Why the study?
The study was conducted to determine the magnitude and frequency of head impacts in NCAA Division III soccer athletes based on player position and type of play.
Do head impact characteristics differ based on player position and type of play in collegiate soccer athletes?
Do head impact characteristics differ based on player position and type of play in collegiate soccer athletes?
Defenders in collegiate soccer sustain the highest frequency of head impacts, suggesting preventative initiatives should target back row players.
Defender position associated with highest head impact rates in collegiate soccer; leaves open need for prospective prevention trials.
The study objective was to determine the magnitude and frequency of head impacts in NCAA Division III soccer athletes based on player position and type of play (offense, defense, transition). Across player position, male and female soccer defenders sustained the most head impacts (males IR = 18.89, 95% CI = 16.89–20.89; females IR = 8.45, 95% CI = 7.25–9.64; IRR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.87–2.67). The study revealed a nonstatistically significant interaction between sex, player position, and type of play for both linear ( p = .42) and rotational accelerations ( p = .16). Defenders sustained the majority of the head impacts in the study sample, suggesting preventative initiatives should be focused on back row players.
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Nelson et al. (2020) studied this question.
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