Here’s a list of the 10 most common soccer-related injuries.

ACL injury

Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) runs diagonally in the middle of your knee. It is 1 of 4 major knee ligaments made of tough fibrous material. It is an important stabiliser of your knee.

Causes

• Changing direction rapidly
• Stopping suddenly
• Slowing down while running
• Landing from a jump incorrectly
• Direct trauma such as in a soccer tackle

Symptoms: At the point of injury, you will usually feel a ‘pop’ in the knee accompanied with rapid knee swelling within the first 24 hours. You might also feel pain and discomfort while walking.

Meniscus tear

The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions your knee. Each knee has 2 menisci that act as shock absorbers. The meniscus tears when the pressure outweighs the shock that the meniscus can bear.

Causes:

• Twisting or turning quickly, especially planting your foot on the pitch while your knee is bent
• Lifting something heavy from a squatting position, such as weightlifting during resistance training for soccer players

Symptoms:

• Pain, especially when you touch the affected area
• Swelling
• Difficulty moving your knee or having restricted movement
• The feeling of your knee locking or catching, as if it is about to give way

Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Also known as runner’s knee, the patellofemoral pain syndrome got its nickname from the stress of running. Simply put, it is pain at the front of the knee.

Causes:

• Repetitive stress on your knee joint from regular sprinting or jumping for the ball
• Muscle imbalance when the muscles around your hip and knee do not keep the kneecap properly aligned
• Trauma to the kneecap such as a fracture or dislocation

Symptoms

• Knee pain, especially when you squat, jump, climb the stairs or sit with your knees bent
• Occasional knee buckling, in which the knee suddenly gives way
• A catching, popping or grinding sensation when you walk or move your knee

Patellar tendonitis (tendinopathy)

Also known as jumper’s knee, patellar tendonitis is an overuse injury of the tendon connecting your kneecap to the shin. It occurs during activities that exert significant stress on the knees, such as jumping and landing hard.

Causes

• Direct trauma to the front of the knee due to collision during a soccer tackle
• Landing from a jump incorrectly
• Repeated jumping or sprinting
• Repeated squatting or hill running that trains endurance during soccer training

Symptoms

• Localised tenderness over the patella tendon
• Pain worsens when jumping, squatting, climbing the stairs and getting up from a seated position

Sprained ankle

Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries in soccer. Sprains range from mild to severe, depending on the damage of the ligament and the number of injured ligaments.

Causes

• Sudden stop or change in direction while running, causing the ankle to twist unnaturally
• Awkwardly planting your foot when running
• Landing unstably on your ankle from a jump, tripping over when dribbling a ball or stepping onto an irregular surface

Symptoms

• Pain and tenderness
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Stiffness
• Inability to put weight on the affected ankle

Iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome

ITB syndrome is one of the most common overuse injuries among sports that involve running. It occurs when the iliotibial band, a big band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee, is inflamed.

Causes

• Poor running techniques, particularly inwards rolling knees and legs
• Weak hip and core muscles
• Weak inner quadriceps (large muscles at the front of the thigh)
• Poor foot arch control that puts excessive weight on the ITB
• Sudden increase in training mileage
• Endurance running

Symptoms

• Sharp or burning pain just above the outer part of the knee or hip
• Pain that worsens with running or other repetitive activities involving the thigh
• Swelling on the outside of the knee
• Pain when you bend your knee

Hamstring strain

Your hamstring is a group of muscles that run along the back of your thigh. They allow you to straighten and bend your leg when running or kicking a ball. During a hamstring strain, 1 or more of these muscles either stretch beyond their capacity or tear.

Causes

• Poor running techniques
• Inflexible hamstrings due to insufficient or improper warm-up before a match
• Excessive training loads, ie. pushing yourself too hard despite fatigue

Symptoms

• Swelling during the first few hours of injury
• Bruising or discolouration at the back of your leg, below the knee, in the first few days
• Weakness in your hamstring that can persist for weeks

Achilles tendon rupture

The Achilles tendon is a large rope-like band of fibrous tissue at the back of the ankle that connects your calf muscles to the heel bone. When the calf muscles contract, the Achilles tendon tightens and pulls the heel. An Archilles tendon rupture refers to a complete tear of the tendon, which usually occurs about 2 inches above the heel bone.

Causes

• Bursts of jumping, pivoting and sprinting
• Overstretching the tendon, eg. when you suddenly trip or collide into another player, and you thrust your foot in front to break a fall
• Falling from significant height, eg. after performing an overhead kick

Symptoms

• Severe pain and swelling near your heel
• Inability to bend your foot downward, tiptoe or push off the injured leg when you walk
• A popping or snapping sound when the injury occurs

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis (read ‘plan-ter fas-ee-eye-tus’) is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot.

Causes

• When your feet roll inward excessively when you walk or run
• Walking, standing or running for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces (eg. running on concrete surfaces in street soccer)
• High arches or flat feet
• Improper footwear for your workouts

Symptoms

• A stabbing pain near the heel at the bottom of your foot that is particularly severe when you take your first few steps after waking up
• Pain when you climb stairs or after standing for a long time

Groin strain

A groin strain is a tear or rupture to any of the abductor muscles in the buttock and outer hip, resulting in pain in the inner thigh. Groin injury ranges from mild to severe conditions, which can be completely debilitating.

Causes:

• Sprinting or changing direction quickly
• Resistance during rapid leg movements, such as kicking a ball
• Overstretching the muscle, such as during a bicycle kick or jump kick

Symptoms:

• Groin pain and tenderness
• Groin pain when you squeeze your thighs together
• Muscle spasm or tightness in your groin muscles
• Walking and running may be more comfortable than prolonged sitting or standing
• Bruising or swelling may not occur until days after the initial injury

Article reviewed by Dr Kevin Lee, orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital