Common Injuries during Football Coaching Sessions and Matches

Football is a contact sport, for this reason the possibility of injuries occurring is high. However collisions, blows and tackles are not the only actions that result in injuries occurring, unchallenged and common movements such as sprinting, turning and jumping can all contribute to the chance of injury.

This article looks to highlight the most common injuries in football and how they come about.

Head and Face

Such As: Cuts, concussion, nose bleeds, fractures and dental related.

Head and facial injuries are most common when the ball is in the air and two player’s challenge for it, as the heads or an arm and a head clash. There is also a risk when someone lowers their head below chest height to head a ball and the opposing player goes for the same ball with their foot; a situation that is regular in goal mouths as players are desperate to score or clear the ball. Goalkeepers are also vulnerable to facial injuries as they dive down at the feet of oncoming attackers. It is also not uncommon for facial injuries to be caused by the ball striking the face at speed.

Hands and Arms

Such As: Sprains, strains fractures and dislocations.An outfield player is less likely to suffer such an injury compared to a goalkeeper. This is because of the nature of the role that goalkeepers play within soccer. They are constantly stretching to catch or diving to save. An injury to the arm or hand is usually due to an awkward fall or a direct blow.

Torso

Such As: Cracked ribs, strains and ‘dead’ muscles.

Once again goalkeepers are more susceptible to torso injuries than outfield players. This is because they often have to come through a crowded area to collect a ball at full stretch, meaning their torso is unprotected against any challenges. They must also use their bodies to block any attempts at goal. In addition to collecting and blocking the ball they are also required to use their back muscles during distribution when they have to throw the ball over great distances. The majority of torso injuries that occur to outfield player’s, occur in the same situations as head and facial injuries. When a ball is in the air and two player’s compete or when the ball is bouncing and one player controls it with their body and the other attempts to kick it. However some torso injuries can originate from player’s falling on top on others with their feet, elbows or knees.

Upper Leg

Such As: Strains, tears, dead legs and breaks.

Breaks in the upper leg are very rare due to the strength of the femur bone and the muscles surrounding it. So it would take a very excessive force to cause such an injury. More common are dead legs (when a blow is taken to the muscles) and strains from overstretching or too many repetitive actions. If a player is not fully warmed up then their hamstrings may seem ‘tight’ and sore when they attempt to accelerate.

Knee

Such As: Cartilage and ligament damage.

The knees are involved in a lot (if not all) of the movements that a footballer is required to make. However they are also very susceptible to becoming injured because they are not the most well protected region of the body. The medial ligaments (on the inside of each knee) are one of the areas that are commonly damaged during football. A knee injury can occur by taking a direct hit on it; if the foot is planted at the same time as the blow then the leg has no ‘give’ in it so the knee must absorb the force and as a result it bends in an unnatural manner. It is also possible to damage the knee when turning. If the studs of the boot become ‘stuck’ in the ground and the player attempts to turn, the body will turn but the foot will not, this leads to the knee turning outside its natural range, thus causing damage.

Lower Leg

Such As: Cramp, cuts (stud induced), strains and fractures and complete breaks.

Due to the nature of soccer, the lower leg is one of the most commonly injured areas of the body. A mistimed challenge, continuous jumping and sprinting can all contribute to wounds arising. It is therefore imperative that player’s wear shin pads whenever they are in a competitive environment. Cramps are a result of a build up of lactic acid in the muscles that are common when an individual begins to fatigue.

Ankles

Such As: Ligament and cartilage damage, as well as fractures and dislocations.

The ankle is similar to the knee as it is involved in every movement undertaken by a footballer and also regarding the manner it can get injured by direct blows and turning. However due to the location of the ankle it is a lot more susceptible to direct blows than the knee. An ankle can also be damaged by landing abnormally from a jump or twisted when running due to a poor pitch. So before playing ensure there are no dangerous pot-holes in the ground. Due to the amount of different ways the ankle can get hurt and the weakness of the joint, ankle injuries are a lot more regular than the other joint related injuries.

Feet

Such As: Fractures and cuts

Injuries to the feet are most commonly caused by direct blows from opponent’s feet, when tackling or looking to block a shot. However there has been a recent increase in the amount of injuries caused by the foot bending in an abnormal nature and damaging the bones in the feet (the metatarsals).

Youth Players Specific

Osgood-Schlatters

This condition is the result of performing too much kicking movements. This continuous motion places excessive stress on the region below the knee where the tendons of the quadriceps muscles connect to the tibia. It can be very painful for a youngster, and stop them from playing. Player’s should be advised not to over-train or over-play.

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