The University of the National Football League: How Technology, Injury Surveillance, and Health Care Have Improved the Safety of America's Game

Abstract

American football has become one of the most popular sports in the United States. Despite the millions of players at all levels of competition who gain the physical, social, and psychological rewards that football provides, many interested stakeholders continue to ask, "Is football safe?" Although there are only approximately 1,700 players on National Football League (NFL) rosters, the injuries they sustain have garnered the most attention-and criticism-from the national media. Increased public awareness of the injury potential football possesses has led to an open debate and a major shift in public sentiment over the past 5 years. Although no sport is perfectly safe, the question is whether it can be made relatively safe and if the long-term consequences are worth the risk. This article reviews the methods by which one sports league-the NFL-has used advances in medical technology and injury surveillance to improve the health and safety of its players.

Game Schedules and Rate of Concussions in the National Football League

“…For example, starting in 2012, in each NFL game there is now an independent, certified athletic trainer, known as an “ATC spotter,” who monitors injuries from above the field and is granted the ability to request the team medical professionals to evaluate a player or to request the officials to stop the game if the player is suspected to have sustained a concussion. 21 As part of brain injury research effort, the NFL announced in 2013 its plan to invest $60 million to improve mTBI diagnosis. 36 To make the game of football safer, it is important that the NFL continue to strive for concussion management, including prevention and treatment strategies.…”

Epidemiology of Tibial Fractures in Professional American Football Athletes From 2013 to 2019

“…Conversely, as the study data are assessed using a centralized, mandated EHR data collection system with standardized reporting procedures (including structured reporter training for NFL medical staff, and quality reviews 11 ), the completeness and reliability of the injury data are high, particularly compared with publicly reported data. 21 , 24 Over the 6-year data collection period, the ascertainment of injuries and covariates was more accurately recorded in the latter part of the data collection period compared with the years before the EHR launch (2013-2014). Because of this, injuries in 2013 and 2014 were excluded from analyses around surgery and return to play, where these limitations are known; other differences in data collection may also exist over the full 6 years.…”

Five-Year Trends in Reported National Football League Injuries

“…7 The NFL has been striving to better understand injury causes and develop strategies to reduce injury rates through rule changes and educational campaigns. [8][9][10][11][12] The NFL annually reviews it policies and rules, and implements rule changes in an aim to increase player safety. Evaluating the effectiveness of these rule changes is critical to evaluate their utility and inform further injury prevention initiatives.…”