A recent international research study, “The Relationship between Neurocognitive Function and Concussion in Women Professional Football Players”, written by researchers in the Netherlands, South Africa, and Finland shared the results of a study of the impact of multiple concussions on International Federation of Professional Footballers, (FIFPRO) women football (soccer for those of us in the US) players.
The study evaluated 68 professional women footballers using cognitive tests that measured attention, reaction time, and memory. Players who reported three or more previous concussions performed significantly worse on attention-based tasks compared to those with fewer or no concussions. Attention is a critical skill in sport – and life – impacting an athlete’s ability to track the ball, read the field, and react quickly during play.
While most players still performed within normal ranges across overall cognitive domains, the findings suggest that repeated head impacts may affect specific brain functions, even when broader cognitive performance appears unaffected.
Key Findings
- Athletes with three or more concussions showed reduced attention performance compared to peers.
- Nearly half of the players reported at least one concussion, highlighting how common head injuries are in women’s football.
- Defenders experienced the highest exposure to concussions, likely due to frequent player-to-player contact during defensive play.
- Subtle cognitive changes may exist even when athletes feel they are “back to normal.”
Where EyeBOX Fits In
This study reinforces a simple but important message: repeated concussions can have real effects, even when symptoms are subtle. Combining awareness, prevention, and objective evaluation tools like EyeBOX helps support safer participation in women’s sports.EyeBOX provides an objective assessment that evaluates eye movements in under 4 minutes. EyeBOX helps clinicians identify potential concussion-related injuries earlier and make safer return-to-play decisions. As sports continue to evolve in 2026, objective tools like EyeBOX play a key role in protecting athletes from the cumulative effects of repeated head impacts.