The NFL has temporarily suspended the use of helmet sensors used to get a better understanding of concussions. NYT has the full story below.
The league suspended the pilot program, which was voluntary, even as researchers around the country are continuing to collect data from the helmet sensors to scrutinize how often and how hard players are hit in the head.
Still, Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the N.F.L., said that members of the league’s head, neck and spine committee would “continue to review and analyze the research.”
The sensors relay information about the number and velocity of hits to helmets. That data can be used to determine whether a player might need to come out of a game or whether game rules should be changed.
Kevin Guskiewicz, an expert on brain trauma who was coordinating the research, said the committee collected data on about 11,000 impacts during the 2013 season but had difficulty determining the location and severity of the impacts. The committee, he said, wants more time to determine if there is a better system available.
The N.F.L. Players Association, he added, questioned whether the data would be kept private and not used against a player.