In an ideal situation every training session and match that a team undertakes or participates in there will be a medically trained individual in attendance. However in reality this is not always the case, and if an injury does occur it will be the coach who will have to handle the situation and ensure the player is treated appropriately. Therefore it is essential that the coach maintains their knowledge of how to recognise and treat injuries, to ensure they do not contribute to further injury to the player.

A common procedure that is employed by many medical individuals to assess the extent of an injury is known as SALTAPS.

S - SEE
The medical personnel (physiotherapist or coach) will see the injury occur and will be able to begin to evaluate to what extent the injured player could be hurt.

A - ASK
Once with the injured player the medical personnel should not just immediately touch the injury but instead ask the player questions relating to the injury. Where it hurts, what happened, what they think could be wrong etc. However if the player is unconscious commence A.B.C immediately.

L - LOOK
As the player is answering the medical personnel can already be onto this stage, as they can be assessing the injury in accordance with what the player is saying. They should be looking for swelling, bruising, deformity and bleeding through the clothes

T - TOUCH
Only once the area has been visually assessed can the medical personnel begin to touch the site of the injury, as long as there is no deformity. They can then assess pain, swelling, reduced or altered skin sensation. Do not just focus on the injury site when touching but assess the players’ reaction both visually and verbally, for example if they grimace they are in pain, as many players may risk further injury to continue, thus lying about the injury. It may be possible to now to decide not to continue with the procedure on the pitch but instead remove the player from the pitch and the game / session, then seek further medical assistance.

A - ACTIVE MOVEMENT
This is the first time the player will be asked to move the injured part. They must move it on their own so that the medical personnel can determine what range of movement they have. This should only occur if the player has completed the previous assessments satisfactorily. A full range of movement would suggest the player may be able to continue, while a reduced or nonexistent range would mean the player should be prevented from any further participation.

P - PASSIVE MOVEMENT
This must never occur unless the player themselves have shown a good range of active movement themselves. The medical personnel will move the body part, while the injured player does not contribute to the movement at all. Once again the player’s facial, verbal and body language should be observed

S - STRENGTH TRAINING
Once all the other assessments have been completed and the medical personnel feels the player may be able to continue then the final assessment can be conducted. The player performs movement of the injured site while the medical personnel provides resistance.

Once the player has completed all the steps they can then move onto an assessment to establish whether they are capable of continuing. If it is a lower body injury they will be required to stand and perform weight bearing movements such as standing unassisted, walking, jogging before moving onto other more demanding movements such as;

- Running: Half, three-quarter and full pace.
- Turning: Zig zag, figure out and 180 degree
- Passing the ball: Push pass and longer strikes.
- Jumping and Landing.

It is also possible to complete the weight bearing movements while they are being removed from the pitch. If they are able to walk off then they can also run, skip and turn while they are head towards the touchline.
It may seem like a time consuming procedure but it is the player’s well-being that is the crucial element and they should only be allowed to continue if they have completed all of the steps.