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Fidel Flores
Ms. Morton
UWRT 1102
April 12, 2016
Soccer the Real Deal
Sports violence isnt just about getting knocked out or taking hits and getting back up. A
contact sport doesnt necessarily mean someone has to always get hit or hurt. A contact sport is a
sport that at any moment in time can cause any sort of injury of any kind. Contact sports can
include anything from minor bruises to severe body part losses. Violence in a sport can range
from even the most insignificant injuries in the game/match to the most grotesque things anyone
can imagine. Soccer being the least expected sport in its category can sometimes also have its
violent moments.
Soccer isnt just all about 20 players running around chasing a ball. It is considered to be
a very, low rated contact sport (Mueller). However, most people dont know it has some of the
most gruesome injuries in all sports. Soccer is one of the sports with the most recorded
concussions per year (Burger). Players jumping around in the air trying to score with no head
protection are most likely to have head injuries of all sorts. Having no protection is harder than it
looks. Most people take it for granted that getting hit with a soccer ball is something that doesnt
hurt however, this is extremely incorrect. Being hit with a soccer ball even if it is unintentional is
not something very comfortable. This can be very, painful. The consequences sometimes do not
have to occur right away but can happen sometime in the near future. Concussions are one of the
things that have been taken the most serious in the last couple of years. The most important

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concussion associated topics talked about are the prevention of them especially in younger youth
leagues were younger age players are associated in.
Head collisions in soccer is a matter that shouldnt be taken lightly. Head injuries mostly
caused by accidents are the most brutal injuries in soccer. Not to mention the effects as stated
earlier of brain damage these things can cause. Having the proper care after the injury is the best
way to prevent serious injury afterwards. Many people have been looking into these matters
since many players have been affected with the after effects of strong blows to the head
(Whiteman). In boxing and other contact sports, direct blows to the head are very common. The
after effects are well known to boxers. In soccer, these blows to the head can sometimes be
worse since they are most, likely unexpected to happen. A miss headers or a flying knee to the
face on a miss clearance can sometimes mean the end of the match for some players and maybe
the end of a season for others. In football players are allowed to wear a helmet. Do you mean
something like Why is soccer considered less dangerous when there is no head protection
involved? In football, there is protection for all parts of the body. An injury to the head in
football may be less severe when there is a helmet involve. Although it does not prevent injury to
the brain it does prevent injury to the outside of the head. In both sports, the head injuries are
unfortunate but isnt this true for both since neither players mean to go straight to the head. It is
different in soccer, however, in football the players can hit heads on accident with other players
and they are less likely to be at higher risk but in soccer, an accidental head bump can knock you
out for a couple seconds. Soccer should be considered more of a contact sport when there is no
protection involved. Every sport has unfortunate injuries but some sports have more protection
which could mean life or death in some cases.

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With the possibility of injury during a match, players may also experience sever injuries
after matches. Soccer injuries can occur in the short term or also in long term depending on the
type of injury that was caused. The difference between short-term injuries usually depends on the
severity of how the injury was caused in the first place (Quinn). Many people are unaware that
long-term injuries can occur but these can be serious, problematic things that are possible in the
terms of injuries. Soccer is most well known for having injuries in the lower section of the body.
Usually involving the ankles, shins, foot, and legs. One can maybe think that it is just a twisted
ankle but it can have more serious consequences.
Soccer has many common injuries most of the time involving the overuse of the muscles
and joints. The most common injuries in soccer can be broken up into two distinct sections called
cumulative or acute injuries (Quinn). Most cumulative injuries are the cause of the repetitive
overuse of muscles. Many players are constantly causing sprains or stretching to the frequently
used muscles, those injuries can be minor but over time the more frequent the injuries the more
likely the injury will be more severe. There are many sports that have similar injuries for
example football has many injuries such as sprains and tears are commonly known to soccer. So
how is soccer any different when there both has the same injuries? Many sports that are
considered to be contact sports are also known to have similar injuries. Injuries between players
have to do with the force and the contact between one another on the field. In soccer the contact
between players is not at all very constant but contact between players will occur throughout the
game. Acute injuries are rarer in many sports. These are the cause of a sudden impact or force
(Quinn). In contact sports, these injuries are very unfortunate but can and will happen. In soccer
injuries like this can occur, as said by ESPN staff, an unfortunate event happened at the start of a
Premier soccer league where a player by the name of Eduardo Da Silva was injured after a

