FOOTBALL FATALITIES LOWEST IN 10 YEARS
INDIANAPOLIS,
IN (March
8, 2004) — The 2003 Annual Survey of
Football Injury Research indicated two direct fatalities in the 2003 high
school football season, the lowest number in 10 years and tied for the
third-lowest mark in the 74-year history of the survey.
The purpose
of the annual survey is to assist in reducing risks in the game of football.
Jerry Diehl, assistant director of the National Federation of State High School
Associations (NFHS) and staff liaison to the NFHS Football Rules Committee,
said with this annual report, rules committees are able to see injury trends,
and then use those trends as tools to promote changes in helping promote risk
minimization. Since 1980, the Annual Survey of Football Injury Research, as it
is known today, has been compiled by Frederick O. Mueller, Ph.D.,
In the
report, football fatalities are classified as either direct or indirect. Direct
fatalities are those which result directly from participation in the
fundamental skills of football. Indirect fatalities are those which were caused
by systemic failure as a result of exertion while participating in football
activity, or by a complication which was secondary to a non-fatal injury.
During the
2003 football season, there were four indirect fatalities at the high school
level, which is the lowest number of indirect deaths since there were two in
1994. Indirect fatalities are often heart-related or caused by heat stroke. All
four of the indirect fatalities in 2003 were heart-related. For the second
consecutive year, none of the indirect deaths were due to heat stroke.
Of the two
direct fatalities, one resulted from an injury to the brain and the other
involved an injury to an artery in the player’s neck. According to Diehl, brain
injuries often result from what is called, “Second-Impact Syndrome,” in which a
player can have an initial concussion, yet not show any symptoms. If that same
player were to receive a second concussion, the body would react differently.
It is this concussion that appears to precipitate brain damage, although the
real cause may have been from the original concussion.
Since a
1976 rules change that made initial contact with the head while blocking or
tackling illegal, direct fatalities in high school football have declined
dramatically. After a high of 26 direct deaths in 1968, the average number of
direct fatalities per year during the past 10 years has been four. Diehl said
this reduction is due, in part, to the annual data collection and
recommendations made in the report to help reduce the incidence of serious
injury.
In addition
to effective monitoring of athlete injuries, the 2003 report makes several more
suggestions for reducing head and neck injuries. Among the suggestions are
conditioning exercises to strengthen the neck, practice drills which emulate
proper execution of fundamental football skills – particularly blocking and
tackling – and assurance that all equipment is properly fitted.
NFHS MEDIA CONTACT: Bruce
Howard or