While there is no denying the entertaining value of soccer, it has its fair share of injuries as a contact sport. These injuries can sometimes range from mild to life-threatening.
Since the legs are primarily involved in soccer, they would easily be involved with the most injuries. One of such injuries is having a broken toe.
A broken toe injury can be gotten during training or a match game. For example, former English defender Frank Lampard once had a broken toe injury during one of Chelsea’s training sessions for a pre-season game.
Although not a common occurrence, soccer players may also sustain a broken toe injury outside of soccer activities. The pain remains excruciatingly the same and can hinder the player from participating in games.
A broken toe is not a career-ending injury. Still, if left unattended and allowed to fester, it could pose serious consequences to your career. Let’s face it, it is hard to sprint with a broken toe.
Will it be possible to return to the field with a broken toe? The article examines the facts and likely possibility of playing soccer with a broken toe.
Quick Navigation
Can you play soccer with a broken toe?
No, you cannot! From a medical standpoint, it would be disastrous to apply more pressure from kicks to a broken toe.
The toes consist of bones called the phalanges. On each foot, 14 bones come together to form the toes. A broken toe could be any of these bones getting bruised or fractured.
A fracture is more painful than a bruise. It would also need a longer time to heal. This usually takes between 4-8 weeks to heal.
For a soccer player, this may seem like a long time to wait, but it is for the best. If you decide to play with a broken toe, you will suffer discomfort throughout the game. You also risk ending your career as a professional soccer player.
It’s best to get medical advice on when to return to playing soccer. If you are experiencing pain and discomfort, you can always ask the doctor for effective medications.
What are the rules to playing soccer with a broken toe?
Soccer governing bodies have no rules that mandate players to continue playing irrespective of injuries. On the contrary, they take the safety and health of their players seriously.
Club and team managers often have to deal with players’ injuries by either replacing them with substitute players or selling them off in the worst-case scenario. A broken toe is not a serious or life-threatening injury, so they will encourage the player to rest.
For someone who has had his weekdays busy with training and matches, a period of rest could be frustrating and boring.
What to do when you have a broken toe?
Medically, you’ll be advised to rest the toe to quicken its healing. Medications can also be given when needed.
However, here are some ways to stay active as a professional soccer player to kill boredom.
Go on a vacation
Soccer players are often afforded a professional break during the off-season. Since you have been advised to take a rest, why not use the opportunity to go on a mini-vacation.
It’s a common practice by professional soccer players. For example, Paul Pogba had an injury during training on an international break. After starting his rest in France, he later went to Dubai to complete his rehabilitation and recovery.
Just like off-season breaks, you can use this rehabilitation vacation to get your mind off the sport, clear your mind and allow your body to recover. Rather than feel guilty for missing out on the squad, take the opportunity to work on yourself mentally.
Watch match highlights
Use this rest period to review your plays to find ways to improve. Normally, this may be hard to do, especially with your hectic schedule.
No matter how skilled you are as a soccer player, there’s always room for improvement. To see if you’ve evolved over the years, take out older highlights and compare them to how you currently play.
Play video games
Video games are an excellent way to kill time. If you’re a fan of soccer (not all soccer players enjoy playing video games), you can learn new skills and techniques.
Why stop at just soccer? There are several other games that you can use to keep yourself entertained. It can get addictive if not controlled, so, try alternating it with other activities.
Engage in other less strenuous sports
There are over 800 sports in the world. Some of these would not involve the use of legs or body in general.
It is also a good way to get your mind off the broken toe discomfort and focus on recovery. It is also an opportunity to visit friends who play other sports and watch them play.
Some professional soccer players have been seen at sporting events like the Formula 1 Grand Prix and Wimbledon finals.
Towards the end of the recovery phase, you could decide to watch your team play by sitting in the stands.
Whatever your choice of sport, it’s important you do not put your body through any stress at this period.
Conclusion
Like most soccer injuries, a broken toe can be excruciatingly painful with lots of discomforts. Rated on the scale of soccer-related injuries, a broken toe is neither life-threatening nor career-ending.
With a broken toe, it’s medically advised not to play soccer or put the foot under unnecessary stress. The sooner the toe heals and recovers, the quicker you can return to the field of play.
All efforts should be geared towards achieving this healing. There are no laid down rules that would affect your soccer career if you have a broken toe. However, you need to take time off to recover and boost your mental strength.
With the recovery period spanning into weeks, it’s easy to become bored. However, you can do several meaningful things to improve your mental well-being.
The period of injury recovery can be used as an opportunity to sharpen some of your skills, more like making lemonades out of a lemon.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!