During games, both football and soccer players can be seen with tape on their wrists. Players tape their wrists for a variety of reasons, which we’ll go over in detail later in this article.
Tape is applied to the wrists of football players for stability and injury prevention. Football is a contact sport in which players are constantly pushing and pulling one another.
Of course, it wouldn’t be too long before the athletes sustain an injury on any part of their body. To help safeguard and prevent the wrist from sustaining any form of injury, players make use of wrist tape.
It is important to note that players do not use any random tape that comes to their minds. Instead, they often utilise athletic tape to offer support to the ankles. This type of tape remains tough for hours while allowing them to move freely.
Why Football & Soccer Players Tape Their Wrists:
1. Protection for the wrists:
Wrist athletic tape is worn by players to safeguard their wrists. Players in soccer frequently compete for the ball by pushing, chasing or tackling their opponent.
Wrists, fingers, and other joints can be squeezed or bent in an incorrect position during such challenges. In the event of a sudden contact, the athletic tape will support the player’s wrists.
Soccer players can also be knocked out if they are slide tackled or have their shins kicked. The first reflex when falling is to put one hand down to buffer the fall.
Since such falling action can lead to a high impact on the hand and possibly affect the wrist, it is important that players wear wrist athletic tape.
A high-velocity ball will almost always be saved by the goalie’s hands. This usually exerts high pressure which could sometimes injure the goalie’s wrist.
Hence, it is necessary to use athletic tape to help reduce the direct impact of the soccer ball and secure the wrist. Although it wrist tape won’t totally prevent injuries from occurring, it will always support any wrist joints.
2. Hiding Jewelry
Athletic tape is used to hide any jewelry or bracelets worn by the players. Professional leagues rarely allow loose bracelets to be worn by players. Hence, athletes are compelled to taken off their jewelry.
Instead of removing the bracelets (which many players want to keep for superstition reasons), the player will tape over the bracelet.
They can still feel safe knowing that they’re wearing the piece of jewelry, but the referee and the league can’t tell since it just looks like a bit of tape.
For example, Gareth Bale has worn a live-strong bracelet on his wrist throughout his career. He’ll cover it up with tape to hide it from officials. However, he is aware that he is still wearing it in his head.
Referees frequently call a timeout and order players to remove any jewelry from their bodies. This is for the player’s safety as well as the safety of the other athletes on the pitch.
Wrist jewelry, watches, and other small jewelry pieces may become entangled with other players, ripping or harming them. To correctly fasten the piece of jewelry, simply wrap a little piece of athletic tape around the wrist.
3. Tattoo Cover-Up
There are athletes who love body inking but desire to keep their special tattoo from the public’s view. For reasons best known to a few players, they may tape over a wrist tattoo that they don’t want to exhibit on a national stage.
The tape might be little, one over the strip covering the tattoo, or it can be large, covering the entire forearm. Again, it is entirely up to the player, as well as any policies in place at the club or team.
This does not occur very frequently but only happens for those who wish to conceal their identity or body art.
4. Cosmetic Purposes
Players will put tape on their wrists for no other reason than it looks good—no medical or jewelry reasons.
Aside from the aesthetic reasons, athletes also write the initials of someone they care about or someone who has died on their wrist tape. This is a common occurrence in college and high school football.
Forearm tape with initials of loved ones or tiny messages to remember them while playing is also common among professional players. At the conclusion of the game, the tape can be pulled off and thrown away in a garbage bin.
5. Healing From An Injury
Last but not least, there’s the process of recovering from an injury. If you’ve had a previous wrist injury, using tape to support the wrist will keep it from bending too far in one direction or the other.
To guarantee the wrist is sustained, consult with your team’s sports trainer or utilize the athletic tape available here.
As earlier mentioned, the tape can give stability to those who have previously suffered from wrist injuries. Trainers’ tape should be used on players with wrist problems to ensure correct stability.
In the event of an injury, we always recommend consulting with a specialist. This is because players lack the necessary technique and angle to effectively tape a wrist for injury prevention.
Conclusion:
During games and contests, both football and soccer players are known to wear tape on their wrists. The wrist tape has special significance for that player, both aesthetically and in terms of injury prevention.
Players will wrap tape over their wrists for wrist protection, tattoo protection, jewelry concealment, and to secure an injury that is already a possibility.
It is typical for athletes to wear a piece of tape around their wrist for the aforementioned reasons. How do you apply athletic tape to your body? Do you wear it for the sake of appearance or to aid in the recovery of a previous injury?
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