Originally Posted by ed073

Sideline staples are quite common in contact sports like rugby and Aussie Rules, especialy in areas that bleed profusely, like the head.

It uses a sterile plastic gun, and plastic staples that feed into it on a little strip. Not really painful at all, considering the injury it's likely to be treating.

The biggest issue with this treatment is how it portrays the sport to the public and any negative images on TV the governing body may not be happy with. To this end, the Australian Rugby League and AFL have mandated that this treatment be done down in the rooms, no longer on the sideline.