You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Concussions among college football players occur more often at practice and during preseason training than during games, according to a new study of concussion and head impact exposure frequency published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association for Neurology.
The study, which spanned five football seasons and analyzed 658 players, found that 72 percent of the nearly 50 diagnosed concussions occurred during practices. About 48 percent of concussions occurred during the preseason, though the period only made up about 20 percent of the total time researchers analyzed head injury occurrence, a brief report about the study said.
In a discussion section about the study, the authors wrote that “to date, NCAA policy changes have had a limited effect in reducing preseason concussion incidence.” The National Collegiate Athletic Association released new guidelines in 2014 to encourage institutions to protect athletes from concussions, including a suggestion to limit full-contact football practices. Some colleges and athletic conferences instituted the changes, but they were recommendations and not enforceable NCAA rules.
“Sport governing bodies, including the NCAA and major collegiate athletic conferences, are encouraged to explore policy and rule changes to further reduce concussion incidence and [head impact exposure], with a particular focus on preseason and regular season football practice guidelines,” the study authors wrote.
