Exposure to injury in major college football

Abstract

Five football teams from major colleges in the nation were surveyed during practices and games in the 1976 season. Data were collected on three packages of information designed as a computer program for tabulation, analysis, and storage of data. Investigators, with a thorough knowledge of football and trained in the use of the program, obtained the data from a given team during every drill, practice, and game of the season. Injury exposure rate was calculated as a ratio of injuries to minutes of exposure in 14 categories (12 specific drills, practice games, and other activities). Agility drills produced the fewest number of injuries for the amount of exposure time (exposure rate, 47,138; risk ractor, 1) and, therefore, it served as a base from which risk factors for all other categories would be calculated. No injuries were recorded in calisthenics. Practice games had the lowest injury exposure rate (1,009) and the highest risk factor (47). Analysis of data is incomplete at this time. The ultimate intent of the study is to help identify and eliminate harmful factors, establish norms, and provide a ser vice to other schools that may desire exposure rate/risk factor data analyzed at a reasonable cost.