Preventing Concussions in Soccer

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While soccer concussions will never be completely eliminated, with a focus on prevention they could happen less frequently. Officials need to maintain a tight, clean game to prevent all kinds of injuries caused by overly rough or dirty play.

Goal posts should be padded, and balls should be properly, not overly, inflated. Some people advocate for helmets, but many are resistant fearing the unintended effects it could have on the game. When it comes to heading the ball, kids should be taught the proper techniques, and US Youth Soccer recommends not at all until age 10.

SEE MORE: 5 Tips on How to Head a Soccer Ball

As long as participation in soccer keeps growing (and it does!), the number of soccer-related concussions will too. While most are classified as minor, they all need to be taken seriously. Give the player the time he or she needs to completely heal. This means not playing until the doctor says they’re ready. Better to miss a game than to get another concussion too soon and run the risk of serious and long term damage.

Concussion treatment varies from using pain relievers for headaches to simple rest. Rest consists of both physical and mental rest. If a player jumps back in too soon before fully recovering then the next concussion with be more severe and take longer from which to recover. Just not worth it! 

You and I may know this, but the tricky part may be convincing your player.

9 Responses to “Preventing Concussions in Soccer”

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  1. Chantal says:

    Hi,

    I was wondering why you don’t suggest wearing protective headgear? It seems silly that we are worrying about having the correct shin gaurds and cleats but not something that helps protect our children’s heads.

    Thanks,
    Chantal

    • anonymous says:

      Actually at all levels of soccer, the most common injury is a later ankle sprain which is ahead of concussions. also the amount of headgear that is legal in soccer doesnt do much of anything. i believe that wearing mouthguards like people do in football and rugby, will eliminate some concussions or lessen the severity.

    • anonymous says:

      Actually at all levels of soccer, the most common injury is a later ankle sprain which is ahead of concussions. also the amount of headgear that is legal in soccer doesnt do much of anything. i believe that wearing mouthguards like people do in football and rugby, will eliminate some concussions or lessen the severity.

    • Kevin Rangel says:

      Same I used to play soccer and the coaches would always say did you guys bring your shin guards and cleats

  2. admin says:

    Thanks Chantal.

    Many do recommend head gear / bands that can diffuse the blow; a head band (one of my daughters wears one) can make sure are of impact is spread out and absorbed by the band so to not impact a concentrated area of the head when heading a ball. Though with proper heading techniques there should really not be that many injuries that would lead to concussions.

    Most injuries are caused by players hitting each other, landing on the ground and/or hitting against the goal posts; dare I say, some even believe that headgear gives the kids a false sense of security making them believe they cannot get hurt at all on the field as they are protected against anything.

    Thanks for writing,

    Peter

  3. Stefan Ekmark says:

    Hi Peter,

    Thankyou for a great and important website.

    I am a former soccerplayer who played up to my late 20:ies and a former coach (youths for more than 10 years).When active I became a specialist in heading. With several concussions, broken nose (3 times) etc as a result.

    I do agree in terms of, that if you practise heading and learn how to do it right you do get better at it and you hit the ball more correctly in practise. But you should also now that it takes a lot of time in getting there and to master this. It is one of the most difficult exercises in all sports since you have to combine many various parameters in order to successfully head the ball. So on the way of becoming an expert you will have a couple of thousand headers that did not hit your forehead.

    Also when you finally have become an expert you will soon discover that it doesn´t really matter when playing the game. Everytime that you are in the air someone else is also up there and are pushing you around. So most of the times you will still be happy as long as you manage to hit the ball first. No matter what part of the head that acutally hits the ball.This in combination with elbows and other heads makes heading somewhat risky. But also very exciting and fun to do.

    I was as most other euoropeans extremly against wearing protective headgear within the sport of soccer (fotball) . Now however after seeing lots and lots of concussions as a coach and after studying the longterm effects I have totally reevaluted and are now in fact importing US headguards and are marketing them in Europe. It is hard work but i strongly belive that they are necessary. But I also welcome and encourage all other measures in order to handle this. It is after all the best sport in the world.

  4. Anonymous says:

    yes i do believe this is true

    • Anonymous says:

      i think that headgear does help to prevent concussoins’eihfjcrauocnv qmlcvkjnh vbj,anZNDXByur;wpej

  5. Anonymous says:

    i believe that concussion headbands do help but we need more evidence to see if they help to fully prevent concussions