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Sport-specific guide

Common Soccer injuries

Soccer is a high-contact endurance sport with a wide range of orthopedic injuries. Ankle sprains and knee ligament injuries are most common, but overuse injuries from repetitive kicking and running are also frequent. Female soccer players have among the highest ACL tear rates of any sport.

Most common soccer injuries

ACL Tear

Planting and cutting, sudden deceleration, or contact from an opponent. Female soccer players have an especially high incidence.

Ankle Sprain

The most common soccer injury overall. Landing on another player's foot, stepping in a divot, or losing balance during a challenge.

Meniscus Tear

Twisting on a planted foot during turns and tackles.

Hip & Groin Strain

Explosive kicking and direction changes stress the hip adductor muscles and hip flexors, particularly in players who do not adequately warm up or who return too quickly from previous groin strains.

Hip Impingement (FAI)

Repetitive hip flexion and rotation in kicking can aggravate FAI, particularly in young players with cam-type morphology.

Shin Splints

High-mileage running during preseason or on hard turf surfaces.

Injury prevention tips

  • Use the FIFA 11+ warm-up program - it reduces ACL injuries in female players by up to 50%
  • Train on natural grass when possible to reduce ankle sprain risk versus artificial turf
  • Strengthen hip adductors and abductors to reduce groin and knee injury risk
  • Wear cleats appropriate for the playing surface
  • Gradually increase preseason training volume rather than starting at full intensity

Return to soccer timeline

Ankle sprains: 1-8 weeks depending on severity. ACL reconstruction: 9-12 months. Meniscus repair: 4-6 months. Hip arthroscopy: 4-6 months. Groin strains: 2-8 weeks depending on severity.

Common procedures for soccer injuries

ACL Reconstruction

Meniscus Repair

Hip Arthroscopy

Common questions

Why do female soccer players tear their ACL so often?
Female athletes in cutting and pivoting sports have ACL injury rates 2-8 times higher than males. The FIFA 11+ program was specifically developed to address this. It takes about 15 minutes before practice and has strong evidence for reducing ACL tear rates when performed consistently.
Can soccer cause hip problems long term?
Yes. Repetitive hip loading from kicking, turning, and acceleration can contribute to labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement, particularly in players who started the sport young. Hip pain in a soccer player that limits kicking or turning is worth evaluating with an MRI arthrogram rather than dismissing as a groin pull.

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