By Lorenzo Reyes
NEW YORK — Reported concussions in the NFL have declined by 35% over a three-year period, according to the league’s 2015 Health and Safety report released Wednesday.
The report states that concussions in regular-season games dropped to 112 reported cases in 2014, down from 148 the previous year and 173 in 2012. Additionally, concussions resulting from helmet-to-helmet hits were down 43% to 52 reported cases after 72 occurred in 2013 and 91 in 2012.
“This is a significant change, and one for which there is reason to celebrate,” NFL senior vice president of health and safety policy Jeff Miller said Wednesday from the league’s headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. “But it’s not success from our perspective. There’s more to be done.”
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In an effort to gather increased data on the frequency of concussions, the NFL andNFL Players Association sponsored a study in an independent laboratory that assessed the performance of the most popular helmets worn by players in games. The study examined 17 different models from five manufacturers, which the league said represents “more than 99%” of the helmets worn in games.
More than 500 helmets were tested with repeated impacts designed to replicate average hits sustained on an NFL field. Each helmet was fitted to a crash-test dummy head, which was attached to flexible neck, reproducing head motions when subjected to those impacts. The helmets were then given a performance score and ranked to see which ones rated highest.
The NFL polled select franchises and determined that about “one-third” of players were using helmets in the lowest-performing group. The league said the helmet manufacturers were “fully engaged” in the process, and the NFL also shared the results of the study with the manufacturers.
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“Ultimately, (the manufacturers) are the ones that will take this information and figure out what they want to do with design,” said Jeff Crandall, who leads the NFL’s engineering subcommittee of the head, neck and spine committee.
Despite the new data being available, however, Crandall cautioned against the idea of making the highest-scoring helmet mandated across the league.
“This is a laboratory investigation,” he said. “It’s just one aspect of helmet safety. With helmets, it’s the fit, the comfort. There are many, many factors that go into the safety of the helmets. This is just one of the things that we think should be used in the decision.”
Finally, the league also implemented two rule changes that go into effect this season with the intent of augmenting player safety. First, an offensive player who is attempting to catch a ball that’s been intercepted will be ruled defenseless and cannot be hit in the head or neck area by the intercepting team as possession changes or a penalty will be enforced. Also, the league has given certified athletic trainers who are stationed in sky boxes at each game the authority to stop play with the touch of a button if they see a player who is exhibiting notable signs of injury, even if he was hurt in a previous play.
“This will happen between downs, so the ball will be placed at its spot,” NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said.
“The play clock, the game clock, everything will freeze. This is basically the first time we’ll be able to have an instant medical timeout to give a player the treatment that he needs.”
The NFL is also teaming with the Canadian Football League to improve treatment of concussions, an agreement announced Thursday.
During CFL training camp and regular-season games that began in June, team medical staffs have been using a remove-from-play sideline concussion screening test based on eye movement. It is being used in addition to the CFL’s established sideline concussion examination, and the NFL will contribute funding to help determine whether the tests improve the ability to diagnose concussions.
Called the K-D Test, it’s a two-minute exam. An athlete reads single-digit numbers displayed on cards or on a tablet to test eye movement. After suspected head trauma, the athlete is given the test and response time is compared to his preseason baseline time. This information, as well as a full medical evaluation, will help diagnose a concussion and subsequently remove a player from play, the leagues said.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/08/05/concussions-reduced-rule-changes-defenseless-injured-players/31189031/
