ACL injuries can derail an athlete’s season, especially for teenage girls who face significantly higher risks. Fortunately, ACL injuries are largely preventable. These ACL injury prevention tips empower athletes and parents with practical, actionable steps to dramatically reduce injury risk and enhance performance on the field.
Know Your Risk Factors
Teen female athletes are at greater risk due to specific, modifiable factors:
- Limited ankle dorsiflexion: Athletes with stiff ankles land upright, increasing ACL stress. Watch for dorsiflexion under 8 cm (knee-to-wall) or tibial incline below 38°.
- Restricted hip internal rotation: Each 10° drop in hip rotation multiplies ACL injury risk significantly. Internal rotation less than 25°, or side-to-side differences above 10°, signals higher risk.
- Quad-dominant strength: Low hamstring-to-quadriceps strength ratios (below 0.60 conventional, or 0.90 functional) considerably elevate ACL injury risk.
- Poor landing mechanics: Athletes scoring five or more errors on the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) have over ten times greater ACL injury risk.
- High or asymmetrical ground-reaction forces: Landing forces above six times body weight or asymmetry greater than 20% doubles ACL injury risk.
Proven Prevention Strategies
The good news is ACL injury prevention programs consistently show impressive results:
- Neuromuscular warm-ups: Programs like FIFA 11+ or Knee Control cut ACL injury risk roughly in half (around 50%) when performed consistently, at least twice weekly, throughout the season.
- Strength and landing technique training: Exercises focused on hamstring strengthening, single-leg stability, and mobility significantly lower ACL injury rates—often by up to 60%. Simple yet highly effective exercises include:
- Nordic Hamstring Curls: Kneeling down and lowering forward slowly, this exercise builds powerful hamstrings that stabilize knees during jumps and landings.
- Single-Leg Squats: Performing controlled single-leg squats enhances ankle mobility, strengthens hip and knee stabilizers, and trains athletes for safe landings.
- Consistency and duration matter: Athletes who stick with ACL prevention routines throughout both pre- and in-season periods maintain roughly a 50% reduced risk compared to pre-season-only participants.
Nordic Hamstring Curls
These are one of the most challenging hamstring exercises to do but also one of the most effective.
Start these working through partial range of motion like the video above. As you get stronger, you can go lower, getting as close as possible to the floor.
Maintaining some control of the speed of lowering is best. The more control over the speed you have, the stronger you are.
Try 3 sets of 6 of these to start and work on going lower as you get stronger.
Single Leg Squat
This exercise is a beginner version of a single leg squat. The goal of this exercise is to control the position of your hips and your knee. Your hips and pelvis should stay parallel to each other.
- The knee of your foot that is on the step should stay lined up with the middle of that same foot.
- Start by using a lower step or a curb and progress to a higher step as it gets easier. You can also hold a weight to make it more difficult.
- Start with 2 sets of 10 every other day.
- As it gets easier, increase the number of reps and then the height of the step. You should feel it working in the front of your thigh and in the side of your butt.
Practical Takeaways for Athletes and Parents
Regular screening identifies athletes at greater risk, particularly those landing stiffly or lacking essential mobility. Adding just 15 minutes of targeted neuromuscular warm-ups, plus a handful of specific exercises like Nordic Hamstring Curls and Single-Leg Squats, can reduce ACL injury risk by half—or even more—for teen girls.
Proactively integrating ACL injury prevention exercises into daily practice boosts athlete confidence, improves performance, and helps ensure success, both now and for seasons to come.
Want to know if you’re athlete is at risk for ACL injury? We can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, our physical therapists are experts at assessing ACL injury risk and developing a specific plan to reduce that risk for YOUR athlete.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to request an appointment.
A member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t follow an ACL injury prevention plan?
- You risk missing an entire season—or more—due to a preventable ACL injury.
- You face months of challenging rehabilitation, impacting your confidence and motivation.
- You increase your chances of re-injury, threatening long-term performance and enjoyment.
But WITH a proactive ACL injury prevention plan, you can:
- Protect your future—keeping your knees healthy, strong, and ready to perform!
- Play confidently, knowing you’ve dramatically lowered your injury risk.
- Stay strong, agile, and competitive throughout your athletic career.
DIY or generic home exercise plans can work. But if you want an expert to analyze YOUR individual risk and create a plan specific to YOU, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist in Arlington, Alexandria, or Springfield, VA will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to prevent ACL injuries and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and start your path to healing.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
