Soccer Goal Safety
Soccer goals represent a potential safety hazard to players & spectators. Goals must be checked for anchoring, whether used by players, or around spectators. The hazard comes from the potential for an unanchored goal to tip over. This can be possible when high winds are blowing, or from a party attempting to grab the overhead cross-bar and hang from it. Tipping goals have caused injuries and deaths to parties struck by them. It is the responsibility of the party setting the goals up to ensure that the goals are properly anchored to the ground.
It is the responsibility of referees to check goals for anchoring, prior to each game starting, and insuring that there are anchors on each goal. A game may not be played when goals are not anchored. There are a number of methods for securing goals, which range from anchors on each leg, to anchors on the rear bar of the goal. The following resources provide information for the anchoring and securing of goals.
A further step for safety is the coach informing their goalie that they are to never attempt to hold onto the goal crossbar. It has been demonstrated by interviews with goalies that most were never told to not attempt holding onto the overhead crossbar during a game/practice. The coach should explain why the goalie should not do this, outlining the potential safety concerns.
Incidents Involving Soccer Goals St Louis Post Dispatch WLS-TV, Chicago Corboy & Demetrio There is also another aspect that relates to goals, primarily the goals that are permanent, metal ones. This goals typically have large goal posts, which are unpadded. A goalie diving to catch/block a ball can go head first into one of these posts, causing damage to themselves. Consideration should be given to padding these posts.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission: Guidelines for Movable Soccer Goals
- Consumer Product Safety Commission: Safety Alert
- A suggestion for goal anchoring
ACL Injury In Female Soccer Players
There is a consensus in the medical community that female soccer players injure their ACL at a significantly higher rate over male soccer players. This is solely based on the different physical make-up of female vs. male players. It has been recommended that female players need further conditioning, to help reduce the potential for ACL issues. US Youth Soccer has recommendations regarding this here.
Video on the female soccer player and their ACL here Video on KneeBOUND program for ACL protection here ACL Injury Prevention Exercises (PEP program) PEP FIFA ‘ 11+ ‘ program for ACL injury prevention here
https://youtu.be/t_yz7yWLo5oUS Youth Soccer Health & Safety Tips
US Soccer has developed a ‘Recognize to Recover‘ program which cover a wide variety of play safety topics:
Sports/Energy Drinks And Youth Players
The sports drink has been standard in the sports team setting, typically in the form of Gatorade. There are other drinks on the market, advertised as ‘Energy Drinks’. There are some that have started to question the viability of energy drinks for youth players, due to the caffeine in the drinks, and the manner in which the heart rate and blood pressure are elevated:
Young athletes and energy drinks: A bad mix?
The Impact Of Energy Drinks On Youth Athletes
If your team is going to play on a turf field, and your team has been accustomed to using Gatorade, you need to check the rules for the turf field usage. Many turf fields locations do not allow the usage of Gatorade, or any other form of potentially sticky drink. This is due to the residue that is left on the turf from spilled drinks, stains from different colored drinks, and because the drink can potentially harm the supporting material of the turf. They will only allow you to bring water.
Hydration On Turf Fields
Be aware of field conditions, some field surfaces can have higher humidity (such as a grass field, which has been watered earlier in the morning and then reacts with hot weather), and turf fields, which can vary in temperature. It has been generally found that surface temperatures on a standard turf field can be much higher than that of natural 
grass. There have been recorded temperatures as high as 200 degrees on a turf field. Spectators sitting on the sidelines would have no idea of how warm the players actually are.
There have been new developments in turf field construction that have replaced the rubber in-fill with other material, which provides the same cushioning effect as rubber. These are newer generation fields, which are stated to be cooler than the previous turf fields using rubber.
Players playing on the turf will be subjected to higher heat stress, and will dehydrate faster than normal. There are suggestions that sites consider having ‘misting stations‘ for players (needless to say, the misting station should be on the side of the field where the players are, not on the opposite side where spectators are, as it is for usage by the players during the game), especially for those fields located in areas that have high summer/spring temperatures.
Website Website
Website Website
There is also general commentary that players playing on turf fields should have some form of shelter to sit out of the sun, when they are not playing, to allow their bodies to cool down.
If you are considering putting in a turf field at your location(s), ensure that you consider the potential temperature differences between the various types. The end result is that a player is going to be warmer on a turf field than a grass field. There have been suggestions to help reduce the heat by irrigating turf fields. Coaches need to be aware of this for their substitutions during the game, as players will need more water to hydrate on turf fields.
On extremely warm days, the playing league may consider a quick ‘water break’, to allow both teams a moment to get some water. It was determined that water breaks for players were very important, from a health standpoint, in the 2014 World Cup. For leagues, either referees would have to have been given instructions to stop matches, at certain points, or have league officials on hand, to enforce water break points.
