Ohio State study: 50% of Americans say tackle football is inappropriate for kids

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)-- Americans are divided on whether the county's most popular sport is appropriate for kids to play, according to a study by researchers at The Ohio State University.

The survey of nearly 4,000 adults found about 45% of Americans agreed that tackle football is appropriate for kids, while 50% disagreed when asked to rate on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) the statement: “Tackle football is an appropriate sport for kids to play.” The remaining five percent didn't know.

Researchers say they did not define "kid" for participants intentionally.

"We purposefully left that open," said study co-author Chris Knoester, professor of sociology at Ohio State.

"People might have different perceptions of what counts as a kid," Knoester added. "And some of the previous research that tracks participation actually finds that we've seen a particularly marked decrease in kids ages six to 12, playing tackle football, and also a previous public opinion results have been more in agreement that football is risky for kids under the age of 13."

A news release on the study by the university noted that the largest decrease in tackle football participation has been among children ages 6 to 12, who showed more than a 20% decline from 2008 to 2018.

Mariah Warner, the lead author of the study and doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State, said their results when broken down further showed the question also divided Americans by race and class.

Black Americans, men, heterosexuals, conservatives, and those with no more than a high school education were not as negative about tackle football for kids as were white Americans, the college-educated, and those who live in suburbs.

"There is a noticeable difference," Warner stated. "Wealthier folks of higher socioeconomic status, are less likely to think that tackle football is appropriate for kids. Whereas lower-class folks are more likely to think that it's okay. Part of the theorizing behind that-- football is a fairly inexpensive sport, especially in comparison to what we might call like country clubs, sports, like tennis or swimming, so it's more accessible."

You can watch the full interview with the researchers in the video player below.