Female Soccer Players Suffer Concussions More Often Than Men, And Researchers Are Paying Attention

A head-to-head collision between U.S. soccer player Kelley O’Hara and her Dutch opponent Lieke Martens during Sunday’s World Cup had jaws dropping.

As the two players went to head the ball, they clashed into each other and dropped to the ground. Before the first half of the game was over, the players were back out on the field. Later on, O’Hara was taken back off over concerns about a concussion.

As media outlets, sub-threads, tweets and posts cataloged conversations about gender equality that were stirred by World Cup players, pediatric nurse practitioner Traci Snedden is hoping discussions about O’Hara’s injury will bring attention to concussions among girls and women soccer players.

In fact, high school and college-age girls and women who play soccer get concussions at a higher rate, and in some cases three times more likely, than their male counterparts, said Snedden, who is also an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Now, it appears researchers might be paying closer attention. Snedden is hopeful because significant dollars are being directed to female injury studies, most recently from the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which is pledging $100,000 to study long-term effects of head impacts in women’s soccer.

“I would say I’m actually feeling positive about what we’re seeing,” she said.

As of now, there’s no real indication about why women and girls see more concussions than boys and men.

It could be physiological, said Snedden, who recently wrote about concussions in an article published by USA Today. Neck structures and ligaments could differ based on gender. Hormones might play a role, and so could culture.

“Potentially … women and girls are more apt to report their concussions than maybe boys and men are,” she said.

The NCAA sets protocols for dealing with potential concussions. But there is less known about what goes on in youth soccer, such as who is diagnosing and supervising the players and keeping track of their recoveries. Another issue is whether these players are engaged in other sports at the same time.

This could be consequential not only because these players could be put back out on the field before they’re ready, but because it increases opportunities for players to get a second concussion soon after the first. That’s one of the greatest concerns and occurs most often with players ages 18 and younger, Snedden said.

Surprisingly, it’s not heading the ball that’s is the primary issue in soccer. More often, it’s related to falling back or hitting a shoulder or head of another player.

Having a parent or medical professional watching for those hits and youth soccer games is a step in the right direction, she said.

Concussions are evaluated by how it occurred, for example, the “substantial” hit between O’Hara and Martens. Signs and symptoms can sometimes offer glimpses into how injured a player is, but they sometimes don’t show up for hours or days. While some might try headgear to ward off concussions, Snedden said a study at UW-Madison of about 3,000 soccer players showed there was no association between wearing headgear and reduced instances of concussions.

“I think we still have a lot to learn on what can change concussion rate and risk,” she said.