50% of all soccer injuries are due to contact with another player (Peterson 2000) and half of these were due to foul play/tackling.  Also, injuries occur during games more often than training. Despite all the proper preparation and training, injuries will still occur due to the physical nature of the sport. To minimise injury during game time, it is important to Play hard but play fair!  It is up to players to do so but it is the referee who sets the example and boundaries for behaviour of the players.