Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons
Objectives The tackle carries the highest risk of concussion in women’s rugby union. To reduce concussion risk, a lowered maximum tackle height (LTH) law, lowering the maximum legal tackle height from the shoulder to below the base of the sternum, was implemented across Scottish community rugby. Thi...
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| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2025-05-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/2/e002499.full |
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| author | Debbie Palmer Sharief Hendricks Ross Tucker Hannah Walton Neil Graham Lara Paul Isla J Shill Hamish Gornall Anthony P Turner |
| author_facet | Debbie Palmer Sharief Hendricks Ross Tucker Hannah Walton Neil Graham Lara Paul Isla J Shill Hamish Gornall Anthony P Turner |
| author_sort | Debbie Palmer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives The tackle carries the highest risk of concussion in women’s rugby union. To reduce concussion risk, a lowered maximum tackle height (LTH) law, lowering the maximum legal tackle height from the shoulder to below the base of the sternum, was implemented across Scottish community rugby. This study aimed to assess the effect of the LTH on player head-contact events, proximity (location nearest the head (~30 cm)) and concussion incidence in Scottish women’s community rugby.Methods A retrospective video analysis study, alongside prospective injury data collection, compared differences in game metrics, tackle characteristics and time-loss injury (including concussion) between the pre-LTH (2022/2023) and LTH (2023/2024) seasons.Results Head-to-head and head-to-shoulder proximity to the opponent for the tackler (head: rate ratio (RR):0.71 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.82), shoulder: RR:0.73 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.83)), and ball-carrier (head: RR:0.67 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.77), shoulder: RR:0.68 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.79)) were lower in the LTH season. Head contact to the opponent’s shoulder decreased for the tackler (RR: 0.65 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.91)) and ball-carrier (RR: 0.52 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.78)). Tackler body position was lower (upright: RR:0.79 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.83), bent at waist: RR:1.34 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.42)), reducing red-zone (above the base of the sternum) contacts (RR:0.81 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.85)). Although non-significant, tackler concussion rates dropped (IR: 2.83 to 0.52/1000 player match hours; RR: 0.18 (95% CI 0.004 to 1.52)), while ball-carrier concussion rates increased (IR: 1.89 to 4.70/1000 player match hours; RR: 2.49 (95%CI 0.69 to 11.06)).Conclusion Lowering the maximum tackle height to below the base of the sternum showed a reduction in red-zone contacts, head-to-head proximity and head-to-shoulder contact for the tackler and ball-carrier. There were no significant differences in concussion rates in the present study, and the limitations surrounding the small sample of injuries highlight the need for further research on the effect of injury prevention initiatives in women’s rugby. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-622a7fa571fd4d36a07c6a81586a93dd |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2055-7647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-622a7fa571fd4d36a07c6a81586a93dd2025-08-20T02:15:19ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472025-05-0111210.1136/bmjsem-2025-002499Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasonsDebbie Palmer0Sharief Hendricks1Ross Tucker2Hannah Walton3Neil Graham4Lara Paul5Isla J Shill6Hamish Gornall7Anthony P Turner8Edinburgh Sports Medicine Research Network & UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, Institute for Sport, PE and Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKCarnegie Applied Rugby Research (CARR) centre, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UKWorld Rugby Limited, Dublin, Ireland1NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UKScottish Rugby Union, Edinburgh, UK1 Division of Physiological Sciences and Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport Research Centre, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa1 Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaEdinburgh Sports Medicine Research Network, Institute for Sport, PE and Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh Moray House School of Education and Sport, Edinburgh, UKEdinburgh Sports Medicine Research Network, University of Edinburgh Institute for Sport Physical Education and Health Sciences, Edinburgh, UKObjectives The tackle carries the highest risk of concussion in women’s rugby union. To reduce concussion risk, a lowered maximum tackle height (LTH) law, lowering the maximum legal tackle height from the shoulder to below the base of the sternum, was implemented across Scottish community rugby. This study aimed to assess the effect of the LTH on player head-contact events, proximity (location nearest the head (~30 cm)) and concussion incidence in Scottish women’s community rugby.Methods A retrospective video analysis study, alongside prospective injury data collection, compared differences in game metrics, tackle characteristics and time-loss injury (including concussion) between the pre-LTH (2022/2023) and LTH (2023/2024) seasons.Results Head-to-head and head-to-shoulder proximity to the opponent for the tackler (head: rate ratio (RR):0.71 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.82), shoulder: RR:0.73 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.83)), and ball-carrier (head: RR:0.67 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.77), shoulder: RR:0.68 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.79)) were lower in the LTH season. Head contact to the opponent’s shoulder decreased for the tackler (RR: 0.65 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.91)) and ball-carrier (RR: 0.52 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.78)). Tackler body position was lower (upright: RR:0.79 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.83), bent at waist: RR:1.34 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.42)), reducing red-zone (above the base of the sternum) contacts (RR:0.81 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.85)). Although non-significant, tackler concussion rates dropped (IR: 2.83 to 0.52/1000 player match hours; RR: 0.18 (95% CI 0.004 to 1.52)), while ball-carrier concussion rates increased (IR: 1.89 to 4.70/1000 player match hours; RR: 2.49 (95%CI 0.69 to 11.06)).Conclusion Lowering the maximum tackle height to below the base of the sternum showed a reduction in red-zone contacts, head-to-head proximity and head-to-shoulder contact for the tackler and ball-carrier. There were no significant differences in concussion rates in the present study, and the limitations surrounding the small sample of injuries highlight the need for further research on the effect of injury prevention initiatives in women’s rugby.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/2/e002499.full |
| spellingShingle | Debbie Palmer Sharief Hendricks Ross Tucker Hannah Walton Neil Graham Lara Paul Isla J Shill Hamish Gornall Anthony P Turner Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| title | Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons |
| title_full | Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons |
| title_fullStr | Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons |
| title_short | Lowering the maximum legal tackle height in Scottish community women’s rugby: an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons |
| title_sort | lowering the maximum legal tackle height in scottish community women s rugby an injury surveillance and video analysis study across two seasons |
| url | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/2/e002499.full |
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