the debilitating injury than men.

Project ACL ‌seeks ⁠to better understand the multiple factors behind ACL injuries, with ⁠researchers saying there is limited evidence on how to reduce such injuries at the professional level, and women make up as little as eight per cent of sports science research.

The NWSL and NWSLPA will work alongside ‌existing partners Nike, Leeds Beckett University and global players union FIFPRO to build evidence-based practices to help the women’s game, studying not just the physical causes but training conditions, scheduling demands and recovery ‌environments.

ALSO READ | Study links poor childhood movement skills to rising ACL injuries in girls

Since its launch, Project ACL researchers have surveyed staff across all 12 WSL clubs and conducted interviews with more than 30 players, with support from England’s Professional Footballers’ Association.

The project ⁠is also tracking players’ workload, travel and critical zone appearances (games with less than five days of recovery time) via the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring ‌tool to establish links between scheduling and injury risk.

The formal launch of the NWSL partnership was held on Wednesday at Nike’s headquarters in New York.

“We believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to establishing meaningful change in the soccer ecosystem and that players, competition organizers and stakeholders around the world will benefit from Project ACL’s ‌outputs and outcomes,” said Dr. Alex Culvin, FIFPRO’s director of women’s football.

The NWSL’s vice-president of sporting, Sarah Gregorius, said player health was central to the league’s future.

ALSO READ | Women’s EURO 2025: ACL research in women’s football needs to focus on prevention over cure

“This is an area where we intend to ⁠lead,” she said. “By continuing to invest in this work, we can help ⁠build environments where our players are better supported and able to perform at their best.”

More than 25 players missed the FIFA ‌Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries.

Gotham FC defender Kayla Duran is the most recent NWSL player to suffer the season-ending knee injury, in a game against Kansas City Current on April 4.

Published on Apr 22, 2026

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#Project #ACL #league #joins #global #project #cut #injuries #womens #football

Top Seeds in Eastern Conference in Trouble During NBA Playoffs Round 1 | Deadspin.com <div id="section-1"> The New York Knicks looked like they would be cruising to a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, <a href="https://deadspin.com/knicks-and-nuggets-blow-big-leads-what-went-wrong-in-game-2/" target="_blank">then CJ McCollum struck</a>. New York was outscored 28-15 in the 4th quarter, and all the momentum has flipped back in the Hawks’ favor as the series heads down south to Atlanta for game three.Then over in Detroit, the Pistons feel like they’re in a must-win game two, as they’ll be looking to even their series up at one game apiece before the series heads down to Orlando.Both Detroit and New York had lofty expectations heading into the playoffs, but the road has been a little bumpier than expected. For the Pistons, it was shocking to see another team set the tone for aggression in game one. Specifically with Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren. Those two combined for only 11 points and 11 rebounds and struggled to handle the physical play Orlando has consistently brought to the playoffs over the last few seasons.Detroit wouldn’t be the first 60-win team to get bounced in the first round, but this would feel like a massive setback for the organization. JB Bickerstaff has a <a href="https://deadspin.com/knicks-and-nuggets-blow-big-leads-what-went-wrong-in-game-2/" target="_blank">reputation for struggling in the postseason</a>, and a first-round exit would bring into question whether he’s the right guy to lead the Pistons, even after two tremendous seasons turning things around in the Motor City.The vibe for the Knicks is a bit different than what we’re seeing in Detroit, but their fans are still starting to feel some heat. New York has been in control for 95 minutes of this series, yet it’s still tied at 1 game each.Of course, you’d think that New York would still be confident that they’re going to win this series; unfortunately, you can’t help but remember what Trae Young and previous iterations of the Hawks have done to the city. It’s hard not to let negative thoughts creep into your brain after what you’ve experienced in the past. If there was one lower seed the city of New York wanted to miss, it was Atlanta, and we’re already seeing why in what might be the best series in the first round of the playoffs.Boston is the third favorite in the East to drop a game, but the vibe in that series still feels entirely different. Boston has notoriously dominated the Sixers in the postseason, so I doubt that even after losing one game, they’re feeling any pressure in their series.The Knicks are still -198 to advance, and Detroit is -205, so they’re still solidly favorites to advance, but the pressure has begun to creep in. Who would’ve guessed that James Harden and the Cavs would look the most comfortable in an Eastern Conference first-round series? </div> #Top #Seeds #Eastern #Conference #Trouble #NBA #Playoffs #Deadspin.com

