A new National Athletic Trainers’ Association study indicates that high school football players experience greater head accelerations after impact than college student-athletes.

The findings were reported in the article “Head Impacts During High School Football,” which was published in the July issue of the Journal of Athletic Training, the NATA’s scientific publication.

The study noted that the greater impacts can lead to concussions and serious cervical spine injuries. The authors  strongly emphasized the importance of using proper tackling technique to reduce the risk of severe head and neck injuries.

Notably, the report found that the average change in speed of a high-school player’s head after impact was higher than that experienced by collegiate players in all instances, including scrimmages, practices and games.

There also was a difference in the distribution and magnitude of impacts across different areas of the helmets of high school and college football student-athletes. Collegiate players sustained blows to the front of the helmet 10 percent less frequently and with less force than high school players. Top and back of the helmet impacts occurred more frequently among college student-athletes, but with less force.

In addition, the study found that impacts to the top of the helmet of high school football players yielded the greatest force.

“The increased impact intensity to the top and back of the helmet likely elevates the risk of concussion and severe cervical injury,” said Steven P. Broglio, an athletic trainer at Illinois and co-author of the study. “This finding highlights the need for coaching proper tackling techniques, such that the athlete keeps his head up and avoids contact with the top of the helmet.”

The report attributes the differences between high school and college athletes to increased physical maturation and associated neck strength in collegiate athletes.

High school students represent the single largest population of football players in the nation and account for most sport-related concussions. In a given year, 4 to 6 percent (or an estimated 43,200 to 67,200) of high school football players sustain concussions. However, the report noted that the true incident rate could be higher based on some research that indicates that more than half may not report their injuries to appropriate medical personnel.

“The number of injuries occurring during high school football, where the disparity in medical coverage is the greatest, drives the need for a better understanding of head impacts among younger athletes,” Broglio said.