An NFL-backed youth football safety program does not reduce injuries the way organizers claimed in online materials and even Congressional testimony, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The Heads Up Football program offers in-person and online classes teaching proper tackling techniques and safety procedures for games and practice. Promotional materials claim that an independent study has shown that the program reduced injuries by 76 percent and concussions by 30 percent.
However, The New York Times found that the study by Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention, which was published in July 2015, found "no demonstrable effect on concussions during the study, and significantly less effect on injuries over all."
Heads Up has received millions of dollars from the NFL and is overseen by USA Football, youth football's governing body. Sharp decreases in youth football participation, mostly due to parents' safety concerns, have spurred the organization to explore ways to make the sport safer.
Representatives of the NFL and USA Football told the newspaper that they were unaware that the final study did not support Heads Up Football's claims. They said that they had used preliminary information from the study and would update their information.