The American Academy of Pediatrics Tackles Youth Football Injuries

With football remaining one of the mo​st popular sports for children and teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is issuing new recommendations to improve the safety of all players while on the field. In a policy statement announced at its National Conference & Exhibition taking place in Washington DC., the AAP recommends:

• Officials and coaches must enforce the rules of proper tackling, including zero tolerance for illegal, head-first hits;
• Players must decide whether the benefits of playing outweigh the risks of possible injury;
• Non-tackling leagues should be expanded so athletes can choose to participate without the injury risks associated with tackling;
• Skilled athletic trainers should be available on the sidelines, as evidence shows they can reduce the number of injuries for players.

Delaying the introduction of tackling until a certain age may reduce the risk of injury for ages when tackling is prohibited, but this could lead to even higher rates of injury when tackling is later introduced if players have their first tackling experiences when they are older, stronger and bigger, according to the AAP.

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Cardinals coach Bruce Arians defends game of football

“It’s the greatest game in the world; I think it teaches more values than any other game that you play. “Toughness, get up and fight."

"There are more concussions in women’s soccer in youth sports than in football, and said no one is calling for the end of women’s soccer... The coach’s main point is that football is not the only sport in which a child can get hurt, yet it seems to be the one in everyone’s crosshairs."

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