Football: Limiting Tackles During Practice Knocks Down Concussions

Football is a hazardous game; tackling is the first thing that comes to mind when some people think of the popular sport, so it's not surprising that millions of football-related injuries are sustained annually.

However, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that coaches could reduce the number of concussions among players if they limited the amount of full-contact tackling during high school football practices.

"This study confirms what athletic trainers who work with high school football programs have long believed regarding the association of full contact drills or practices and the likelihood a player will sustain a concussion," senior scientist Dr. Timothy McGuine said in a statement. "This is probably also true for other football injuries such as sprains, fractures and dislocations."

For the study, researchers examined sports-related concussion rates among Wisconsin high school football players after the state's interscholastic athletic association mandated new limits on the amount and duration of full-contact activities during team practices. The rule, which first went into effect for the 2014 season, prohibits full contact during the first week of practice, limits full contact to 75 minutes per week during week 2, and caps it at 60 minutes thereafter. Full contact is defined as drills or game situations when full tackles are made at a competitive pace and players are taken to the ground.

They collected and analyzed data from more than 16,000 adolescent athletes from 103 high schools and sport venues across Wisconsin to serve as subjects for cross sectional, cohort and randomized control trials.

Findings show that the rate of sports-related concussions sustained during high school football practice was more than twice as high in the two seasons prior to the rule change as compared to the 2014 season, McGuine said.

"This study confirms what athletic trainers who work with high school football programs have long believed regarding the association of full contact drills or practices and the likelihood a player will sustain a concussion," he said. "This is probably also true for other football injuries such as sprains, fractures and dislocations."

The findings will be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, D.C.