How does the situation before a tackle influence a tackler’s head placement in rugby union?: application of the decision tree analysis

Abstract

ObjectivesTacklers need to decide where to place their head based on the evasive manoeuvres of the ball-carrier and positional relationship with the ball-carrier before tackle. Therefore, it is difficult for tacklers to improve incorrect head placement at the moment of contact. Moreover, the characteristics prior to tackle have a relationship with the tackler’s head placement. However, how situations lead to incorrect head placement remains unknown. The aim of this study was to identify pre-contact situations that lead to incorrect head placement by using decision tree analysis.MethodsTackles leading to concussions were used to identify events that provoked injury using the video recordings of matches. Injury-free tackle was used as a control. All tackles were classified according to head placements and coded from seven pre-contact factors configured aspect of both tacklers and ball-carriers.ResultsThree situations that led to incorrect head placement were identified. Evasive manoeuvres implemented by the ball-carrier significantly contributed to the head placement at the time of contact.ConclusionOur findings suggest that tacklers should keep their heads up to identify the movements of the ball-carrier, which might lead to tackling the head on the correct side at the moment of tackling and decrease the risk of tackler-related concussions.

Reasons for the Reporting Behavior of Japanese Collegiate Rugby Union Players Regarding Suspected Concussion Symptoms: A Propensity Analysis

“…However, the fact that approximately 30% of players do not report symptoms and almost all players have experienced concussion symptoms at least once is a serious issue for player welfare. We believe that developing rugby-specific educational awareness programs that include technical interventions, such as the importance of approaches to prevent tackling with inappropriate head placement, which is a frequent cause of concussion [37], will be necessary to solve the problem.…”