Research out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison revealed that limiting the amount of full-contact tackling a teen does in high school football practices can significantly reduce incidences of concussions.
For the study, researchers examined sports-related concussion rates among high school football players both before and after the state instituted a limit on the amount and duration of full-contact team practices. The changes went into effect prior to the 2014 season, and the updated guidelines:
- Prohibit contact during the first week of practice
- Limits full contact to 75 minutes during the second week
- Capped every additional week at 60 minutes of full contact
For the sake of clarity, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association defined full contact as “drills or game situations when full tackles are made at a competitive pace and players are taken to the ground.”
Concussion Findings
After examining the data, researchers discovered that the rate of football-related concussions sustained during practice was more than twice as high in the two seasons prior to the implementation of the new contact rules.
“This study confirms what athletic trainers in high-school football have long believed about the association of full-contact drills or practices and the likelihood of concussion,” said Tim McGuine, senior scientist in the department of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “This is probably also true for other football injuries such as sprains, fractures and dislocations.”
McGuine said the study involved more than 16,000 high school athletes from more than 100 high schools across the state, so he was confident in the significance of the results. He believes limiting full-contact practices across the nation could greatly reduce the number of high school athletes who suffer concussions every year.
“Educating high school coaches about limiting the amount of full contact would be an effective and economical way to help protect students from head injuries,” he concluded.