Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
DOI
10.26603/ijspt20180229
Publication Title
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
Volume
13
Issue
2
Pages
229-237
Abstract
Background: Many organizations have introduced frameworks to reduce the incidence of football related concussions through proper equipment fitting, coach education, and alteration of tackling technique.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training in a vertical, head up tackling style on the number of head accelerations experienced while tackling in a controlled laboratory situation. The authors hypothesized that training in a head up tackling technique would reduce the severity of head acceleration experienced by participants.
Design: Controlled Laboratory Study.
Methods: Twenty-four participants (11.5 ± 0.6 years old, 60.5 ± 2.2 in, 110 ± 18.4 lbs.) with previous playing experience completed a one-day training session on tackling technique utilizing a tackling dummy. A subgroup of these participants completed an additional two days of training with a 48 hour retention test. Head accelerations were analyzed at baseline and end of training. Feedback consisted of verbal feedback utilizing the Qualitative Youth Tackling Scale (QYTS) and video tackling playback.
Results: A significant reduction in the number of peak linear head accelerations over 10 g and peak rotational head accelerations over 1885 deg/s² were found in dummy tackling after training in both the one day and three day training regimens. A significant change in QYTS tackling form score was found between pretest and post-test (p=0.004). Participants with larger steps had a 2.28, 4.42 and 4.14 increased odds ratio of sustaining head accelerations over 10, 15 and 20 g respectively.
Conclusions: Training in a vertical, head up tackling style decreased the number of head accelerations over threshold values sustained while tackling; decreased step length may be the driving factor in the effectiveness of this tackling form.
Level of Evidence: Level 3b
ORCID
0000-0002-0101-0986 (Schussler)
Original Publication Citation
Schussler, E., Jagacinski, R. J., White, S. E., Chaudhari, A. M., Buford, J. A., & Onate, J. A. (2018). The effect of tackling training on head accelerations in youth American football. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 13(2), 229-237. https://doi.org/10.26603/ijspt20180229
Repository Citation
Schussler, Eric; Jagacinski, Richard J.; White, Susan E.; Chaudhari, Ajit M.; Buford, John A.; and Onate, James A., "The Effect of Tackling Training on Head Accelerations in Youth American Football" (2018). Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications. 90.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/pt_pubs/90
Included in
Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons, Exercise Physiology Commons, Nervous System Commons, Sports Sciences Commons
Comments
© 2018 International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, formerly North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.
"All articles publishing in the IJSPT will be published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) license. This license allows others to download the creative works and share them with others as long as they credit the authors and journal, but they can’t change the works in any way or use them commercially.
The IJSPT allows authors to deposit versions of their work in an institutional repository. Authors may deposit all versions of their manuscript, either the submitted version, accepted version (author accepted manuscript) and/or the published version (version of record) in an institutional or other repository of choice.
Authors are required to acknowledge submission and/or publication in IJSPT as part of their literature deposit."