Soccer Injury

Since the World Cup is on everyone’s mind these days, we thought it would be only fitting to make you aware of a crucial paper published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine which analyzed score-celebration injuries among soccer players.

The authors of the study observed professional and amateur soccer players over the course of two seasons, looking at the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by players during their goal celebrations. Over the study period, 152 players were evaluated for injuries sustained in matches. Of these, 6% (9 players) sustained injuries during their goal celebrations. The pertinent findings were as follows…

7 of the 9 players were male and their average age was between 17 and 29.
The injuries happened on real grass in 8 of the 9 cases.
Most injuries occurred in the second half.
Sliding injuries (on the stomach, back or knees) accounted for 5 cases.
Piling up or over-excited teammates were the other major cause.
Injuries included fractures to the ankle, clavicle and rib. Other injuries included knee ligament sprain, lower back strain, and lower limb muscular strains.
Perhaps the most interesting statistic is that the average recovery time for these injuries was 6.2 weeks! Perhaps enough reason to take it easy when celebrating a goal!