Question

what are common sites of sprains athletes often get from playing soccer? hand, knees, wrist, shoulder

Answer 1

Short answer: the ankle and the knee are the most common sites of sprains in soccer. Of the sites you listed, knees are commonly sprained in outfield players; hands/wrists/shoulders are less common except in goalkeepers.

More detail:
- Ankle: by far the single most frequent ligament injury (usually a lateral ankle sprain — ATFL). Happens with cutting, tackling, landing.
- Knee: common, especially MCL sprains from valgus/contact forces. ACL injuries are frequent in soccer too (often a tear rather than a mild sprain).
- Wrist/hand/fingers: uncommon for outfield players; frequent in goalkeepers (finger sprains, jammed fingers, wrist sprains, fractures).
- Shoulder: relatively uncommon overall but can occur after falls or collisions; goalkeepers again have higher risk (AC joint sprain, dislocation).

Prevention and care (brief):
- Prevent with neuromuscular training (e.g. FIFA 11+), balance/strength work, proper footwear, and bracing/taping if previously injured.
- Acute management: protect, reduce swelling/ pain, and seek evaluation if there is severe pain, obvious deformity, instability, inability to bear weight, or persistent problems.

If you want, I can list common mechanisms, typical symptoms for each site, or prevention/exercises tailored to your position (goalkeeper vs outfield).