U.S. Soccer's General Injury Protocol
The general guidelines listed below should not be used as a
substitute for seeking trained medical personnel. In all
situations, trained personnel should be the first contact.
What follows are just general guidelines and are not
intended to be used as an alternative to trained medical
personnel.
Coaching sports can be rewarding and
stressful as it is without having to worry about injuries to
your players. However, there may be situations when
appropriate medical personnel are not available and the care
of the athlete is in your hands. Here are some general
guidelines regarding injuries that often occur on the soccer
field.
1. Coaches,
Trainer and volunteer parents should at the very
minimum be certified in CPR and First Aid. Knowing these
basics will allow you to think clearly should an emergency
arise.
2. Remember
R.I.C.E.: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Most common
injuries encountered in soccer will follow this general
principle. DO NOT use heat while swelling is present to the
extremity. Apply ice to the injured area for 15-20
minutes. Adding heat will increase the swelling, while ice
will help decrease it.
3. Let common
sense prevail. If there is a deformity, DO NOT move the
athlete. Call 911 and let trained personnel handle the
situation.
4. Communicate
with parents and inform them of the situation if they are
not on-site at the time of the injury.
5. Be
conservative. If you have doubts as to an athletes' ability
to play, do not let them play.
Ankle Injuries
1. Most ankle injuries involve ligaments and tendons
(i.e. sprains). In instances like this, follow the R.I.C.E.
principle. These injuries often turn into recurring
injuries if the athlete returns to activity too soon. If
the athlete experiences pain during activity, he/she should
be removed from competition. If the pain level increases in
the following days, the athlete should see a physician.
2. If a
deformity is present, do not attempt to put the limb in
place or move the limb. Immediately call 911 or EMS
personnel.
Deep Thigh Bruise
Usually caused by direct contact to the thigh, a deep thigh
bruise is very painful and can lead to potential problems.
1. Ice
immediately with the knee in a bent position. This will
help maintain flexibility to the thigh muscle.
2. Instruct the
athlete to keep stretching the thigh. This will prevent
swelling/blood from "settling" in the muscle and limit
movement.
Knee Injuries
The knee is the most vulnerable joint in the body and should
be dealt with caution. Injuries can occur to the ligaments,
tendons, kneecap, cartilage (meniscus) and bones (growth
plates). Here are some indications of significant injury to
the knee:
- Hearing or feeling a "pop" or a "snap"
in the knee.
- Feeling that the knee "gave out"
- Sharp pain
- Obvious deformity
- Limited movement
- Swelling
1. Apply ice
immediately and immobilize the knee. When immobilizing the
knee, be sure to splint the ankle. As a general rule to
follow, the joint above and below the injured joint should
be splinted.
2. In all
instances involving a knee injury, the athlete must
follow-up with a physician.
Head Injuries
There are currently many different theories regarding head
injuries and concussions and how to treat them. The
following guidelines are essential to insuring safe return
to play for your athlete:
1. When in
doubt, keep the athlete out. Any player who appears to have
suffered a concussion should be removed from participation
and evaluated by a physician as soon as is practical.
Players exhibiting prolonged loss of consciousness or marked
amnesia should be evaluated immediately in an emergency
room. Players should not be allowed to return to play if
they exhibit the symptoms (headache, nausea, blurred vision,
dizziness, ringing in the ears, unsteadiness, confusion) of
concussions.
2. If an athlete
loses consciousness, call 911 and activate EMS. Before this
athlete can return to competition or practice, he must be
cleared by a physician.
3. Athletes, in
the eagerness to play, may fudge the truth when telling the
coach how they feel. As part of the overall evaluation,
have the athlete perform sport-specific movements on the
sideline and watch for unsteadiness, lethargy, uncoordinated
movements. They may lie, but their bodies won’t.
Neck Injuries
Any athlete that sustained a hit and complains of neck pain,
or numbness and tingling to extremities, MUST NOT BE MOVED.
Immediately call 911. If the athlete is not breathing, your
priority is to get the athlete breathing, which means you –
or another trained person on-site must begin CPR. However,
neck injuries pose a unique problem when CPR is initiated.
We encourage all coaches and staff to contact their local
EMS provider and learn how and when to use ‘log rolling’
when in this situation.
Soccer, like most sports, contains the
risk of injury, but the use of shin guards and on-field
awareness can lessen that risk. In the case of an injury,
stay calm and seek medical help. The general guidelines
listed above should not be used as a substitute for seeking
trained personnel. Remember that a player’s health is the
first priority in situations where an injury appears to have
occurred, and trained medical personnel are best able to
deal with such situations.
Information compiled by U.S. Soccer’s
Hughie O'Malley and Athletico trainers Lynn Grosman and Rich
Monis. For more information please contact
www.ussoccer.org
