TIME
Football Concussion Rates Plummet After One Simple Rule
Change, Study Shows
Concussions plunged in Ivy League football after the kickoff line was moved to
thwart what might be the game's most dangerous play, according to a study
published Monday.
‘The aim of the S-yard move was to have more kickoffs land in the end zone and
reduce returns. That play is one of the only times “where players on both teams
have the space to get up to full speed” rushing at each other and potentially
risking a head-on tackle, said University of Pennsylvania researcher Douglas
‘Wiebe, the lead author.
‘The 2016 change came at the recommendation of league coaches after data
from the previous year showed kickoffs accounted for 6 percent of all plays but
21 percent of concussions, With NCAA approval, they moved the kickoff line
from the 35-yard line to the 40. The touchback line was also moved, from the
25-yard line to the 20.
‘The NCAA approved the changes on an experimental basis for the eight private
universities in the Ivy League. Other NCAA teams have kickoffs at the 35.
‘The researchers compared the two seasons since the change with the previous
three years. They found the average concussion rate per 1,000 kickoffs
plummeted from almost 11 to just 2.
‘Touchbacks increased to nearly 50 percent from almost 18 percent during the
previous three years.
Concussion rates for other types of play were lower than those for kickoffs,
throughout the study years and only declined slightly after the rule change.
‘The research appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It
‘was paid for by the Ivy League and Big Ten.
“Iv's very promising that we're able to see an effect like that,” said Zachary
Kerr, a researcher in the University of North Carolina's exercise and sport
science department. Kerr, who was not involved in the study, said the NCAA.
should take the results seriously as it considers policy changes to reduce
While the Ivy League has been especially aggressive about modifying its
playing and practice rules, all levels of football — from Pee Wee to professional— have taken steps to decrease the frequency of kickoff returns. The risks of
the play, which creates high speed crashes, are common knowledge.
Dartmouth College Coach Buddy Teevens eliminated players tackling each
other at most of his team’s practices — even before the Ivy League passed a
league-wide rule about it. He also invented a robotic dummy that is used in
tackling drills
‘Teevens said the decision to push up the kickoff line was made collaboratively
among the Ivy League’s coaches.
“Our thing for our game at our level has been productive,” he said. “I'm happy
+o see the results and share them with the country and certainly the NCAA and
maybe other people follow suit.”
‘The NCAA implemented a new rule this season at all levels of college football
that allows players to cal for a fair catch on kickoffs that come down short of
the end zone but inside the 25
advanced and a ball carrier is not tackled. The result of the play is the
equivalent of a touchback, where the ball is placed at the 25. The Ivy League
uses the fair catch rule, along with kicking off from the 40,
ard line. A fair catch means the kick cannot be
Boston University concussion expert Dr. Robert Cantu, who was not involved in
the research, considers the return “the most dangerous play in football." He
noted that after data showed NFL concussions overall increased slightly last
season, the league's rules committee considered eliminating the kickoff return,
but decided not to.
“The Ivy League is really leading the charge into bringing about rule changes to
make football safer,” Cantu said.
In 2011, the NFL moved the kickoff line to the 35-yard line from the 30, but a
published analysis concluded that overall kickoff play injuries dropped but not
head injuries,
While the Ivy League's rule was an experiment, the study results likely will
solidify it as formal policy, Wiebe said.
“It's a real public health success story,” he said.
AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.