How to Tape a Shoulder for Rugby

Rugby is a physical sport played by individuals wearing minimal protection above the waist, making injuries such as dislocated shoulders particularly worrying on the field. A shoulder dislocation occurs when the arm is pushed in an awkward direction, causing it to pop out of the shoulder socket. Wrapping an arm with athletic tape helps to minimize the risk of shoulder dislocation by reducing the range of motion for the arm, thus helping to stop the arm from extending far enough back to be at risk of popping out.

Things You'll Need

  • Adhesive spray
  • Rigid athletic tape
  • Elastic adhesive bandage
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Instructions

    • 1

      Spray the chest, shoulder and upper back of the arm being wrapped.

    • 2

      Position the player being wrapped with his hand on his hip, so his arm sticks out to the side bent at the elbow.

    • 3

      Tape from just below the chest of the individual up over the shoulder and down the lower back with rigid tape, so the ends of the tape are equally far down the chest and back, respectively. Repeat two more times, moving closer to the arm with each pass, so the tape covers over the nipple of the player being wrapped.

    • 4

      Wrap a strip of rigid tape around the upper bicep then tape over the shoulder with two pieces of tape to make an X-shape, with one branch of the X from the front of the bicep to the back of the shoulder, and the second branch from the back of the bicep to the front of the shoulder. Wrap two more times over the X-shape portion, filling in the gaps between the branches of the X.

    • 5

      Tape from the sternum of the player over the top of the shoulder, down behind the bicep and around the upper-bicep tape. Repeat two more times.

    • 6

      Wrap the elastic adhesive bandage from the front of the first set of rigid tape strips over the top of the shoulder and to the underside of the bicep. Do not break the bandage off yet. Unlike the tape, the wrap is applied as a single application rather than multiple strips.

    • 7

      Wrap the bandage around the bicep once so it is back at the underside of the bicep, then up and over the shoulder blade.

    • 8

      Wrap down and across the back so the bandage comes under the arm not being wrapped, then wrap around the body twice.

    • 9

      Cross the bandage from under the non-wrapped arm up and over the wrapped shoulder then around the upper bicep again and break the adhesive bandage to secure.

    • 10

      Tape over the ends of the adhesive bandage as well as anywhere the bandage seems loose to ensure the wrap remains snug.