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Drill-Specific Head Impacts in Collegiate Football Practice: Implications for Reducing "Friendly Fire" Exposure
Breton M Asken1, Zechariah S Brooke2, Taylor C Stevens3
1Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 100165, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. basken8@phhp.ufl.edu.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
|July 11, 2018
Summary
Football drills show varied head impact rates. Modifying high-risk drills like "Team Run" can significantly reduce head impacts for players, especially linemen, improving player safety.
Area of Science:
- Sports Biomechanics
- Football Safety
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Head impacts in football pose significant risks.
- Understanding drill-specific biomechanics is crucial for safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- Quantify head impacts per minute for specific football drills.
- Identify high-risk drills and player positions for head impact exposure.
- Provide data-driven recommendations for reducing head impacts in practice.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) over two years in a Division 1 football team.
- Recorded 32,083 head impacts across 14 different drills.
- Calculated hits per person per minute (H/P/M) for each drill and player position.
Main Results:
- Significant variability in H/P/M was observed between drills and player positions.
- Linemen experienced higher H/P/M rates compared to Non-Linemen.
- Three drills ('Team Run,' 'Move the Field,' 'Team') accounted for over 80% of avoidable head impacts.
Conclusions:
- Drill-specific modifications can efficiently reduce head impact exposure.
- Targeting high-risk drills offers a practical approach to enhance player safety.
- Recommendations include shortening or altering specific drills based on impact frequency and practice context.