Soccer players on Long Island face four injuries more than any other: hamstring strains, groin pulls, ACL tears, and ankle sprains. The good news is that research-backed warm-up programs, targeted strength training, and proper load management can significantly reduce your risk of getting hurt. This guide covers what causes each injury, how to prevent it, and what treatment actually looks like for a competitive soccer player in season and off season.
Common Soccer Injuries: How to Prevent and Treat the 4 Most Frequent Problems
Soccer players all over Long Island are balancing school season and club schedules at the same time. Multiple practices and games per week, often for more than one team, puts soccer players at a high risk for injury.
This post covers the four most common soccer injuries, how to prevent them, and what treatment actually looks like for a competitive player.
The 4 Most Common Soccer Injuries
Soccer demands exceptional physical and mental endurance. Depending on position and level of play, soccer players can run anywhere from 1 to 7 miles per game — all while changing direction, accelerating and decelerating, dribbling, striking the ball, and making split-second decisions about passing and defending.
That combination of demands puts specific parts of the body under repeated stress. Here are the four injuries we see most often at In Motion Physical Therapy.
Hamstring Strain
A hamstring strain is a “pull” or pain in the back of the thigh. It usually happens when sprinting at top speed or when swinging the leg to kick the ball. Hamstring strains can occur when the muscle is too tight, too weak, or both.
These injuries are particularly tricky to fully recover from during a season. About 30% of athletes who suffer a hamstring strain will experience a re-injury within a year of returning to sport. One in three players gets hurt again. The most effective exercise for both prevention and rehab is the Nordic Hamstring curl — research consistently shows it reduces hamstring injury rates in soccer players when done regularly.
Groin Pull
A groin pull is a “pull” or pain on the inside of the thigh. The cutting and change-of-direction demands of soccer make groin strains one of the most common injuries in the sport. Improving adductor flexibility and hip and core strength is the most effective way to reduce risk.
The Copenhagen adductor exercise is one of the best-supported options for strengthening the inner thigh and hip in soccer players.
ACL Injury
ACL tears most often happen on sudden changes of direction, awkward landings from a jump, or less frequently, direct contact with another player. The ACL provides stability to the knee joint, and a complete tear means a minimum of 9 months before returning to competitive play.
The encouraging news is that research strongly supports injury prevention programs for reducing ACL tear rates in soccer players — particularly in female athletes, who tear their ACL at significantly higher rates than male athletes. Keep reading to see whether your warm-up is actually giving you that protection.
If you want to go deeper on ACL injury specifically, read our full guide on ACL tears in female athletes.
Ankle Sprain
When you roll your ankle, the ligaments that support the joint can stretch or tear. This happens when you step on an uneven surface, land awkwardly, or collide with another player during a kick. Ankle sprains are easy to underestimate — but if not treated correctly, they can lead to chronic instability that affects your performance for months.
Research shows that balance deficits can persist for up to 6 months after a first ankle sprain if it is not properly rehabilitated. Improving hip strength and single-leg balance are the two most effective prevention strategies.
We test balance as part of every soccer athlete evaluation. If you want to know where you stand, contact us to schedule an assessment.
How to Prevent Common Soccer Injuries
It is impossible to prevent every injury. But the research is clear: you can significantly reduce your risk by addressing three key factors.
1. Dynamic Warm-Ups
A dynamic warm-up moves through stretches and exercises in an active way — as opposed to standing still and holding a stretch. A proper warm-up prepares your body for the demands of the game by raising your heart rate, increasing muscle temperature, and moving your joints through full ranges of motion before the whistle blows.
These warm-ups are scientifically proven to reduce injury rates in soccer players. The challenge is that the number of athletes actually using them consistently remains low.
The FIFA 11+ is the most well-researched warm-up program for soccer. Designed specifically to reduce injury risk in players of all ages and skill levels, it includes running and dynamic stretches followed by strength, balance, and plyometric exercises at three progressive levels. Research has even shown that high adherence to the FIFA 11+ improves team win-loss records.
Click here to download the FIFA 11+ PDF
Check out some lower body dynamic warm-up stretches here
We can also help implement a personalized warm-up for your soccer player or team. Contact us to learn more.
2. Strength Training
Strength training is one of the most effective injury prevention tools available to soccer players — and one of the most overlooked.
