NFL wants to share research into concussion danger with football

The NFL is ready to meet with football’s governing bodies to share its best practice in protecting players from the risk of brain damage ahead of a meeting next week to discuss the potential introduction of concussion substitutes.

Research last month by the University of Glasgow revealed that former professional footballers are at a significantly increased risk of neurodegenerative disease and reported similar dementia levels to comparable past studies of NFL players. The NFL has responded by trying to minimise the risk of head impacts in American football with a wide range of rule changes and improvements to its concussion protocols. It also has a “concussion settlement” programme where claims totalling more than $700 million (£542million) have so far been approved for families of affected former players.

Football is prevaricating over the introduction of concussion substitutes – so that head injuries can be assessed off-field for at least 10 minutes – and is facing calls both to ban heading among its youngest players and to limit heading in training. Its rule-makers, the International Football Association Board, will discuss concussion substitutions next week and there is a growing hope they will be introduced in time for either Euro 2020 or next season.

Dr Allen Sills, the chief medical officer at the NFL, explained how matches are studied, resulting in a 29 per cent decrease last year in concussions. “There has been tremendous progress but by no means have we solved the problem,” Sills told The Daily Telegraph. “We are very eager to share what we have learnt and what we have been doing with other sporting leagues and codes around the world.”

Changes have included how the helmet is used during tackles, kickoff formations, restrictions on certain tackles and blocks, as well as training times. “We do not need to wait for studies or data to determine whether banging your head against something is a good idea,” Sills said. “The best treatment for any condition is prevention. The challenge is to figure how we can reduce the incidence of head contact and mitigate those forces wherever possible.”

Dr Willie Stewart, the author of the Glasgow study, said of the NFL’S progress: “They are doing a lot. The rules of the games are changing.”