AAOS: Header Ban Linked to Decrease in Soccer-Linked Concussions in Children
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 -- Introduction of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) header ban for athletes aged 10 years and younger in 2015 was associated with a reduction in the number of concussions as a percentage of all soccer-related injuries, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, held from March 10 to 14 in San Diego.
Georgia Rose Sullivan, from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to examine whether the USSF header ban policy affected soccer-related concussions. For all soccer-related emergency department visits between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2023, age, sex, and injury type were extracted. Concussions as a percentage of soccer-related injuries were assessed based on sex, age group, and year.
The researchers observed a decrease in the number of concussions as a percentage of all soccer-related injuries, from 8.2 percent in 2012 to 2015 to 6.1 percent in 2020 to 2023. There were decreases of 3.1, 1.7, and 0.5 percent in the concussion rate among those aged 14 to 17 years, 10 to 13 years, and 6 to 9 years, respectively. The concussion rates among 14- to 17-year-olds and 10- to 13-year-olds were higher than in 6- to 9-year-olds from 2012 to 2023 (8.9 and 6.6 percent, respectively, versus 4.9 percent). Girls were diagnosed with a greater proportion of concussions than boys despite a lower soccer-related injury rate overall (9.6 versus 6.2 percent).
"The USSF youth soccer header ban policy introduced in 2015 was associated with a 25.6 percent relative risk reduction to sustain a soccer-related concussion and present to the emergency department in 2020 to 2023 compared to 2012 to 2015," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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Posted March 2025
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