Majority of Americans Says Tackle Football is Unsafe for Young Kids

Model brain next to football and helmet
In partnership with the Washington Post, the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion surveyed 1,000 American adults on their attitudes about sports. This, the third release in a series, focuses on general attitudes about youth playing football.

KEY FINDINGS

  • Fifty-three percent of adults surveyed feel that tackle football is not a safe activity for kids before they are in high school; 41 percent it is safe before high school.
  • Despite their opposition to tackle football before high school, a 57 percent majority of Americans believe that high school football is a safe activity.
  • Among those polled who said that it is true that playing football causes brain injuries, 44 percent said it is okay for children 13 or younger to play football. Among those who did not agree that playing football causes brain injuries, 54 percent said it is okay for children age 13 and younger to play football.