The consideration for hydration also applies to any referee crew that is working a game. Referees often do multiple games in a row, making it very important that they also are properly hydrated and stay hydrated.
Biological Hazards On Turf Fields?
There is another aspect to turf fields that brings up discussion, biological hazards. It has been stated by some that turf, due to its’ synthetic nature, does not handle biological hazards in the form of blood, sweat, spit, and animal droppings (birds/dogs/cats, etc.) as well as natural grass.
It has been suggested that a mechanism has to be in place that ‘cleans‘ a turf field on a regular basis. The research into alleged biological hazards is still in its’ infancy. There is an over-all statement that all players who play on a turf field ensure that they thoroughly wash themselves, after playing on a turf surface. This includes the washing of their uniforms and cleaning of their equipment.
There have been statements from parties stating that they have had allergic/breathing issues, from playing on turf fields. Turf fields require routine maintenance, to ensure that there are no health/playing issues. They are not truly ‘maintenance free’.
Lead/Rubber In Turf Fields
There has been discussion on players having asthma conditions, who play on artificial turf. This has been centered around the by-products that some turf material may contain, as in-fill. Turf fields that use rubber from tires as in-fill, which is named ‘crumb’, has been a focal point of interest. This is due to the following:
- This rubber has been known to give off chemical fumes, which can cause an asthmatic player to have an asthma attack, or skin irritation (this skin irritation can also affect non-asthmatic players). There have also been questions concerning the by-products in turf fields potentially causing cancer. NBC News did two reports on this: Report #1, Report #2
- The rubber crumb material is sometimes found on the surface of the field, which works its’ way into player clothing, contacts with the skin, and sometimes may be accidentally ingested by players, while playing. There are also concerns about lead and other items found in turf field material, which are unhealthful.
Fields which are brand new have been found to produce the most ‘gassing’ of chemical fumes, as the material is new. Heat has also been found to increase the ‘gassing’ of the chemicals. Players running on the warmed up surface also have been found to play a part in helping to release the chemical vapors into the air, due to their weight and feet impacting the turf, while they run.
Test of fields with only polyethylene fibers has purportedly shown that these fields contained very low levels of lead. The question that is unknown is that for children, what is the cumulative effect of being exposed to lead, over time.
Lead has been a past concern for turf fields, and is still a concern. For the California fields, the California Attorney General entered into an agreement with turf field manufacturers selling in California, due to a lawsuit filed by CEH ( Center for Environmental Health ) in 2008 .
Turf field manufacturers agreed in July 2010, to meet state requirements of limiting lead to 50 parts per million. CEH has a great video explaining the lead concerns about turf, how it happens, and some recommendations: here . CEH also has a California map showing California counties/cities where turf fields were tested for lead levels: here .
If you live in California and you do not see your area there, or even if you do not live in California and want your field tested, CEH has a video on the map page, which explains about sending samples to them for testing. CEH also has written information on this page which explains how to send in samples. If you have any questions you can contact CEH: here
There is still concern about the wide number of older turf fields, which were installed prior to the agreement. Installed fields since the 2010 agreement will have to be tested to insure that they are fulfilling the agreement imposed by the state. Some tests after the 2008 law suit have shown positive results.
Turf fields have helped to improve playing field conditions, and have given them the nickname of ‘all weather’ fields. The future question that is yet to be answered in finality is if there is a health price to be paid by players.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) did a study that produced a positive viewpoint of turf fields. This was later followed by a revised EPA statement. There are many questions still yet to be asked.
There have been enough questions raised to cause some concern among planners of yet to be installed turf fields. There are a wide range of reports concerning chemicals, lead, rubber, and allergy issues regarding turf fields. The over-all picture is not clear, as reports differ in their opinions.
Video Dangers of Synthetic Turf, Artificial Fields, CBS 5 – California
Note: This is a collection of 5 videos, back-to-back, with a total viewing time of approximately 23 minutes.
Note Worthy A San Francisco soccer player performed research on turf soccer fields as a science project. The project results opened many eyes: here
Articles On Turf Field Health Concerns
- New York State Department of Health
- National Institute of Health Environmental Health Science
- Center for Disease Control
- WebMD
- Cleveland.com
- SFGate
- Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center
- Center for Sports Surface Research This has a comprehensive master list of studies that have been done.
- Center for Environmental Health
- California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
- Top Women’s Soccer Players To Proceed With Lawsuit
- Why Women’s Soccer Player’s Fight Against FIFA Is Big
- Battle Lines Drawn In Women’s World Cup Soccer Turf War
- Feds Promote Artificial Turf As Safe, Despite Health Concerns
- The Role of Synthetic Turf In Concussions
- Artificial Turf: Cancers Among Players
- Is there a hidden health hazard in your child’s playing field?
Sunscreen
Why Is It Necessary To Wear Sunscreen
Sunscreen blocks UVA & UVB radiation from damaging your skin. Too much absorption of these can increase your risk of skin cancer.
