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American football: Watch Your Head!
Kelly Sarmiento1, Dana Waltzman1
1Division of Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Frontiers for Young Minds
|August 19, 2022
Summary
American football players experience numerous head impacts, with tackle players sustaining 15 times more impacts than flag players. This research highlights the need for strategies to reduce head impacts and prevent concussions in youth sports.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Head impacts in American football are a significant concern for youth athletes.
- These impacts are associated with the risk of concussions and other brain injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and compare head impacts in youth tackle and flag football players.
- To inform strategies for reducing injury risk in young athletes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mouthguard sensors to record head impact data during a football season.
- Collected data from participants playing American tackle and flag football.
Main Results:
- Tackle football players experienced approximately 15 times more head impacts than flag football players.
- Tackle football players sustained 23 times more high-magnitude head impacts compared to flag football players.
Conclusions:
- Significant disparities in head impact exposure exist between tackle and flag football.
- Findings underscore the importance of developing protective measures to mitigate head impacts and prevent concussions in youth football.
