You might’ve seen athletes wear tape on their ankles, wrists, and elbows. Some of them strap tape to their triceps and biceps as well. Although the tape is designed to look stylish, it serves a much better and injury-prevention purpose. Without wearing excess padding, players can protect themselves from harm.
Athletes wear tape on their wrists to add support on plays when they bend their wrists. The tape holds their skin and supports their tendons, preventing them from going too far forward or backward. Athletic tape is much less bulky than pads and wristbands, making it easier to apply and remove.
In this post, we’ll discuss why athletes in various sports wear tape on their wrists. We’ll dive into soccer, baseball, football, and basketball to explain why your favorite players often wear compression tape whenever the whistle blows to start the game. Enjoy!
Why Do Soccer Players Tape Their Wrists?
Soccer players tape their wrists in case they have to throw the ball and to prevent their wrists from bending in the wrong direction. The tape can also compress their wrists and ankles, promoting blood flow to their upper arms and upper legs.
Here’s an in-depth list of why soccer players use athletic tape:
- Goalies can use their hands to throw the ball, so they need additional support. According to Get Hyped Sports, many goalies wear various types of tape around their wrists, sometimes extending up to their palms. This tape helps them catch, handle, and throw the ball.
- If they fall over, soccer players need to prevent bending injuries on their wrists and ankles. The tape holds their skin back, thus supporting their tendons and muscle. A player’s wrists won’t get strained nearly as easily if they’re wearing athletic tape or compression tape.
- Some compression tape promotes proper blood flow. It holds the wrist tightly, activating the veins and capillaries and forcing them to push more blood through the body. This process can prevent tiredness and soreness from excess running, throwing, and similar activities.
Here’s Why Football Athletes Put Tape on Their Wrists
Football players use tape on their wrists for the following reasons:
- Quarterbacks need the support when they throw the ball. Many quarterbacks hold the ball parallel to their heads before throwing the ball. This long extension can strain the wrist if done incorrectly. Fortunately, the tape increases stability and comfort for the player.
- Ball carriers often stiff-arm their opponents, which can hurt their tendons if they’re not taped. Sports Rec shows the instant and unexpected contact with other players can cause wrist injuries ranging from torn tendons to ripped skin. High-end athletic tape can limit or prevent this issue from happening.
- Punters need a firm grip on the ball, so they typically tape their wrists and ankles. Much like the aforementioned soccer players, wrist tape is a crucial part of handling the ball without hurting their joints.
Reasons Basketball Players Wrap Their Wrists With Tape
Check out these explanations of why basketball players put tape on their wrists:
- All basketball players can use athletic tape for additional support when passing, dunking, or shooting baskets. Dunking can cause a lot of stress on their joints, which is why athletic tape is an important part of the process. Some tape also prevents their sweat from dripping to their hands, improving their grip on the ball.
- Compression tape can prevent wrist and ankle injuries when the players inevitably fall to the hard court. Basketball players run, fall, and pass throughout the game. Several hours of continuous activity can lead to wear and tear without good tape to support their wrists and ankles.
What Do Taped Wrists Do for Baseball Players?
Taped wrists can help baseball players throw with more strength and precision while saving their wrists from joint pain if they fall over. Furthermore, the tape can help them catch a fastball without hurting their wrists and arms.
Review the three primary explanations below.
- Baseball pitchers need all the support they can get when throwing 100 MPH fastballs. River Sharks claim wrist tape can help strengthen a pitcher’s throw because it helps them get a full wind up without bending their wrist the wrong way. However, the tape rarely goes up to their palms.
- Outfielders often dive for the ball, so a little extra support from athletic tape helps them extend the play without injuring their wrists. Sudden impact with the ground can cause severe pain to the wrists, ankles, and other small joints without the right type of tape for the job.
- Athletic tape can promote stability when catching a ball. Whether they’re snagging a fastball out of the air or catching a pop-up ball, the force of a quick-moving baseball can bend a player’s wrist in an awkward way. These injuries are easily preventable by using wrist tape paired with a high-quality glove.
Wrist Tape in Combat Sports
MMA fighters, boxers, kickboxers, wrestlers, and many other combat athletes rely on wrist tape to limit and control the force applied to their wrist when throwing a strike. By punching and kicking with athletic tape on their wrists and ankles, the pressure is evenly distributed and won’t cause nearly as much pain and damage.
There’s no denying that combat sports athletes often experience more stress on their joints than any other sport. They often fight for 15 minutes or more, which is why most fighters go several months between events. Wrist tape is one of the few modifications they’re allowed to make before entering the ring or octagon.
The Cramer Athletic Tape comes in all sizes and colors, letting you choose the perfect style for the gym, octagon, ring, court, or field. Wrap it snugly around your wrists and ankles to receive all of the benefits and injury-prevention pros mentioned throughout this article.
How to Properly Tape Your Wrists
As you have learned in this article athletes tape their wrist for a variety of reasons which include some health benefits. However, if you wrist are not taped properly you could risk potential injury.
Here is a video that demonstrates on how to properly tape your wrists.
Conclusion
Now that you know why athletes wear wrist tape, you can decide if you want to wear it when going to the gym, exercising, or participating in sports. Athletic tape is one of the most effective tools for preventing injuries, and it doesn’t cost too much. Players can apply a new, unused layer of tape before each game or half to keep it as fresh as possible.