Boots could be the cause of increased injuries
Roar Guru Competition has become so intense in the beautiful game that there is no room for mediocrity at the top level today.
Teams across the planet train vigorously and employ technology extensively to iron out chinks in the armour. Modern day football is all about speed, skill, extra-sensory perception between players, tactical prowess and tremendous athleticism.
With the game immensely physical and speed being one of the prime assets for a player, footballers are prone to injuries at an alarming rate; an injury to the knee or ankle, for instance, has the potential to sideline a player for prolonged periods irrespective of advancements in the field of medicine.
Apart from the physical rigours of the game, we tend to overlook one aspect that tends to augment injury – footballers’ boots.
Complying with this quest for speed, manufacturers make boots that are supremely light in weight to enhance mobility, ball-control and aerodynamics. Moreover, traditional metal studs have given way to plastic studs and customized boots are also available for strikers and defenders separately.
However, this hankering for flimsiness in boots can result in ligament damage to the knee or ankle.
According to sports injury expert Professor David Barrett, modern-day boots fail to offer solid foundation and support when the going gets tough on the pitch.
He says, “Surgeons are seeing a lot more metatarsal injuries in players and that is because of lightweight boots. When they kick through, the lighter the foot is, the easier it is to move it. But the players have no protection. Put simply, lightweight boots equals metatarsal fractures.”
In the wake of Wayne Rooney’s near-fatal injury caused by Fulham’s Rodallega’s studs in the premier league in August 2012, Professional Footballers’ Association chief Gordon Taylor, is leading further investigation into footwear used but agrees that until radical changes are made, serious injuries to footballers will remain a threat as they continue to search for ways to enhance performance.
As the debate rages on in regards to lack of protection by modern footwear and the ramification of injuries, leading manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas are showing no signs of slowing down in pursuit of creating the lightest football boot imaginable.
Keeping boots out of the equation for a moment, I wonder how much sway modern pitches have on injuries suffered by players.
While grass is the traditional surface for football grounds, due to inclement weather it’s nearly impossible to maintain natural grass throughout the year. Moreover, modern stadiums have a roof under which grass pitches cannot thrive. Contemporary artificial surfaces which are the norm today use rubber fragments as opposed to sand infill used previously.
According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, playing on artificial turf does draw a parallel with an increased risk of injury such as causing damage to the tendon/ankle and also abrasion.
The extent of injury to players can be controlled if manufacturers can offer to make boots with more protection keeping the safety of players in mind, but in this age of glamour and sophistication, that’s nothing but wishful thinking.
The Crowd Says (7) | Page 1 of Comments
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October 12th 2012 @ 1:27pm
Griffo said | October 12th 2012 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
I wonder if players themselves, with boot sponsorships, have any say in protection versus weight (ie: perceived increase in speed and less fatigue) of boot design?
Perhaps looking at the modern hockey skate, where weight considerations have become important while also maintaining protection to the foot, would give football boot manufacturers some ideas to draw from.
Something I believe could be done to pad and protect the upper foot from stud impact while maintaining sensitivity to the ball and weight issues but wonder again if this might only ever be initiated by the players themselves and never by the manufacturer.
October 12th 2012 @ 6:49pm
k77sujith said | October 12th 2012 @ 6:49pm | Report comment
Good point Griffo about whether the players under sponsorship deals have a say. I think they are just happy to be paid:). While your views are worthy, I doubt the manufacturers would bother going back to a heavier model. But I agree with you…there needs to be more protection. The sole as well or maybe the studs might need reinforcements. Thanks.
October 12th 2012 @ 6:09pm
Sparks said | October 12th 2012 @ 6:09pm | Report comment
It would be interesting to find out how much the contents of this study http://www.runbare.com/389/new-study-by-dr-daniel-lieberman-on-barefoot-running-makes-cover-story-in-nature-journal/ relate to softer surfaces such as grass or even artificial grass.
You would have to think it does play a part, in that boots/shoes effectively stop your toes from spreading out to absorb the impact upon contact with the ground, thus negating their very function and causing stress in other parts of the leg.
October 12th 2012 @ 6:56pm
k77sujith said | October 12th 2012 @ 6:56pm | Report comment
Thanks for the link Sparks, it’s an astounding study indeed. While you’re right with how stress is caused in other parts of the leg, the stress factor might not be able to be kept out completely, it can be limited I think with boots that provide a better grounding. Thanks.
October 13th 2012 @ 6:06am
jinesh said | October 13th 2012 @ 6:06am | Report comment
i think players wud not want any change in their footwear which wil affect speed and agility. companies like nike and adidas are competing with each other furiously in giving the lightest shoes tat wud enhance speed..one thng cud be done is the footballin bodies like fifa/uefa can generalise the quality of footwear or create a standard and these companies need 2 work around it… but knowin fifa why wud they do it..
October 13th 2012 @ 1:52pm
k77sujith said | October 13th 2012 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
Yes, but to standardize boots might be too much to ask for. It goes down to the manufacturers and probably sports science experts should step forward and be vocal about how light-weight boots can heighten injury. Thanks.
October 20th 2012 @ 11:46am
Claire said | October 20th 2012 @ 11:46am | Report comment
There is a very interesting study done by monash university (“Hazard”) that looks into sports injuries (although not just at the professional levels), but it gives a break down of the injuries per body parts. It states that ankle injuiries account for 33% of all injuries and knee injuries account for another 26%. If this kind of a percentage applies at a professional level too and this is partly attributable to the boots then it is a serious concern for players and their teams.