Twisted ankle instead?
A five-check test and a slow way back after a rolled ankle.
Read about a rolled ankleChild Grazed Knee After Football: Clean It, Cover It, Check It
Kit, Rules & Safety
A grazed knee is the most ordinary football injury there is.
This page gives you the five-step clean-and-cover routine, the signs that mean ring 111, and a quick check before the game goes back on.
For a child grazed knee after football: once the bleeding has stopped, rinse it under running tap water, pat it dry with a clean towel and cover it with a plaster or non-stick dressing (NHS)(RCH Melbourne). Do not scrub it (RCH Melbourne). Call 111 or the GP if it is still dirty after cleaning, looks swollen, red and more painful, or has pus (NHS). Call 999 or go to A&E for bleeding that will not stop or blood that spurts, and go to A&E for an object stuck in the wound (NHS). Grit that will not rinse out is a 111 or GP call. No source covers football grazes, so this is general first aid for a graze from hard ground.
I used to hand over a plaster and send them straight back out, until the grit I hadn't rinsed out turned a small graze into a sore one for a week.
Two minutes at the step
Scraped Knee on Concrete: Five Steps to Clean and Cover It
A graze from a patio, drive or path holds grit that a quick wipe leaves behind. Give it two minutes, work through these five steps in order and do not rush the rinse.
- 1
Stop and sit. Wash and dry your hands, then sit the child down somewhere clean. If it is bleeding, press firmly on it with a clean, folded cloth until the bleeding stops, then start cleaning (NHS)(RCH Melbourne). If pressing does not stop it, see the A&E row in the table below. A calm child is far easier to clean.
- 2
Rinse. Use running tap water, bottled water or sterile wipes (NHS). Do not scrub (RCH Melbourne). After a fall on hard ground, keep rinsing until the grit has gone.
- 3
Clean around it, then pat dry. Clean the skin around the graze with soap and water, and keep the soap out of the graze itself (NHS). Then pat the area dry with a gauze swab or a clean tea towel (NHS).
- 4
Cover. Put on a sterile dressing or a plaster (NHS). A non-stick dressing suits a graze (RCH Melbourne). Keep it clean and dry, and a waterproof one helps (NHS).
- 5
Leave it. Take the dressing off after a few days, once the wound has closed (NHS). The hospital sheet says 3 to 5 days (RCH Melbourne).
These steps come from the NHS page on cuts and grazes and the Royal Children's Hospital's guide to grazes. Neither is about football, and this is not a first-aid course.
The hospital sheet also advises against antiseptic creams, which may irritate the skin and delay healing (RCH Melbourne). If you are unsure, ask a pharmacist.
Look at it again tomorrow
Treating a Graze After Football: When It Is Not a Home-Care Job
Most grazes heal at home. The table sorts what you see into three levels, so you know whether to carry on, ring 111 or go to A&E.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The bleeding has stopped, the graze is clean, it is a bit sore and a little better each day. | Carry on at home. Keep it covered and look at it again tomorrow. |
| Still dirty after cleaning, or swollen, red and more painful, or pus (NHS). Longer than about 5 cm, or the child is unwell or has a temperature of 38 degrees C or higher (NHS)(RCH Melbourne). Not sure the child is fully vaccinated against tetanus, or dirt or grit is still in it after rinsing (NHS tetanus). | Call 111 or the GP. |
| Bleeding you cannot stop, or blood that spurts and is bright red (NHS). An object stuck in the wound, or a very deep or large wound (NHS). Loss of feeling or movement (NHS). | Go to A&E or call 999. Do not pull out anything stuck in the wound yourself. |
Watch for signs of infection over the next few days: redness, swelling, ooze, pus, pain that does not settle, a smell or a fever (RCH Melbourne). Any of them means a call to 111 or the GP.
On tetanus, UK children are routinely vaccinated. The NHS says to contact 111 or the GP if you are not sure the child is fully vaccinated, or if dirt is stuck in the wound (NHS tetanus). It is not something to guess at.
The same traffic-light idea works for a twisted ankle. If the fall went onto the head as well as the knee, read about a fall onto the head first.
Next time, a softer landing
Why a Fall on Hard Ground Grazes Worse (and What to Change)
This section is reasoning, not something a source says. Concrete, paving and tarmac scrape the skin and leave grit behind. A lawn does not.
- Move the game to grass, or lay a mat on the hard part, so a fall lands softly.
- On a patio or driveway, a lower-bounce ball for hard ground keeps play calmer and slower.
- Trousers or leggings give a scrappy session some cover, and long socks to the knee do not protect the skin.
- Shoes with grip mean less slipping. See boots with grip for what to look for.
- Mud makes a graze dirtier, so rinse for longer after muddy garden football.
No source says any of these prevents grazes. They only reduce how often a fall lands on a hard surface.
Judgement, not a rule
Can They Play Again? A Quick Check Before the Game Restarts
I've waved the child back on when the plaster was barely holding, and found it on the kitchen floor an hour later, soaked. Now four checks come first. They are my own judgement, because no source says when a child may play again.
- The knee is covered and the dressing is staying on.
- Nothing is bleeding through.
- The child can bend and straighten the knee freely.
- The child wants to go back.
A knee is a joint, so keep the restart gentle: passing and shooting, with no diving or sliding.
If the dressing is soaked or comes off, stop and re-dress it. If the knee looks swollen or the child will not bend it, that is more than a graze. See the same logic for a joint.
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say, and Where They Stop
Rinse the graze, pat it dry, cover it, and call 111 if it is still dirty, infected, large or the child is unwell. That is the NHS page on cuts and grazes.
Do not scrub, use a non-stick dressing, leave it 3 to 5 days and watch for signs of infection. That is the Royal Children's Hospital's guide to grazes. The hospital is in Melbourne, Australia.
Contact 111 or the GP if you are not sure the child is fully vaccinated against tetanus, or dirt is stuck in the wound. That is the NHS page on tetanus.
These are general first-aid pages from the NHS and a children's hospital in Australia. None is about football, none says when a child may play again, and none is a study. The routine is the same as for any minor graze.
Quick answers
Common Questions About a Grazed Knee and Football
How do I clean a grazed knee?
Once bleeding has stopped, rinse under running water, do not scrub, pat dry with a clean towel and cover it (NHS)(RCH Melbourne).
Should I use antiseptic on a child's graze?
The Royal Children's Hospital in Australia advises against antiseptic creams, as they may irritate and delay healing (RCH Melbourne). Ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.
How long should a graze stay covered?
The NHS says a few days, until the wound has closed (NHS). The hospital sheet says 3 to 5 days (RCH Melbourne).
What are the signs a graze is infected?
Swelling, redness, more pain, ooze, pus, a smell or a temperature of 38 degrees C or higher (NHS)(RCH Melbourne). Call 111 or the GP.
Does my child need a tetanus jab after a graze?
Contact 111 or the GP if you are not sure the child is fully vaccinated, or dirt is still stuck in the wound (NHS tetanus).
Can they play football with a grazed knee?
That is your judgement: covered, not bleeding through, bends freely and the child wants to play. No source sets a rule.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what happened.
Knock to the head?
What to look for after a bump to the head and when to get help.
Read about a head knockHard ground a worry?
A lower-bounce ball keeps play calmer on a patio or driveway.
Read about low-bounce ballsTonight's five minutes
Rinse it, cover it, check it again tomorrow.
Run the five steps while the child is still calm, and look at the knee again in the morning.