Deadspin | TJ Rumfield drives in four to lift Rockies past Reds Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images TJ Rumfield went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3 on Saturday in Denver. Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak each had two hits and two RBIs for Colorado, which recorded 14 hits and snapped a three-game losing skid. Cole Carrigg added two hits with an RBI and three runs scored. Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4) won his fifth straight decision, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Jose Trevino hit a pair of solo homers among his three hits for Cincinnati, which trailed 8-1 after three innings and lost for the third time in its last four games. Colorado set the tone with two runs in the first inning against Rhett Lowder (3-7). McCarthy hit a leadoff double and scored on Carrigg’s one-out double before Rumfield delivered a run-scoring single. The Rockies tacked on four more runs in the second inning. Brett Sullivan tripled to begin the rally and scored on McCarthy’s two-out single. After stealing second base, McCarthy scored on Moniak’s single to center. Rumfield and Willi Castro followed with back-to-back RBI singles. The Reds got on the board on Trevino’s one-out solo homer in the third before Colorado scored two more runs in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Julian Garcia replaced Lowder and allowed a run to score on McCarthy’s groundout. Another run scored when Moniak followed with an RBI single. Lowder yielded eight runs on 11 hits over 2 1/3 innings. He issued zero walks with two strikeouts. Trevino homered again with one out in the fifth inning before the Rockies extended their lead with two runs in the sixth. After Carrigg drew a two-out walk, Rumfield hit his 13th homer of the season to put Colorado ahead 10-2. Cincinnati, which had won its last seven meetings against the Rockies at Coors Field, scored a run in the seventh after Juan Mejia replaced Sugano with a runner at second and one out. With runners on the corners and two outs, Nathaniel Lowe lined a pinch-hit single into center field to score Noelvi Marte from third. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rumfield #drives #lift #Rockies #Reds

#Deadspin #Rumfield #drives #lift #Rockies #Reds">

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Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

TJ Rumfield went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3 on Saturday in Denver.

Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak each had two hits and two RBIs for Colorado, which recorded 14 hits and snapped a three-game losing skid. Cole Carrigg added two hits with an RBI and three runs scored.

Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4) won his fifth straight decision, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

Jose Trevino hit a pair of solo homers among his three hits for Cincinnati, which trailed 8-1 after three innings and lost for the third time in its last four games.

Colorado set the tone with two runs in the first inning against Rhett Lowder (3-7). McCarthy hit a leadoff double and scored on Carrigg’s one-out double before Rumfield delivered a run-scoring single.

The Rockies tacked on four more runs in the second inning. Brett Sullivan tripled to begin the rally and scored on McCarthy’s two-out single. After stealing second base, McCarthy scored on Moniak’s single to center. Rumfield and Willi Castro followed with back-to-back RBI singles.

The Reds got on the board on Trevino’s one-out solo homer in the third before Colorado scored two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.

With runners on the corners and one out, Julian Garcia replaced Lowder and allowed a run to score on McCarthy’s groundout. Another run scored when Moniak followed with an RBI single.

Lowder yielded eight runs on 11 hits over 2 1/3 innings. He issued zero walks with two strikeouts.

Trevino homered again with one out in the fifth inning before the Rockies extended their lead with two runs in the sixth. After Carrigg drew a two-out walk, Rumfield hit his 13th homer of the season to put Colorado ahead 10-2.

Cincinnati, which had won its last seven meetings against the Rockies at Coors Field, scored a run in the seventh after Juan Mejia replaced Sugano with a runner at second and one out.

With runners on the corners and two outs, Nathaniel Lowe lined a pinch-hit single into center field to score Noelvi Marte from third.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rumfield #drives #lift #Rockies #Reds">Deadspin | TJ Rumfield drives in four to lift Rockies past Reds

Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

TJ Rumfield went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3 on Saturday in Denver.

Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak each had two hits and two RBIs for Colorado, which recorded 14 hits and snapped a three-game losing skid. Cole Carrigg added two hits with an RBI and three runs scored.

Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4) won his fifth straight decision, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

Jose Trevino hit a pair of solo homers among his three hits for Cincinnati, which trailed 8-1 after three innings and lost for the third time in its last four games.