Building strength in your quads, hamstrings, and core will make you faster, harder to push off the ball, and better able to absorb the demands of a long season. Stronger athletes get injured less often. And yes — you should continue your strength training in season.
A few keys for in-season workouts:
- Low volume: 2 to 4 sets per exercise
- Low repetitions per set: 3 to 6 reps
- Frequency: 1 to 2 days per week
- Higher intensity: approximately 80% of your one-rep max
The goal in season is to maintain the strength you built in the off-season without adding fatigue that affects your game. A physical therapist or strength coach can help you structure this correctly around your game schedule.
3. Proper Rest and Recovery
Overtraining is one of the leading causes of injury in youth athletes. The demands of Long Island soccer — where many players are on both a school team and a club team simultaneously — make this a real and ongoing risk.
General guidelines to protect your body over a long season:
Play for one team at a time when possible Limit to one practice per day Aim for no more than 9 months of organized play per year
Recovery between sessions matters too. Read our full breakdown of athlete recovery treatments for specific strategies we use with soccer players at In Motion.
Treatment for Common Soccer Injuries
What does treatment actually look like for a soccer player dealing with an injury? The answer depends heavily on timing — whether you are in season or off season.
At In Motion Physical Therapy in Farmingdale, we are going to do everything we can to keep you on the field. The sooner we see you, the better the odds of getting you back in the game this season.
In Season
When you are actively competing, our goals are to get you back on the field as quickly and as safely as possible. Most injuries do not require complete rest — but without full rest, you may not be at 100% until the season ends. During the season we focus on:
Improving soft tissue quality through manual therapy and IASTM Speeding up recovery between practices and games with an active exercise plan Maintaining and improving flexibility and strength through exercises specific to soccer demands
Off Season
When treating an injury in the off-season, the athlete has the time and energy to truly rebuild and address the underlying cause of what went wrong. We can restore full mobility, build a progressive strengthening program, and add an aerobic conditioning component to improve performance going into the next season.
Completing treatment to the point where you are genuinely back to 100% is critical. The single strongest predictor of a future injury is a history of a previous injury. Your physical therapist should be testing your strength, balance, and ability to jump before clearing you — not just asking how you feel.
At In Motion Physical Therapy, every athlete gets a long-term return-to-sport plan, not just a discharge when the pain stops.
Whether you play for FCNY, a Long Island club program, Farmingdale High School, Massapequa, Plainedge, or Wantagh, we are here to help you stay on the field. Contact us today to schedule an evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions: Common Soccer Injuries
What is the most common soccer injury?
How long does a hamstring strain take to heal in soccer?
How do you prevent ACL tears in soccer?
Can you play soccer with a Grade 1 ankle sprain?
When should a soccer player see a physical therapist?
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References
- Van Der Horst N et al. The preventive effect of the Nordic hamstring exercise on hamstring injuries in amateur soccer players a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 2015; 43(6): 1316-1323.
- Heiderscheit BC et al. Hamstring strain injuries: recommendations for diagnosis, rehabilitation and injury prevention. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010; 40(2):67-81.
- Schuermans J, Van Tiggelen D, Danneels L, Witvrouw E. Susceptibility to hamstring injuries in soccer. Am J Sports Med. 2016; 44(5): 1276-1285.
- Al Attar WSA, Soomro N, Sinclair PJ, et al. Effect of injury prevention programs that include the nordic hamstring exercise on hamstring injury rates in soccer players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 2017;47:A35.2–A35.
- Kobayashi T, Tanaka M, Shida M. Intrinsic risk factors of lateral ankle sprain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Health. 2016; 8(2):190-193.
- Van Ochten JM et al. Chronic complaints after ankle sprains: a systematic review on effectiveness of treatments. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014; 44(11):862-C23.
- Cleland JA et al. Manual therapy and exercise versus supervised home exercise in the management of patients with inversion ankle sprain: a multicenter randomized clinical trial. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2013;43(7):443-455.
- Doherty C et al. Dynamic balance deficits 6 months following first-time acute lateral ankle sprain: a laboratory analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015;43(8):626-633.
Laura Sommer has been practicing as a Physical Therapist since 2011. She graduated from Northeastern University, where she was a member of the Women’s Soccer Team. Laura is the owner of In Motion Physical Therapy located in Farmingdale, NY.