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missed tackle. A player slide tackled him and missing the ball completely took out Eduardos leg
causing the leg to break in two. This and many known injuries to professional players are likely
to happen in contact sports. Injuries of this sort can only be evaded by a proper technique in the
playing of the sport.
In soccer injuries to the knee can be the most common at any time. A miss clearance, for
example, can cause another player to kick the other. In football, the same scenario is common if
another player accidently gets taken out near the knees. The stretching of ligaments is very
common in contact sports where there is a lot of running involved. Running in every sport is
inevitable but the proper form and the proper stretching can and will help with the reduction of
these injuries. The prevention of these injuries has more to do with the proper warm up and
proper form in stretching when going into a match (Quinn). Research has also been done to
provide evidence that proper warm-up and proper stretching will prevent serious injuries in a
match.
One of the most common or well-known and unfortunate injuries in unprofessional
soccer is the famously known torn ACL. This injury can be very severe followed by pain when
walking. This injury is known to happen by the loud pop that is heard once the injury has
occurred (Quinn). Torn ACLs are one of soccers most common injuries. Maybe not considered
of great contact per say but if one stops and thinks about it can be. Players running side to side
chasing a ball and then suddenly turning from one another with great force can cause this injury
to happen. This injury is usually caused by the sudden change in direction. If one is running with
another player the sudden yank of a shirt or push of a shoulder can increase the likeliness of the
injury. Torn ACLs are known to happen in every sport so what is the difference that it would
make if it happened in soccer? There is no difference many sports have this injury so if this

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injury is common in other sports considered contact sports shouldnt soccer also be a contact
sport.
In very rare occasions there are injuries that can occur to the upper extremities of the
body in soccer. Landing on a hand or a shoulder being the most common in soccer (Burger).
Many contact sports that include injuries like these are football, basketball, and volleyball. If
sports like basketball and football include injuries like these and soccer does too, soccer can also
be included in a contact sports category. Most injuries in soccer that are located in the upper
extremities are more frequent with goalkeepers since theyre the ones that are allowed to use
their hands. If by any chance they are to miss clear the ball they could possibly land on an arm
by mistake inflicting serious injury. Although injuries in a miss clearance by other players on the
field is not uncommon it is very rare. Goalkeepers are allowed to use any part of their body
which has them at a higher risk of injury. Having good communication with their players is key
in soccer for a goalkeeper if they by mistake take out a player they could injury them. They can
hit the players with great force causing them to deflect off and maybe landing on a body part.
This is the same for many other sports. In football players hit each other with great force that
they can land on an arm or shoulder causing them to sprain or dislocate a body part.
Soccer is a sport that most people consider being taken as the lightest when it comes to it
being considered a contact sport. The most people when thinking of contact sports consider
sports like football and hockey where injuries are caused by players brutally inflicting pain to
one another, however, this is not the case at most times. A contact sport is and can be considered
any sport that can have other players injured by any means. When evaluating sports many do not
consider soccer as being a contact sport. Many people assume that since players are not just
going against one another at all cost that the sport is not considered to be of great contact.

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However, soccer has proven to be the cause of many brutal injuries that at the sight can be the
worst thing that one will ever see. The sport that one would be expected to cause the least of
injuries is the one that can be the one that will cause the most severe of injuries.

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Works Cited
Burger, Rob. "Preventing Soccer Injuries." Stop Sport Injuries. American Orthopaedic Society
for Sports Medicine, 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
ESPN Staff. "Eduardo Suffers Horror Injury at St Andrews." ESPNFC. ESPN FC, 23 Feb.
2008. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Mueller, Chris. "Ranking Sports from Least to Most Dangerous." Bleacher Report. Bleacher
Report, 03 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2016
Quinn, Elizabeth. "Do You Have One of These Common Soccer Injuries?" About Health. About
Health, 01 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
Reynolds, Gretchen. "Heading Ban for Youth Soccer Won't End Head Injuries." New York
Times. New York Times, 15 July 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Whiteman, Honor. "Contact-Sport Brain Trauma May Affect Personality and Cognition."
Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265158.php>.