Pop Warner youth football programs have issued new rules to restrict the amount of contact players can have during practice in an attempt to limit head injuries to young players.
Recent research from Virginia Tech led to this change as the organization – which has more than 250,000 children ages 5 to 15 in its leagues – tries to limit concussions.
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The study headed by Stefan Duma placed sensors in the helmets of seven youth football players aged 6-8 years during their 2011 season. He found that 95% of impacts were between 15-20 g’s, what he likened to an “aggressive pillow fight.” But the other 5% were 50-100 g’s, what he said was force like a “car accident,” and the majority of these hits took place during practice.
Research has shown that damage from concussions can be cumulative, so Pop Warner is trying to lessen the number of impacts by reducing incidents in practice.
Read the news story in the NY Times.