Professional football players who have suffered three or more concussions may experience reduced attention span, according to a study led by Fifpro (global players’ union) released on Thursday (22).
The research, part of the ongoing ten-year “Drake Football Study”, assessed the neurocognitive function of 68 female players.
Female players who reported at least three concussions performed “significantly worse” on attention-demanding tasks than those with fewer or no prior concussions, the researchers said. In football, these skills are linked to following the ball and opponents, maintaining positional awareness and reacting quickly in game situations.
Around 43% of the players interviewed suffered at least one concussion, with the incidence being higher among defenders, with 50% of them having one or more concussions.
“Overall, the study suggests that female football players do not experience widespread cognitive problems throughout their careers, but repeated concussions can have a significant impact on alertness,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, medical director at Fifpro.
He added that more research is needed to determine whether new health recommendations should be implemented.
The players performed within the normal range for the general population in 11 of the 12 cognitive domains, showing above-average performance in motor speed — how quickly the brain can send signals to the body —, which the researchers attributed to the neuromuscular demands of elite football.
No widespread cognitive impairment was identified during the players’ careers.
The results mirror those of a parallel analysis conducted on male professional players and published in 2024, which also found that repeated concussions were associated with reductions in simple and complex attention, but not other areas of cognitive function, Gouttebarge said.
“Women’s football has historically been underrepresented in sports concussion research, meaning this study contributes valuable, female-specific evidence,” added Gouttebarge.
Despite the absence of widespread deficits, he said the results reinforce the need for rigorous concussion management and return-to-play protocols, especially in cases of repeated head injuries.
The “Drake Football Study” was launched in 2019 in coordination with Fifpro and tracks the physical and mental health of 170 male and female football players from around the world during and after their careers.
