ABSTRACT
Considerable attention has been focused on the treatment and prevention of the injuries that occur in the game of soccer. Most of this attention has been directed at injuries involving the lower extremities. Recently, several authors have discussed the incidence of injury to the head, due to both intentional and incidental contact between the ball and the head (Schneider, 1984; Smodlaka, 1984). While injury rates for the head are considerably less than those for the lower extremities, the potential harmful consequences of head injuries are often much greater. Although the occurrence of catastrophic head injury in soccer is relatively rare, it does happen. Beyond this, there is evidence that repeated exposure to head impact, as typically occurs in soccer may produce degenerative changes in the cervical spine that may ultimately lead to impaired function (Tysvaer and Storli, 1981).
