Because football is a contact sport, many players can suffer injuries when they’re tackled in an intense manner. Although football helmets help athletes avoid most injury situations, concussions and other head conditions could still occur if a player is hit a certain way. When these tackles happen on the football field, neuroscience experts implement medical procedures so athletes get back on the field and win games.
Mid-Field Catch Tackles
Mid-field tackles that happen in the air cause different injuries because many things can influence how and where a player will land on the field. For example, if a quarterback throws a ball over various defensive players, a wide receiver may hit the ground in a dramatic way while trying to make the catch over the crowd. Depending on a defensive player’s tackle velocity upon impact, a wide receiver may rotate in the air before landing on the grass or turf. If a player hits his head upon landing, a head injury could occur.
Quarterback Sacks
Quarterbacks sacks can cause mild and major head injuries on the football field, which is why the industry now has new helmets for quarterbacks who are sacked often. When a quarterback is hit while focusing on the wide receivers, the intensity of the collision could move the player’s neck, and the velocity of the impact may cause a head injury. If a quarterback hits the ground after a sack occurs, the bouncing motion could cause a concussion.
Surprise Tackles
Tackles that happen without notice can easily injury a football player on the field. The big issue is that a player doesn’t have time to prepare for a surprise hit, which is why the neck usually bends upon impact. If a hit moves a player’s neck intensely, a head injury may occur during the tackling process.
Doctors who treat head injuries that affect football athletes constantly study new developments in order to help teams following injury situations. Most experts are able to treat different injuries effectively by studying the latest neuroscience resource information.