2 min read • January 04, 2023
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Fame, Fortune, Glory. These are the hallmarks of sports of passion and rigor. However, there is often a downside to most of these contact sports that the players have to bear, like injuries. Since head injuries are most common in contact sports, this article will discuss concussions: football vs soccer.
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jolts or shakes the brain inside the skull. This can cause the brain to collide with the inside of the skull and become injured.
Concussions can occur in any sport. However, they are most commonly associated with football and soccer due to the game's physical nature. They are most commonly caused by tackles and collisions that occur during gameplay. However, they can also occur during practices and other related activities.
This article will explore the similarities and differences between concussions in football and soccer, including the incidence, causes, management, and prevention of concussions in each sport. Here is a run-through of everything you need to know about football and soccer concussions, including their similarities and differences:
The NFL has acknowledged the impact that concussions have had on the lives of retired players. However, it has refused to accept responsibility. The National Football League (NFL) has admitted that concussions are an ongoing and severe threat to player health and safety and the league's financial and public image.
The NFL realized it was facing a public relations crisis and needed to act quickly to salvage its place in American sports. Between 2012 and 2019, an average of 242 players per year suffered concussions, according to the NFL’s Injury Database. Conservative estimates place the annual incidence of brain injuries among college athletes at around 10% and 20% in high school athletes.
The National Football League (NFL) has been actively working to reduce concussion rates and make football safer since 2011. The NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Committee developed the NFL Concussion Protocol as the first step. In light of the Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent concussion, the NFL has taken several other steps, including:
Reviewing and expanding the concussion protocol continuously
Implementing changes in contact rules for practice and drills and mandating teams to follow them
Implementing changes in contact rules for games and enforcing new rules that ban play strategies that can lead to concussions
Changing the kickoff rules to increase player safety by increasing the percentage of touchbacks on kickoffs
Improving helmet technology by collaborating with biomechanical engineers annually to determine the safest and most protective helmets.
Sharing information with the rest of the league on team injuries, player positions, and preseason drills
Working along with the National Football League Players' Association to have more on-field medical staff
Increasing research into effective methods for detecting, diagnosing, and treating concussions through collaboration with medical professionals, academic institutions, and other interested parties
Soccer has been ranked as one of the ten most difficult and dangerous sports, and rightly so. While soccer is not technically a "contact sport," there is enough contact that might cause injury, especially when the players wear spiked shoes that resemble weapons more than normal sneakers.
Given the sport's passionate nature, many players suffer impacts on their bodies, including their heads, which can lead to concussions. The most common cause of concussions is an impact on the head due to hitting something, which is often another player’s body, the soccer ball, or the ground.
Concussions account for between 22 and 25 percent of all injuries in the sport of soccer. FIFA, the international governing body for soccer, has developed a concussion protocol to manage concussions in soccer, although there have been violations. The FIFA concussion protocol includes the following steps:
Coaches, officials, and medical personnel are trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of a concussion
If a player is suspected of having a concussion, they are removed from the game or practice and assessed by a medical professional. This assessment may include a variety of tests, such as a physical examination, cognitive testing, and imaging studies.
If a player is diagnosed with a concussion, they should not return to play until they have fully recovered and been cleared by a medical professional. This may involve a period of rest and a gradual return to activity.
Players who have sustained a concussion should follow a graduated return-to-play protocol, which involves progressively more intense physical activities over several days or weeks. This protocol is designed to ensure that the player has fully recovered from the concussion and is safe to return to play.
Concussions can occur in any sport with a risk of head injury, including football and soccer. Both sports have unique characteristics that can contribute to the risk of concussion, hence this comparison.
Football and soccer have a similar nature, as they are both contact sports. Here are the similarities between concussions in football and soccer:
When it comes to detecting, diagnosing, and treating concussions, officials in both sports keep an eye out for comparable symptoms in athletes. Any player displaying or reporting these symptoms would be subject to the appropriate concussion protocols without delay. Here are the signs and symptoms of concussion in both sports:
Unconsciousness
Gross motor instability
Disorientation
Amnesia
Slurred speech
Fencing response and impact seizure
While the specific risks may vary, in both soccer and American football, players are at risk for concussions due to the physical nature of the sport. Head injuries can occur due to collisions with other players, the ball, or from falling to the ground.
Factors that may increase the risk of concussion include the level of play (professional vs. amateur), the position played, and the level of experience.
Both soccer and American football have concussion protocols in place to manage concussions and ensure the health and safety of players. These protocols typically involve identification, assessment, management, and a graduated return to play following a laid-out process.
Several strategies can be used to prevent concussions in soccer and American football. These strategies may include rules changes, improved equipment, and education about the risks and signs of concussions.
Concussions can occur in soccer and American football due to a blow to the head or body. However, there are some critical differences between concussions in these two sports:
Unlike in football, soccer players do not wear helmets or padding, which can increase the risk of concussion. However, the overall risk of concussion in soccer is lower due to the lower rates of contact and the lower forces involved in most impacts.
Concussions are more common in American football than in soccer. According to data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), concussions in American football are about five times higher than in soccer.
The causes of concussions in soccer and American football can vary. In soccer, concussions are most commonly caused by head-to-head contact, a player's head hitting the ground or another hard surface. In American football, concussions are often caused by contact with another player or the ground.
It can be challenging to say which sport is safer, as soccer and American football have unique risks. Regardless, factors such as the level of physical contact allowed in the sport, the protective equipment used by players, and the rules and regulations followed by players, coaches, and officials play a role.
In general, soccer is considered a relatively low-contact sport, as players are not allowed to use their hands to touch the ball and are only permitted to make contact with other players using their feet or other parts of their bodies while attempting to play the ball. This can make soccer safer than football which involves more physical contact.
Football, on the other hand, is a sport that involves a higher level of physical contact and collisions between players. This can increase the risk of injury, especially if players need to use proper tackling techniques or if they do not wear appropriate protective equipment. However, using protective equipment such as helmets, pads, and mouthguards can help reduce the risk of injury in football.
Like any other contact sport, the risk of concussions is inherent to various degrees. As such, the respective governing bodies of these sports are constantly taking proactive steps to reduce the incidences of concussion during practice and gameplay. Regardless, players, teams, and coaches have to ensure that they take necessary care and follow the necessary guidelines.
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