Background: Football injuries account for more than half of all sports injuries, of which 10% require inpatient hospital management. Athletes in general and football players in specific are more prone to injuries since football is considered to be a contact sport. Thus, first aid management helps to treat common football injuries like bruises, sprains, and strains, none of which are particularly serious. However, although severe injuries are rare, knowing how to recognize them is essential so that appropriate action can be taken. The aim of this study is to assess and compare first aid knowledge among Saudi football players before and after the administration of two methods of education (lecture versus lecture and hands-on training). Methods: A representative clustered stratified sample of football players from football clubs in 10 regions across Saudi Arabia between August 2017 and July 2018 were recruited. First, a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was filled by all participants; then players were randomly assigned either to lectures and hands-on training (experimental group) or lectures only (control group). A well-structured questionnaire consisting of 44 questions in addition to the demographic profile. Both groups were evaluated and compared in terms of first aid knowledge just after completion of the two educational methods. Results: A total of 321 football players (mean age: 26.52 ± 10.31 years) were included. Furthermore, the total mean knowledge score of the study group (81.45 ± 12.05) was significantly higher (p<0.001) in comparison with that of the control group (65.92 ± 21.24). Conclusion: The first aid training program was overall effective in enhancing the knowledge of football players. The combined intervention including lectures and hands-on training had a better impact as compared to lectures only.
