Your hip or groin has started aching, and kicking, sprinting or changing direction now come with a twinge. Hip and groin pain is common in football, especially with lots of kicking and quick turns. For most recent pain, adjusting how you train and play can help it settle while you stay involved.

Why football can affect your hip and groin

Kicking, especially long balls and shots, uses the muscles at the front of your hip and inner thigh with a lot of force. Sharp changes of direction, side-footed passes and stretching to reach the ball load the inner thigh muscles, called the adductors, which run from your groin to your knee. Sprinting works the hip flexors at the front of your hip.

Where you feel it can give a clue:

• Inner groin. Often linked with the adductor muscles, especially with side-footed passing and changing direction.
• Front of the hip. Often linked with the hip flexors, especially with kicking and sprinting.
• Outside of the hip. Often linked with the tendons that attach your buttock muscles.

In most cases, the area is irritated rather than damaged.

Adjusting training for now

Some changes that can help while your hip settles:

• Keep passing short, and leave out long balls and shooting for a week or two.
• Reduce sharp cutting and turning drills.
• Keep sprints shorter, and build up speed gradually.
• Play small-sided games at a steady pace, rather than full matches.
• Avoid overstretching to reach the ball, letting it come to you where you can.

Kicking with less strain

When you do kick, a few changes can help:

• Shorten your run-up and backswing.
• Hit the ball at three-quarter pace for now.
• Use both feet if you can, to share the load.

If you play in goal, long goal kicks and kicks from your hands load the hip and groin, so letting a defender take goal kicks for now can help.

Reading how your hip responds

A mild ache during or after football that settles within an hour or so is usually fine. If your hip or groin is sore the next morning, or you notice pain when getting out of the car or turning in bed, do less next session.

Strength makes a difference

Strengthening the inner thigh muscles can be one of the most useful things for groin pain in football. Research on the Copenhagen adductor programme found that adding a short adductor exercise to training lowered groin problems in players by around 40%.

Something to try two or three times a week:

• Ball squeezes. Lie on your back with your knees bent and squeeze a ball or cushion between your knees for 10 seconds.
• Side-lying inner thigh lifts. Lie on your side, bend your top leg and rest its foot in front, then slowly lift your bottom leg.
• Short Copenhagen planks. Lie on your side with your top knee resting on a bench, lift your hips and hold for a few seconds. Start with your knee on the bench, not your foot.
• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower slowly.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of bridges, lunges and sit to stands you can use at your own pace.

Stretching with care

Strong, deep groin stretches can irritate a sore area. Gentle movement through a comfortable range is often more helpful while things settle.

Warming up

A thorough warm-up helps your hip feel ready. Something to try:

• Jog gently, including side steps and backwards jogging.
• Leg swings forwards and backwards, then across your body.
• Walking lunges.
• Short, gentle passes before longer kicks.

Outside of football

Some everyday habits can help:

• Getting in and out of the car with your knees together can ease groin pain.
• Avoid sitting low for long periods if the front of your hip is sore.
• Sleep with a pillow between your knees if lying on your side is uncomfortable.

Building back up

As your hip settles, you can gradually bring back long balls, sharp turns and full matches, one at a time. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how your hip responds.

What to take away

• Kicking and changing direction load the hip and groin muscles.
• Keep passing short and leave out shooting for a week or two.
• Use the next-morning check to guide training.
• Strengthen your inner thigh muscles with ball squeezes and short side planks.
• Warm up well and build back one change at a time.

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