During play, the goalkeeper frequently gets tangled in very tricky situations, often involving harsh contacts with opponents, falling on the ground and contact with goalposts.

The goal keeper is required to be in excellent shape and at the same time is required to be able to react like lighting in order to be considered one of the best in the game. He is required to be agile and be able to move quickly in all directions. When a corner kick is being taken, the goalkeeper is required to leap into the air in an attempt to make a clearance. In order to be effective for a save, a goalkeeper is required to have high degree of timing otherwise without proper timing he will concede goals easily. Looking it from a psychological point of view, a goalkeeper is required to have the ability to concentrate on a continuous motion within a game.

Injury etiology

Football has evolved to a state where competition has become so fierce. Due to this kind of competition between different teams, body contact between opponents is something that has become so popular resulting in hard tackles. The league seasons are long and as a result players are subjected to different types of weather. Different weather subjects players to different kinds of injury risks. However, a goalkeeper is often subjected to somewhat different injury pattern as compared to other players. Some of the situations that are dangerous to a goalkeeper is when he runs to snatch the ball from the opponent, finding a space in a crowded penalty area during corner kicks, and when fighting for a ball in the air with an opponent.

Injuries for goalkeepers

While fighting for the ball in the air, as goalkeeper might land on the ground awkwardly. This kind of landing will to lead the goalkeeper to sustain direct trauma against the body thus increasing the risk for injuries like concussions and abrasions. In addition, a goalkeeper can fall on another player’s feet, and as a result sustain serious injuries to the ankle or knee joint. Another situation that subjects a goalkeeper to dangerous situations is when the goalkeeper lands on the ground without proper protection.

Various research results show that the danger for sustaining injuries by goalkeepers is more in top leagues where competition is so intense. In addition, most players are expected to produce to utmost levels and due to this they are willing to do anything in order to get results. On the other hand, in lower leagues the competition is not intense and most players are not well trained. Inexperienced players can become a risk factor to goalkeepers because of their lack of skill and carelessness.

According to research figures, injuries to goalkeepers often occur during match days. The reasons for high injuries during match days than in a normal training game is simply because of less tackling in training as compared to harsh tackling during match days. Most of the injuries to goalkeepers often happen in the beginning of first half and towards the end of second half. They occur in the initial stages due to insufficient levels of warming up. On the other hand, injuries tend to be more towards to the end of second half due to high levels of fatigue resulting in less coordination of body parts.

Prevention of injury

The best thing goalkeepers should do in order to prevent injuries is to wear protective gears on the parts of the body that are prone to injuries. They are urged to wear pads over their elbows in order to protect the olecranon. They should also wear protective pads over their kneecaps to protect them from trauma which can lead to hemorrhagic bursitis. These protective pads should be a mandatory thing for all goalkeepers to wear. It is mandatory for all goalkeepers to wear shinguards like other field players. Shinguards are good protective gears for preventing the body against fractures. Fractures can easily occur when the goalkeeper is kicked by the opponent, and this is the reason why they should put on protective gears like pads. The goalkeeper should have regular exercises in order to keep the body fit and resistant to careless injuries. The goalkeeper should start by training in separation from the rest of the players before joining them for final touches. He should concentrate on stretching exercises, quick reactions and specific movements.