TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Examining play counts and measurements of injury incidence in youth football
JO  - Journal of athletic training
A1  - Kerr, Zachary Y.
A1  - Yeargin, Susan W.
A1  - Djoko, Aristarque
A1  - Dalton, Sara L.
A1  - Niceley, Melissa M.
A1  - Dompier, Thomas P.
SP  - 955
EP  - 965
VL  - 52
IS  - 10
N2  - CONTEXT:   Whereas researchers have provided estimates for the number of head impacts sustained within a youth American football season, less is known about the number of plays across which such impact exposure occurs. <br><br>OBJECTIVE:   To estimate the number of plays in which youth football players participated during the 2013 season and to estimate injury incidence through play-based injury rates. <br><br>DESIGN:   Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTING:   Youth football. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:   Youth football players (N = 2098; age range, 5-15 years) from 105 teams in 12 recreational leagues across 6 states. INTERVENTION(S):   Athlete-play counts, athlete-exposures (AEs), and injury data from the 2013 season were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):   We calculated the average number of athlete-plays per season and per game using independent-samples t tests to compare age groups (5-10 years old versus 11-15 years old) and squad sizes (<20 versus ≥20 players); game injury rates per 1000 AE and per 10 000 athlete-plays; and injury rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to compare age groups. <br><br>RESULTS:   On average, youth football players played 333.9 ± 178.5 plays per season and 43.9 ± 24.0 plays per game. Age groups (5- to 10-year-olds versus 11- to 15-year-olds) did not differ in the average number of plays per season (335.8 versus 332.3, respectively; t2086.4 = 0.45, P =.65) and per game (44.1 versus 43.7, respectively; t2092.3 = 0.38, P =.71). However, players from smaller teams participated in more plays per season (373.7 versus 308.0; t1611.4 = 8.15, P <.001) and per game (47.7 versus 41.4; t1523.5 = 5.67, P <.001). Older players had a greater game injury rate than younger players when injury rates were calculated per 1000 AEs (23.03 versus 17.86/1000 AEs; IRR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.60) or per 10 000 athlete- plays (5.30 versus 4.18/10 000 athlete-plays; IRR = 1.27; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.57). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS:   A larger squad size was associated with a lower average number of plays per season and per game. Increasing youth football squad sizes may help reduce head-impact exposure for individual players. The AE-based injury rates yielded effect estimates similar to those of play-based injury rates.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1062-6050
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-52.7.06
ID  - ref1
ER  -