Two Sports, Two Systems, One Goal: A Comparative Study of Concussion Policies and Practices of the Australian Football League and Hockey Canada

Annette Greenhow,Alison Doherty

doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.672895

Annette Greenhow, Alison Doherty

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.672895

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Abstract

Concussion in sport is today regarded as both a public health issue and high profile injury concern in many contact and collision sports. This paper undertakes a comparative review of the current policies and practices of two high profile national sporting organisations of such sports—the Australian Football League (AFL) and Hockey Canada (HC)—in governing the issue as a regulatory concern. By examining the policies and practices of the AFL and HC, this study aims to identify common themes, divergent practices, and nuanced sport-specific approaches to develop understandings on the regulation and governance of this high profile sports injury. The paper aims to contribute to understanding concussion as a regulatory concern, while at the same time recognising the heterogeneity of sport and reinforcing nuanced understandings that align to specific social and cultural settings. We make recommendations based on regulatory and cultural legitimacy. The paper concludes that these NSOs are institutional actors with historical and cultural roots who assert regulatory legitimacy by steering and influencing behaviour and directing the regulatory agenda to manage and mitigate the harm associated with concussion.

Highlights

This paper examines the regulation of concussion in the context of sport governance
Our research question is what are the similarities, differences, and nuances in the way the Australian Football League (AFL) and Hockey Canada (HC), as institutional actors, govern through regulation to manage and minimise the harm associated with concussion?
The materials were read and examined for information that would help address the similarities, differences, and nuances in the way the AFL and HC, as institutional actors, govern through regulation to manage and minimise the harm associated with concussion

Summary

Introduction

This paper examines the regulation of concussion in the context of sport governance. The paper contributes to understanding the regulatory role of NSOs in responding to concussion as a concern within their sport, recognising the heterogeneity of sport, and nuanced understandings that align to specific social and cultural settings. In the context of this paper, our goal is to identify and compare the policies, regulations and guidelines as regulatory mechanisms employed by the NSO to achieve the objective of managing and mitigating concussion within the sport. Our research question is what are the similarities, differences, and nuances in the way the AFL and HC, as institutional actors, govern through regulation to manage and minimise the harm associated with concussion?

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