Football first-aid kit list: what grassroots teams need.
Most football injuries a coach deals with are small: grazes, blisters, knocks and twisted ankles. Now and then something serious happens, and then the kit has to be at the side of the pitch, complete. Here is what to pack for a youth or adult team, and how a kids' kit differs.
Football first-aid kit checklist
This is a Standard home kit for a youth football team (13 to 19), with 46 items. It is the same list Benchkit builds when you pick Football, Youth and Standard.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Wound care | |
| Plasters, assorted (fabric) | 40 |
| Knuckle & fingertip plasters | 10 |
| Blister plasters (hydrocolloid) | 10 |
| Sterile gauze swabs 10×10 cm | 10 |
| Non-stick sterile pads | 10 |
| Sterile wound dressing, medium | 2 |
| Sterile wound dressing, large | 2 |
| Adhesive island dressings | 4 |
| Sterile eye pads | 2 |
| Sterile saline pods 20 ml (wound & eye wash) | 6 |
| Alcohol-free cleansing wipes | 10 |
| Sterile cotton-tipped applicators (pack) | 1 |
| Hydrogel abrasion dressings (turf burn) | 6 |
| Petroleum jelly (anti-friction) | 1 |
| Clean water bottle for rinsing | 1 |
| Tape & support | |
| Elastic bandage 7.5 cm | 2 |
| Elastic bandage 10 cm | 2 |
| Conforming gauze bandage | 2 |
| Cohesive bandage 7.5 cm | 2 |
| Triangular bandage (sling) | 2 |
| Rigid sports tape 3.8 cm | 4 |
| Rigid sports tape 2.5 cm (fingers) | 1 |
| Pre-wrap / underwrap | 1 |
| Micropore surgical tape | 1 |
| Finger splints | 2 |
| Cold | |
| Instant cold packs | 6 |
| Reusable gel packs | 2 |
| Resealable bags (for ice) | 6 |
| Emergency | |
| Foil emergency blankets | 2 |
| CPR face shield / pocket mask | 1 |
| Emergency card (printed, in the lid) | 1 |
| Tooth rescue box / small sealed cup | 1 |
| Tools | |
| Tuff-cut scissors | 1 |
| Tweezers | 1 |
| Tick remover | 1 |
| Safety pins | 6 |
| Hygiene & protection | |
| Nitrile gloves (pairs) | 10 |
| Hand sanitiser | 1 |
| Waste bags | 2 |
| Disinfectant wipes (equipment) | 1 |
| Tissues (pack) | 1 |
| Cards & lists | |
| First-aid guide / quick cards | 1 |
| Concussion recognition card | 1 |
| Contents list (printed, in the lid) | 1 |
| Notepad & pen | 1 |
| Extras | |
| Spare laces | 2 |
What football adds to a basic kit
Football is a running and contact game, often on artificial grass. These are the extras on top of the general kit:
| Added for football | Extra | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Instant cold packs | +2 | Knocks and twisted ankles are common. One pack is rarely enough on a match day. |
| Rigid sports tape 3.8 cm | +2 | For strapping and to hold dressings and shin pads in place. |
| Hydrogel abrasion dressings (turf burn) | +2 | Slide tackles on artificial grass cause turf burn. Hydrogel dressings cover it. |
| Blister plasters (hydrocolloid) | +4 | New boots and long sessions cause blisters, especially at the start of the season. |
| Spare laces | +2 | Not first aid, but they save a player's match more often than anything else. |
County FAs point to similar essentials. Kent FA, citing FA guidelines, lists plasters and dressings, sterile gauze and tape, antiseptic wipes and creams, instant cold packs, elastic bandages, scissors and tweezers, disposable gloves and CPR face shields.
Kids' football first-aid kit
For under-12s, keep the kit simpler. A Standard kids' kit has 39 items. It drops rigid sports tape, underwrap and turf-burn dressings, and keeps plenty of plasters, cold packs and wipes. Small children mostly need a plaster, a cold pack and a calm adult.
Ask parents at the start of the season which children carry an inhaler or an adrenaline auto-injector, and make sure it comes to every session with the child. Keep it with the child, not in the team kit.
Head knocks: if in doubt, sit them out
Heading duels and collisions mean head knocks happen. In the UK, the grassroots concussion guidance published by the government and the Sport and Recreation Alliance in 2023 has one simple rule: if in doubt, sit them out. A player with a suspected concussion should stop playing straight away and not return that day.
Keep a concussion recognition card in the kit so whoever is on the touchline knows the signs. Read the full guidance from the source below, and follow your national association's rules where you play.
Where to keep the kit on match day
- At the side of the pitch, next to the coach, not in the changing room or the car.
- With the emergency card on top: the local emergency number, the ground's address and postcode, and where the nearest defibrillator (AED) is.
- With a cool box of ice in summer and at tournaments.
More on the day itself in the Match day checklist.
Build this kit for your team in two minutes
Pick Football, your age group and kit size. Benchkit makes the list, prints a QR sticker for the kit, and keeps a shared refill list when players and parents tap what they used. Free for teams, no login.
Set up your kit, freeQuestions
What do you need in a football first-aid kit?
Plasters, sterile dressings and gauze, saline, cleansing wipes, elastic bandages, sports tape, instant cold packs, a foil blanket, a CPR face shield, scissors, tweezers, gloves and an emergency card. Football teams should add extra cold packs, blister plasters and turf-burn dressings.
Does a kids' football team need a different first-aid kit?
A simpler one. Leave out rigid sports tape and items that need training, and keep plenty of plasters, cold packs and wipes. Children carry their own inhaler or auto-injector if they need one.
Should there be painkillers or creams in a football first-aid kit?
No medicines. Team kits should not contain painkillers. Some lists include antiseptic cream; Benchkit's templates leave creams out and use saline and wipes for cleaning wounds. Follow your club's policy.
Is a first-aid kit required for grassroots football?
Requirements vary by country, league and competition. Check your league's rules and your county or national FA. Whatever the rules say, a complete kit at the side of the pitch is the safe choice.
How many cold packs should a football team carry?
Our Standard football kit has 6 instant cold packs. Add more for tournaments, or bring a cool box with ice and resealable bags.
Sources
- Kent FA: Refresh your first aid supplies for the upcoming season (2024)
- Soccer America: Your crucial preseason checklist: first aid kit
- Hockey Canada Safety Program: first-aid kit content list (via Hockey Alberta)
- St John Ambulance (UK): Deluxe sports first aid kit (archived copy)
- Sport and Recreation Alliance: UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport, "If in doubt, sit them out"
First-aid information, not medical advice. Kit lists are guidance: what you carry should match the training of the people using it. A first-aid course (for example from St John Ambulance or the Red Cross in your country) is the best preparation. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.