An Update on Football Deaths and Catastrophic Injuries.

In brief: The latest data on football deaths and injuries at the college, high school, and youth league levels show that seven direct fatalities and seven permanent cervical cord injuries occurred in 1985, for an incidence in each category of 0.44 per 100,000 players. Direct fatalities have been in single digits for eight years, and the total for the 1975 to 1984 period was significantly lower than for the preceding decade (83 vs 204). Overall, the latest figures indicate a continued decline in football deaths and catastrophic injuries, which is credited to a ban on spearing and to a helmet standard, Guidelines for prevention of fatalities and catastrophic injuries are listed.