Please read the terms and conditions before using the football injury section of this site. By using this section, you have agreed to the Terms and Conditions of use with Grassrootscoaching.com. If you do not agree to the Terms and Conditions of this agreement, please do not use this section! Disclaimer Terms and Conditions. In order to gain a basic understanding of injury recognition and how to differentiate major injuries from minor ones, you must gain a basic understanding of the main types of injuries sustained in football.

Impact injuries

A kick, clash of heads, clash of knees etc, studs onto limbs. Cuts and grazes, fractures and broken bones(recognition and treatment)

Sprains or strains

Twisting an ankle or knee as a result of landing awkwardly, twisting or from an impact (recognition and treatment)

Muscle strains

Typically, muscle injuries will occur through a muscle strain, where the muscle is not warmed up properly, a sharp movement that over stretches the muscle or over use injuries, where the muscle is subjected to excessive repeat activity, such as a long shooting session, which could test the quadricep muscle or excessive sprinting exercises. or an impact injury, such as a kick on the muscle. One other aspect regarding muscle injuries is fatigue and tiredness. Muscles, obviously stand a greater chance of being injured when they are fatigued through over play - too much training or too many matches or fatigue in a game.

When a muscle is bruised or strained or a ligament is sprained the tissues are damaged and local blood vessels rupture. When this type of injury occurs, tissues, cells and blood vessels are damaged(recognition and treatment)

Cuts and bleeding

It is important that you protect yourself from blood-borne problems. For example, this is when one person contracts an illness from another when the first person's blood is introduced to the blood stream of another. For this reason, players must be removed from the field to attend to any bleeding wound. Coaches should always have disposable latex gloves available.

Also, during wet weather blood will appear to be greater than it actually is (recognition and treatment)

Heat, cold and nature related injuries:

Heat, cold and insects are always a problem when coaching football. Be prepared before the activity for these situations. Cramps are the first sign of heat illness. Keeping the players hydrated (before, during and after the game) will aid in the prevention of heat related illness. Proper clothing is important during cold activities.

In severe cold, appropriate underclothing can be worn as well as hats, gloves and suitable tracksuit tops and trousers.

It is quite common for players to get stung by insects. The stingers should be removed with a credit card or drivers license. Ice should then be applied. If the player exhibits hives, difficulty breathing, complains his tongue is numb or swollen, throat fells like it is closing or loud wheezing, get help IMMEDIATELY.

Avoiding blisters:

Players are always at risk of developing blisters. The primary way to prevent a blister from forming is to reduce friction on the skin. Proper boot and sock wear plays a key role in preventing blisters from forming on your feet. Choose a good-fitting boot. A good fit allows about a thumb's width of space between the end of the boot and the tip of the longest toe. Wear layers of socks or special double-layered socks instead of one pair of thick socks. Keep your feet as dry as possible during exercise. Polypropylene socks wick moisture away from the skin more effectively than cotton socks do. Conditioning the skin by gradually increasing activity also helps to prevent blister formation. This method allows calluses, rather than blisters, to form.

Treating blisters:

A small, unbroken blister [less than 2.5 cm (1 in.) across] will usually heal on its own. Do not try to break the blister. Just leave it alone.

Leave the blister uncovered unless something rubs against it. If you do decide to trat it and cover it:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before touching blisters. Blisters can easily become infected.
• If you have a large blister, you might consider draining it. Clean a needle with rubbing alcohol or soap and water, then use it to gently puncture the edge of the blister. Press the fluid in the blister toward the hole you made. Wash the blister after you have drained it, and pat it dry with clean gauze.
• Do not remove the flap of skin covering the blister unless it tears or gets dirty or pus forms under it. If the blister has just a small puncture or break, leave the flap of skin on and gently smooth it flat over the tender skin underneath.
• Apply an antibiotic ointment, such as polymixin B or bacitracin, if you are not allergic to it. The ointment will prevent the bandage from sticking to the blister and may help prevent infection. Do not use alcohol or iodine on the blister because these may delay healing. Do not use an ointment if you know you are allergic to it.
• Loosely apply a bandage or gauze. Secure the bandage so the tape does not touch the blister. Do not wrap tape completely around a hand, arm, foot, or leg because it could cut off the blood supply if the limb swells. If the tape is too tight, you may develop numbness, tingling, pain, or cool and pale or swollen skin below the level of the tape.
• If the skin under the bandage begins to itch or develops a rash, stop using the antibiotic ointment.
• Change the bandage every day and any time it gets wet or dirty. You can soak the bandage in cool water just before removing it to make it less painful to take off.
• Avoid wearing the shoes or doing the activity that caused the blister until the blister heals.

Watch for a skin infection while the blister is healing. Signs of infection include:

• Increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the blister.
• Red streaks extending away from the blister.
• Drainage of pus from the blister.
• Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpit, or groin.
• Fever.