Pop Warner

Limiting or eliminating contact practices in football would result in an 18% to 40% reduction in head impacts respectively over the course of a high school football season, reports a new study,  which urges policymakers to proceed with caution in imposing such limits.

Less contact during practice could mean a lot less exposure to head injuries among young football players and the kind of repetitive subconcussive blows that some researchers suggest can lead to long-term brain injury, and does not result in higher impact exposure during games, according to a new study.

The suggestion in a new study that the high rate of concussions suffered by youth football players during games was because contact was being limited during practice has generated a firestorm of criticism from concussion researchers and youth football organizations.

Pop Warner amended its football and spirit concussion safety rules effective September 30, 2010 to provide for the immediate removal of a player suspected of having suffered a head injury or concussion and no return to play without the approval of a licensed athletic trainer or medical professional who is not the parent/guardian of the player.