Safest Football Position Paper

In What is the Safest Sprint Starting Position for American Football Players?, a research article provided by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, authors Bonnechere, Beyer, Rooze, and Serge Van Sint, state that the four-point starting position leads to a higher risk of concussion or neck injury in American football players. They also deduce from their research that there is no influence on the learning process effect in varying individuals (i.e. football players and non-players). Bonnechere et al. support their claims through the observation of biomechanics. Data was gathered from twenty-five healthy young men, twelve of whom were football players. The other thirteen participants were non-players. Using some type of stereophotogrammetric system, motions and position parameters were recorded (Bonnechere, Beyer, Rooze, Serge Van Sint, 2014). Each of the men demonstrated the three different starting positions: two-point, three-point, and four-point position (Bonnechere et al., 2014). Trials were conducted three times to obtain accurate results. The data concluded that the four-point position had the most damaging potential due to the lack of visual capacity from the increased disability to reposition the head. Therefore, the greater the field of view (FOV), the less risk for …show more content…
As I do not have much experience with football, my initial reaction was a feeling of indifference. Now however, I agree with the claims made by the authors of this article. With all of the evidence, it is safe to say that athletes in the four-point position are the most susceptible to neck injuries and concussions. Individuals who are not familiar with football-associated injuries can easily develop a bias from reading this article. To put my newfound bias to use, I would strongly encourage players to avoid putting themselves in the four-point