Sports-specific concerns in the young athlete: football

There are over 1.5 million males playing American football at all levels in the United States. American football is the most common participant sport among high-school-aged males. Owing to its high rate of injury per exposure hour, American football injuries are commonly treated in the emergency department during the autumn sports season. This article will review the history, epidemiology, and specific injury patterns seen in American football, with a focus on head and shoulder injuries.