Research In Action

As the excitement builds among young athletes, families, and fans ahead of a new football season, newly published research is informing the discussion about how to make the sport, so many love, a little safer.

Along with my role as co-director of the Minds Matter Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, I’ve talked previously in this blog about my work with the NFL Players Association and NFL Engineering Committee, a group of experts who study injuries in the NFL and suggest strategies such as protective equipment, rules and education to improve safety on the field at the highest level of football. Recently, we’ve published findings from a multi-year analysis of the use of Guardian Cap NXT equipment by professional football players. These soft, padded layers are added to the outside of hard-shell helmets and assist in reducing the acceleration when a head impact occurs.

Guardian Cap NXT Study Findings

This study is the first to compare concussion rates of professional football players who wore, and did not wear, Guardian Caps during preseason practices from 2018–2023. This time frame accounts for two years (2022 and 2023) where the NFL mandated players in certain position groups to wear the Guardian Cap NXT in practice, and three years (2018, 2019, 2021) where this was not the case.

Our analysis led to a key finding – a 53% decrease in preseason concussions when comparing the years of the mandate to the earlier three-year period. This discovery comes with an important note: not all of that decrease can be attributed to the use of Guardian Caps. There was a simultaneous reduction in concussions due to impacts not involving contact with the helmet shell (i.e., impacts to areas not covered by the Guardian Cap).

However, we do believe there is evidence that the use of Guardian Cap NXT may be beneficial in the overall effort to reduce the number of concussions in professional football.

We are aware that discussions of the Guardian Caps in the lay press and social media as the NFL season starts and studies like ours fuel questions that arise regarding equipment and safety on the football field. Parents, coaches, and athletes at the youth, high school and college level are understandably curious about whether what’s used in the pros should be used at all levels of the sport.

Proven Prevention Strategies for High School and College Football 

While further research may bring us definitive answers, it remains more important than ever that caregivers, coaches, and athletes at the youth level follow proven prevention strategies such as:

• Reducing the number and duration of practices involving contact drills, as well as considering how contact drills can minimize head contact
• Using well-fitted and well-maintained helmets that have received high ratings (we suggest using the Virginia Tech helmet lab ratings)
• Improving the technique of players to reduce the use of the head during play

Additional Resources

As a leader in pediatric concussion research and clinical care, Minds Matter continues to explore the science behind head impacts on the field of play for adolescent and teen football players. By continuing to support research at the professional level, we are confident that these findings will strengthen our knowledge and allow us to improve upon existing knowledge of head impacts in the sport of football, and provide even more guidance to young players to maximize their safety during practice and games.