A laceration is a type of sports injury that is caused by a direct blow from a collision with a player or a piece of equipment.

This blow usually leads to cuts to the skin, creating an open wound. Lacerations may occur in situations such as lacrosse where the lacrosse stick may swipe and cut someone or even during football where a shoe may abrade a leg. Lacerations are considered an acute soft tissue injury. Signs or symptoms is pain, stinginess, bleeding and an open wound that may reveal underlying tissue such as fat, tendon, muscle or bone, depending on the severity of the laceration. Treatment to lacerations begins by applying pressure to the affected area in order to stop the bleeding. This is followed by cleaning the area with water to remove any unwanted residue. inally, antibiotic ointment and a bandage are applied to reduce the chance of infection.