Colorado set the tone with two runs in the first inning against Rhett Lowder (3-7). McCarthy hit a leadoff double and scored on Carrigg’s one-out double before Rumfield delivered a run-scoring single.

The Rockies tacked on four more runs in the second inning. Brett Sullivan tripled to begin the rally and scored on McCarthy’s two-out single. After stealing second base, McCarthy scored on Moniak’s single to center. Rumfield and Willi Castro followed with back-to-back RBI singles.

The Reds got on the board on Trevino’s one-out solo homer in the third before Colorado scored two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.

With runners on the corners and one out, Julian Garcia replaced Lowder and allowed a run to score on McCarthy’s groundout. Another run scored when Moniak followed with an RBI single.

Lowder yielded eight runs on 11 hits over 2 1/3 innings. He issued zero walks with two strikeouts.

Trevino homered again with one out in the fifth inning before the Rockies extended their lead with two runs in the sixth. After Carrigg drew a two-out walk, Rumfield hit his 13th homer of the season to put Colorado ahead 10-2.

Cincinnati, which had won its last seven meetings against the Rockies at Coors Field, scored a run in the seventh after Juan Mejia replaced Sugano with a runner at second and one out.

With runners on the corners and two outs, Nathaniel Lowe lined a pinch-hit single into center field to score Noelvi Marte from third.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rumfield #drives #lift #Rockies #Reds

LeBron James knows what it’s like to have the entire NBA in a chokehold as they wait on his free agent decision. James did it in 2010, 2014, 2018, and somehow he’s doing it again even on the brink of his 42nd birthday. James told the Los Angeles Lakers he would be playing for a new team in the 2026-27 season at the end of June, and after weeks of speculation on the best fits and most likely landing spots, it’s finally time for him to announce his choice.

The expectation is that James will sign in the coming week, and no one really knows where he’s going to land. The Golden State Warriors were a serious contender for a bit, but it seems like they’re out now that they won’t meet the Wizards’ ridiculous asking price for Anthony Davis. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also in pursuit of James, and both make a lot of sense given their championship history with LeBron. There’s one more team consistently mentioned in these free agent discussions, and at this point it doesn’t seem like a fluke: the Philadelphia 76ers are lurking as a very real suitor for LeBron, and it’s starting to feel like it could really happen.

The Sixers appear to have piqued LeBron’s interest following the shocking Jaylen Brown trade. ESPN reported that Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid have all been talking to LeBron about joining the Sixers. Maxey is a Klutch client like LeBron, and something like that tends to carry some weight when Rich Paul is running the show.

New Sixers lead executive Mike Gansey is an Ohio native like LeBron, and LeBron actually beat him out for the 2001 Ohio Mr. Basketball award as a sophomore when Gansey was a senior. Gansey came over from the Cavs’ front office, and he was working there at the end of LeBron’s last Cleveland tenure. His brother also tweeted out this photo of Gansey and James together in high school.

It’s understandable if people think LeBron won’t pick the Sixers because it would be weird for him to end his career in Philly. Well, what if this isn’t his last year in the NBA? James pushed back against the idea that aging athletes should retire a Fanatics Fest and cited Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones as an inspiration. I’d also note that LeBron is basically the godfather of “player empowerment” in the NBA at this point, and he’s always marched to the beat of his own drum in free agency, from bolting to the Heat in 2010 to returning to the Cavs in 2014 to choosing the Lakers in 2018.

Fans are reading the tea leaves around the LeBron discussion, and they’re starting to think the Sixers might actually be the pick.

A starting lineup with Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Brown, James, and Embiid could be box office, and Philly would still have Dean Wade, Labaron Philon, Anfernee Simons, Dominic Barlow, Justin Edwards, Ariel Hukporti, and Adem Bona off the bench. The center position is definitely a worry given that Embiid misses so much time every season. That’s also a lot of guys who need the ball in their hands without a ton of shooting around them, but there’s no denying the Sixers with LeBron have a stacked roster.

LeBron to the Sixers makes more sense than people want to believe, especially if it’s only for one season before he bounces to Cleveland or Miami a year from now. James has four rings, and he wants one more. Philly might actually give him the best chance to get it.

#LeBron #James #free #agency #frontrunner #76ers">