Football is one of the most played sports in the world. This involves certain conditions or damage that are mostly unforeseeable and even unavoidable. Still, you can reduce the risk of suffering them by following tips on preventing soccer injuries. Our online sportswear store cares about you, so we bring you all the details.
Most common injuries in soccer
In football, as in other sports, the probability of an accident is high. The type of injuries usually suffered tend to affect the lower extremities, which can present problems and ailments in the future that are irremediable or require surgical intervention.
The game’s rules make it more common to suffer certain types of injuries than others. Here are some of the most common soccer injuries:
- Muscular: Affects the muscle fibre in the form of breakage, tear or tension. Of this group, the ones most often occur in soccer are calves, hamstrings, and adductor strain.
- Tendinous: This type of injury is suffered at the level of tendons or ligaments; the most common are Achilles tendinitis, adductor tendinitis and dislocation.
- Traumatic: These are more serious and have more severe results. Mainly, sprains, bone fractures, contractures and ligament ruptures occur.
Importance of injury prevention
This sport has considerable physical and mental demands. All players are clear about the risk they run when entering the field of play. From internal injuries to external injuries, anything can happen on the pitch.
The important thing is to do something to avoid and reduce these risks. Awareness of and preventing soccer injuries increases the player’s time on the field and enhances his performance and skill by showing his skills.
It should be noted that the responsibility of being careful is not only the player’s; it also falls on the coach who advises him. The discipline instructors must take care of their player’s physical and psychological state, provide them with the necessary tools, and have the authority to make decisions that favour the footballer’s health.
The prevention of football injuries is a fundamental pillar in preparing professional athletes or playing with friends. For this and more, every player needs to be vigilant and avoid damage to their health that could accompany them for life.
How to prevent soccer injuries
Now that we know what injuries affect soccer players and how important it is to prevent them, we will show you some information to help you avoid them.
Before the match
Perform protection exercises
These exercises help the player to increase resistance to injury. They are specialized and comprise structured movements that strengthen the body’s natural defence. They alert reflexes and strengthen small muscles, providing support and stability to reduce injuries.
Maintain physical condition
If you are one of the players who enter the court for seasons, try to train a few days before it starts. Keeping training gives you optimal physical condition to resist every minute after the ball.
Those who have spent long periods without entering the field must recover their physical condition little by little. The body needs to get used to the state of activity and stress that occurs on the pitch again; this will not happen overnight.
Food is part of this preparation. The food you eat is the body’s fuel. A bad diet will make the physical functions, not in an optimal state.
Inspect the field
Before entering the field to play, go for a walk. Make sure there are no holes in the surface and no obstacles. Check if the grass is wet or too tall.
Sometimes there is debris or items left on the field that interfere with players’ movement on the field. If you find any, pick it up, it can hurt you or one of your teammates.
Warm up and stretch
Take time to warm up your muscles before each game and stretch accordingly. This will prevent muscle contractures or tears. In addition, your body enters this movement, lightens and becomes more fluid.
This is a habit that every player must develop. Having your body in ideal physical condition to play a game is possible.
Check the goals
Few consider the review of goals, but it is a crucial step, especially for the goalkeeper. Check if the arches are well anchored to the field; several accidents have occurred because the nets fell on the players. Therefore, you should not hang from the hooks either.
Also, make sure that the posts are protected with pads. This way, injuries due to impact on the structure will be less.
Check the ball
Make sure that the ball has the conditions to roll on the court. That it is not broken prevents tripping.
If the grass is wet, the ball must be synthetic. The leather ones get soaked, making them very heavy, which increases the risk of injuries to the ankles, feet and fingers.
During the match
Use the right equipment.
As in all sports, the player’s equipment was designed to protect his physical integrity and give each one the necessary support. Here are some recommendations for your choice:
- Boots: Choose them with moulded studs or rubber soles with nubs; They provide greater firmness and security. If the field is wet, use bolt-on spikes, as you need exceptional grip. Buying the right size and braiding them tight to play is essential. Please consider that they have good foot support and help you with the precision of the ball, such as the Nike Phantom VSN Pro boots.
- Shin guards: They protect the lower part of the legs from injuries or fractures that are very common in this sport. This area is exposed to kicks with rugged shoes, which increases the probability of injury. For this reason, shin guards must be used properly; they must adjust to the length and width of the calf and cover the entire surface.
- Soccer socks: Designed especially for players, these are responsible for keeping the shin guards in place. This makes it mandatory for socks to cover the entire lower leg up to the knees.
- For goalkeepers: Ideally, wear long-sleeved shirts and use padded gear, which protects your hips, elbows and shoulders, apart from your high-impact knees. The gloves must be unique to reduce the impact of the balls on the hands.
Respect the rules
Remember that the rules allow a clean and safe execution of the match. Knowing and respecting them will keep your posture and sports ethics and avoid actions that can lead to an injury. It is crucial to always listen to the coach. Also, breaking the rules can get you carded and suspended from the game.
Pay attention to your peers.
Keep your head up and pay attention to what your teammates are doing and where they are. Many injuries and accidents occur because players collide out of distraction. Knowing what is happening around you will set you apart and alert you to any danger or threat of injury on the pitch.
Learn and apply the necessary techniques
Certain plays require technique and skill to execute without taking damage. It can be believed that in soccer, having resistance and agility is enough. But, there are movements that, if implemented without technique, can cause injuries, such as headbutts, which affect the head, neck and cervical levels if they are not performed well.
Leave the match if you feel any ailment.
If you feel pain in any part of the body, be it in a muscle, joint or any other position; Ask to be kicked out of the match. It is better to get out of a game on time than for a simple pain to generate a severe injury. Take care of your health and your body, and you will be able to spend much more time on the playing field.