Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Hendricks, Sharief
• Tucker, Ross
• Paul, Lara
• Owen, Cameron
• Badenhorst, Marelise
• Brown, James Craig
• Emery, Carolyn A
• Stokes, Keith A
• Jones, Ben

Titel

Applying diffusion innovation theory to evaluate the attributes of the new tackle law in rugby football codes

Ist Teil von

• British journal of sports medicine, 2024-05, Vol.58 (10), p.521-524

Ort / Verlag

England: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The implementation, scale-up and evaluation of new tackle laws across the globe and rugby codes come in the wake of concussion injury mechanism studies3 and tackle law trials in male rugby union.4–6 Considering that the height reduction is in its early stages of implementation and evaluation, it may be an opportune time to explore how the diffusion innovation theory framework applies and to share perspectives on how the above-perceived attributes may affect its likelihood of success. While we can provide a case for our perceptions, it is ultimately how the referees, players and coaches perceive the attributes of the tackle law that will determine its rate of adoption. [...]building on from Van Tonder et al (2024),7 future research should aim to gain referees’, players’ and coaches’ perspectives of the new tackle laws. Relative advantage From a concussion mechanism perspective, reducing the frequency of high-contact tackles may lead to reduced concussion and head rates, and this may be achieved, in part, by lowering the legal tackle height to compel bent, rather than upright, tacklers.3 A previous evaluation of a lower tackle height in community men’s rugby union supported this notion, showing how lowering the legal tackle height led to fewer upright tackles (however no change in concussion rates was observed).5 In rugby union, the argument for reducing the maximum height of a legal tackle to below the sternum may lead to positive match tackle behaviours which will result in lower concussion rates. Other changes in game play may also be observed.5 These lead indicators will also change over time as the innovation is adopted—for example, an initial increase in high tackle sanctions may be expected when the new law is introduced.