I wouldn't call it minor if you end up wrestling ;p
Weapon play, shield usage and footwork limit the opponent's opportunity to deal a solid blow. I mean you can totally smash a rib if you swing your sword at someone's chestplate at full force, but you never will in combat because... Opponents aren't practice dummies. However, you might get some other hits in with less significant force. If these hits cut muscle or make you start bleeding, well that's a lot worse than suffering a bruise. This is an especially large advantage when up against an unarmoured opponent because trading blows will pretty much always be in your favour. Generally a regular foot soldier wouldn't want to be up against a knight unless they had a halberd or something.
Fun extra tidbit; this is why half-swording existed. It may not be the ideal weapon, but against armour, the concentrated blunt force of a pommel is going to deal more damage to an armoured opponent than a cutting edge. In fact, you even have slightly more range because you have the weight of your pommel at the end of your now reversed sword, versus the weight otherwise being distributed more towards the centre of the blade.