Comparison of Impact Data in Hockey, Football, and Soccer
Abstract
PURPOSE: To compare accelerational forces to the head in high school-level football, hockey, and soccer athletes. METHODS: Acceleration of impact was measured within the helmet of high school hockey and football players during actual game play. A triaxial accelerometer was placed at the vertex of the helmet immediately adjacent to the players head. Peak acceleration (in g's) was measured and the Gadd Severity Index and Head Injury Criterion score calculated during actual play periods in several games over four seasons. We also recorded acceleration of head impacts in high school-level soccer players who headed a soccer ball while equipped with a football helmet instrumented identically to the helmet used to record during football games. RESULTS: Peak accelerations inside the helmet for football averaged 29.2 g compared with 35 g for hockey (p = .004). There were no incidents of concussion or other traumatic brain injury during the recorded periods. In contrast, the peak accelerations associated with heading a soccer ball was 54.7 g (p = 2 x 10(-5) vs. hockey). CONCLUSION: Peak accelerations as measured at the surface of the head were 160 to 180% greater from heading a soccer ball than from routine (noninjurious) impacts during hockey or football, respectively. The effect of cumulative impacts at this level may lead to neurologic sequelae.
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Studies using accelerometers found linear accelerations as high as 54.7g in high school players heading a soccer ball kicked from a distance of 30 yards, more than the average peak accelerations of 29.2 or 35g that occur in football or ice hockey.
“Studies using accelerometers to measure the peak accelerations of the head during soccer heading found linear accelerations as high as 54.7g in high school players heading a soccer ball kicked from a distance of 30 yards, more than the average peak accelerations of 29.2 or 35g that occur in football or ice hockey [142].”
From The neuropathology of sport (2014) · cites this paper as [142]
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- Authors
- Naunheim, R. S., Standeven, J., Richter, C., & Lewis, L. M.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care
- Published
- 2000-05
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 938-941
- ISSN
- 0022-5282 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2057991894
- Cited by
- 215
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 5.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Traumatic Brain Injury Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Automotive and Human Injury Biomechanics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports injuries and prevention
- Keywords
- head impact acceleration, sports-related concussion, soccer heading, hockey, football, helmets, head injury criterion, peak acceleration, high school athletes, cumulative effects, traumatic brain injury
- MeSH terms
- Acceleration, Adolescent, Analysis of Variance, Biomechanical Phenomena, Football, Craniocerebral Trauma, Head Protective Devices, Hockey, Humans, Risk Factors, Soccer, Time Factors, Trauma Severity Indices, Likelihood Functions, Monitoring, Ambulatory, Head Movements
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