TY - JOUR PY - 2018// TI - Drill-specific head impacts in collegiate football practice: implications for reducing "friendly fire" exposure JO - Annals of biomedical engineering A1 - Asken, Breton M. A1 - Brooke, Zechariah S. A1 - Stevens, Taylor C. A1 - Silvestri, Paul G. A1 - Graham, Matthew J. A1 - Jaffee, Michael S. A1 - Clugston, James R. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - This study investigated drill-specific head impact biomechanics in a Division 1 collegiate football team using the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS). A total of 32,083 impacts were recorded across 2 years of practices. Precise tracking of instrumented athletes, head impacts, and drill participation allowed quantification of hits sustained per person per minute (H/P/M) for each specific drill. We found significant H/P/M variability between 14 drills and player position, ranging from 0.02 to 0.41 H/P/M for Linemen and 0.01 to 0.15 H/P/M for Non-Linemen. Impact magnitude data are also reported for practice term (Spring, Training Camp, In-Season) and dress-type (Helmets Only, Spyders, Shells, Full Pads). Recommendations for shortening high-risk drills, based on H/P/M drill impact frequencies, suggest possible "friendly fire" reductions of 1000 impacts for Linemen and 300 impacts for Non-Linemen over their collegiate career. Over 80% of potentially avoidable head impacts were attributable to just three drills-"Team Run," "Move the Field," and "Team." Recommending drill-specific modifications based on practical considerations (the drill's impact frequency, dress-types when performing the drill, and duration) could improve acceptance from coaches and efficiently reduce head impact exposure without drastically altering overall practice structure.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0090-6964 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10439-018-2088-5 ID - ref1 ER -