How Do I Choose A Sunscreen Product
Sunscreen products are rated by their listed SPF rating (Sun Protection Factor). There are various levels of SPF protection, starting at ‘2’ (absolutely not recommended!). For children under 6, an SPF factor of ’30’ is recommended (young children have more sensitive skin, requiring more protection. For children 6 and up, a minimum SPF factor of ’15’ is recommended. You must also choose a sunscreen that offers ‘broad-spectrum‘ protection. The broad-spectrum sunscreen offers protection against both UVA & UVB radiation. The product typically has a label stating that it is a broad-spectrum product. If it does not explicitly state this, it does not offer protection against both forms of radiation. A reality check is that too often parents do not consider sunscreen protection for very young players (U8 players and down). These players do not think of it themselves, as older players will do. If you have a baby at the field, and they are in the sun, they should also be wearing sunscreen. Take note that their eyes and skin are especially sensitive to the sun.How often do I have to apply sunscreen lotion
The recommendation from health officials is that you must apply the lotion every two hours. There is no such thing as a ‘all day lotion’.Which Is Better, A Sunscreen That Is Lotion, Or A Spray Form
Both forms of screen are effective, if applied properly. With the lotion, you can see where you have applied the product. With a spray sunscreen, you cannot actually see if you have covered the entire area to be covered. You have to work a little more diligently, as a spray does not provide the same amount of product that spreading a lotion will do.. The spray provides ease of usage, which a player can carry in their bag, and quickly reapply during substitutions, or half time. If you are more concerned about ease of use, the spray wins. If your intent is to insure that you are properly protected from UV radiation, the lotion is the one to go with. It takes a little more work to rub in, but you can see what you are covering and are getting the maximum product to your skin.There Is No Need To Put Sunscreen On, If It Is A Cloudy Day
This is not true. On a cloudy day, a good proportion of UVA & UVB radiation still is present. You still should protect yourself and wear sunscreen.Does my dog need sunscreen
I put this in, just because, and will not go deeply into it! The answer though is ‘yes’, for a variety of dogs. Please review the following articles: Article 1 Article 2 Below is a comment from a veterinarian: “It may also be necessary to use sunscreen if your dog’s coat is light in color. Dogs can become sunburned on their noses, ears and other pink areas. You can use human sunscreen products; choose one with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. It’s okay if your dog licks the sunscreen, because most are not toxic; however, you should avoid sunscreens that contain zinc or PABA. You can also dress your thin-coated dog in a t-shirt and hat to prevent sunburn.”Artificial Turf & Foot Gear
There is concern in some circles that turf increases the risk for injury, due to the nature of the turf. Turf does not ‘give’, as grass will do. There is concern that this helps to elevate the chance of ACL injuries and twisted ankles.
When playing on turf the player needs to ensure that they are wearing the appropriate shoes for playing on the field surface. The following articles will help you to select the appropriate shoes:
What Are the Best Cleats for Artificial Turf?
What Type of Shoe Should Be Worn On Turf
What Are The Best Soccer Cleats To Wear On Artificial Turf or Artificial Grass
Soccer Shoe Guide
What is the best shoe available? All manufacturers produce a wide variety of good shoes, in different styles and colors. The best shoe is the one that you feel comfortable in and provides good support for your foot. All feet are different and the shoes vary in the degree of support that is given.
For cleats, a good percentage of turf field owners will not allow the wearing of steel cleats on their fields. You must use molded/non-metal cleats.
As for turf fields being responsible for more injuries, this is an on-going debate, with plenty of commentary/research on both sides:Fewer female soccer injuries on artificial turf: study
Grass vs Turf, Does It Affect Injury Rate?
Study Reveals Higher ACL Tear Rates On Artificial Turf vs Grass
Ask a Sports Medicine Doc column: Turf or grass?
US Soccer Recognize To Recover Program
US Soccer has created a program, ‘Recognize to Recover‘, in which they state “Recognize to Recover is aimed at promoting safe play and reducing injuries in soccer players of all ages. The first-of-its-kind, the program was developed with the help of medical experts to provide coaches, players, parents and referees with information, guidance and additional educational materials to improve the prevention and management of injuries“. This is US Soccer’s approach to providing a comprehensive health and safety program for athletes in US Soccer programs. This program covers the following topics: Injury Prevention Injury Recovery Head & Brain Conditions Emergency Action Plans Cardiac Conditions Environmental Conditions Nutrition and HydrationHeat Illness
On warm days, a coach should ensure that players should:- Drink water at home, to be hydrated before reaching field
- Bring water with them for drinking at field.
DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this website is to promote understanding and knowledge of soccer and soccer health related matters. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Soccer information is related to players playing in Cal North/CYSA soccer organizations.Copyright © 2014, Jack Smith, All rights reserved. Information contained within this site may not be reproduced on another site, or copied into other documents, in part, or whole.