Abstract

The study assessed the place of first aid during emergency situation in football matches. First aid provides immediate assistance to the victim of an accident before medical attention is given. It is obvious that medical attention cannot be given immediately after an incident that call for attention of medical experts, during or immediately after the match. Football players and stakeholders are very prone to various degree of injuries such as, bruise, wound, sprain, strain, dislocation, fracture, unconsciousness that require first aid assistance, before, during and after the match, therefore, there is need to equip all stakeholders in the game of football the skills required to be an effective first aider. Thus the paper examined the concepts of first aid, characteristics of a first aider during emergency situation in football matches, football injuries and emergencies, common injuries that required first aid during football match and first aid box contents for football match. Therefore, there is need for application of first aid skills in all football activities to enhance practice, protect life and implement safety practices on the field. Also, it is imperative for Football Association and team’s management to design programme that would train all stakeholders such as referees, coaches, players and supporters on first aid knowledge that would make them to offer assistance during time of emergency.