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Return to play football

This advice is meant to guide you back to football quickly and more importantly safely with less risk of re-injury. If you have any questions or are unable to return to sport you should discuss your injury with a Physiotherapist. You can contact the NHS Physiotherapy service on 01792 487453. 

Follow each of the stages below in order, do not move on until you can manage all the tasks in that stage without pain or swelling for 24 hours afterwards. You will complete some stages faster than others, this is normal.

STAGE 1 – PAIN-FREE

full pain-free movement in the injured joint / muscle

No pain or swelling after normal daily activities (e.g. dressing, walking, stairs etc.)

 

STAGE 2 – BASIC FUNCTION

Lower limb injury

Upper limb injury

Balance on 1 leg for 20 seconds

Hold a full press-up position for 10 seconds then do 10 press-ups

Hop on 1 leg 10 times

Plank rotation left and right

 

STAGE 3 – BASIC FITNESS

Jogging                 You should be able to jog 5km pain-free                               

Sprinting                                complete both drills:         

(1)   25m walk, lie on your front, 40m run, lie on your back, 25m sprint

(be able to repeat this drill at full speed at least 10 times)

For example: walk from the sideline to the penalty box, down & up, run to the other side of the penalty box down & up, sprint to far sideline. Rest. Repeat. 

 

(2) Players should be able to complete the 1200m shuttle / Broncho test

STAGE 3 – BASIC FITNESS continued

Agility and confidence

  1. 5 falling press-ups from the knees
  2. A standing star balance test
  3. Hop a square pattern with 2 legs, repeat with each leg separately
  4. 5 nordic hamstring curls
  5. 5 full power throw-ins

 

STAGE 4 – NON-CONTACT TRAINING

Complete a full non-contact training session, discuss this with your coach. (Just avoid tackling and being tackled)

Agility and confidence – complete all 3

  1. 1 falling press-up from standing
  2. A star balance test in the press-up position
  3. A triple hop test both sides – there should be less than 5% difference e.g. if you can cover 500cm on one leg, you should cover at least 475cm on the other leg

 

STAGE 5 - CONTACT TRAINING

Football Training              complete 2 full training sessions

Sprinting        repeat drill (1) from stage 3 at full speed at least 20 times

                        rest no more than 2 minutes after 10 repetitions if needed

 

STAGE 6 – RETURN TO FOOTBALL

Once you have completed all the above stages and tests you are ready to return to playing matches.

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.

We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.