Combined with data showing that a substantially higher percentage of hits to the helmets of youth
players are to the side of the helmet - which the researchers attributed to a
differences in the styles of play between the different age groups,
as well
as the fact that youth
players have a tendancy to fall to the side when tackled - these factors may result in a youth
player being more susceptible to
impacting his head on the ground while being tackled than a high school or college
player, knowledge, they said, that could aid in the design of better youth - specific football helmets.