Football, being the world’s most popular sport of all time, is played by a lot of people. Hundreds of millions, in fact, with many of them playing it daily. And while football players are not nearly as prone to injury as those that participate in contact sports, there is still a high-intensity and physical nature to football that means that injuries are common enough.

For the most part, football-related injuries tend to be fairly minor, so most players don’t have to worry about them. Still, for anyone with a passion for the sport and an interest in playing as often as possible, it’s worth having some knowledge about the more common injuries that affect players, both casual and professional.

Hamstring Injuries

The main three muscles on the back of the thigh are collectively known as the hamstring. Injuries to these muscles are common in football, as these are the muscles involved in running. Pulling the hamstring is something that most, if not all football players will experience. Pulling a hamstring is usually not serious at all, and any damage can be quickly healed with adequate rest. Sometimes it can be a more significant injury, such as a rupture, but this is much rarer.

Calf Muscle Injuries

Another muscle that’s closely tied in with sprinting and jogging is the calf muscle, which is the large muscle that sits below the knee and on the back of the leg. This is one of the strongest muscles in the leg, but if put under enough strain, it’s not too difficult to pull the muscle.

This injury occurs most often with players that fail to take the time to warm their muscles up before jumping into the field; in other words, spontaneous running or jumping can cause a pull to this muscle. It’s almost never serious, and rest time is usually what’s needed for recovery.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis is a chronic injury that can affect any tendon, which is a special kind of tissue that connects muscles to bones. Sometimes these tendons can be quite thin and can tear easily, which is why some kind of tendinitis are more common than others.

When it comes to football, Achilles tendinitis is by far the most common, where the Achilles tendon starts being painful. It’s generally caused by overuse of the tendon, and it’s something that develops over time rather than happening spontaneously. Again, rest is most often prescribed, which is perfect to catch up on a TV series or the latest slots releases before getting back on to the playing field.

Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains are probably the most common football injury of all, and most players can attest to that time where they sprained an ankle while practising at school or with friends. It’s a painful experience but one that usually tends to be short-lived and requiring usually no more than a week or two of rest, depending on the extent of the damage.