Contact sport can be simply described as the sport that involves the use of physical strength and the application of all body parts against the opponent. This kind of sport includes football, basketball, UFC(Ultimate Fighting Championship), boxing, rugby, and so on.
Aside from the fact that these sports are very high paying, as athletes make a lot of money when they are engaged at some level, the sports can be very risky. From the training to the execution of the game plan, there are a lot of dangers that are sighted and injuries that are recorded. But since these sports are a career for individuals, I know that there are safety precautions that are taught to the athletes so that they do not get injured in the process.
Safety Precautions Already Exists
As said earlier, the sports organizations for all these sports have professionally listed safety measures for the athletes and even staff. As viewers or fans of some of these sports, you will bear witness that the umpire or referee usually advises the athletes before a match or bout begins. Some of the checks or safety measures the referee or umpire does are as follows.
• Long Nails and Sharp Objects
Most of these sports do not allow the athletes to keep long nails or to come to the pitch or ring with sharp objects. The officiating officer(s) carries out a check on the athletes. For instance, in football, before the match commences, the players have to show their nails and boot stud which ensures grip on the pitch. Recently, it has been done in such a way that the stud is not metal. This has been upgraded overtime due to the series of injuries recorded.
In WrestleMania for example, in a professional match, any external material is not allowed to be used. A match is cancelled when the opponent uses any external material order than watch the match referee has agreed. In fact, the victim is announced as the winner when such cases are sighted.
• Guard Yourself Always
In boxing, after the proper checks have been done, the referee would tell the boxers to guard their heads always. This is probably because the head is the main target for a boxer's opponent. We have had cases where a boxer may enter into a lifetime injury when the head is exposed to many punches. This is the reason why when a boxer punches his opponent in the head, a point or two is deducted.
A boxer can get a life ban when the bout becomes an assault rather than being professional and employing the spirit of sportsmanship.
This is why boxers are graded according to their body weight and whatnot before a bout can be agreed upon. Boxers of the same weight brackets are allowed to fight and this must be after a series of checks have been carried out in their health, stamina and so on.
• Sport Kits
We need to know that the sport kits are not for fashion. They are professionally designed to act as shields to the athletes. The helmet used during American football or rugby is to protect the head from being smashed on the ground.
In football, you have the chin-guard, hose and ankle-guard that minimally protects the player from injury. This kit no doubt acts as measures to reduce the intensity of injury an athlete is supposed to get during a match.
• Cards Play Important Roles
During football matches and even boxing and other contact sports, the referee or umpire uses the cards at his disposal to caution the players. In football, the cards range between yellow and red. There is even the move to add a third card (green) to the number and its function will be explained in detail with time. The card is used when an intentional infringement is carried out by a player on the pitch. The cards are used when the referee has considered the weight of the injury caused.
All this is to tell us that there could be improvement in the sports overtime but these sports have come a long way considering their history and more improvement will be recorded.
This can be argued from the points of records as there is a reduction in the record of injury, an indication that these regulations are working and it would eventually get better.
Life itself is a risk. There is nothing one does in this life that risk is not involved whether immediately or in the long run.