# Contact and collision sports

**Should we let our child play football and other contact sports?**

Whether your child plays sports with tackling or collisions, and at what age, such as football, hockey or soccer heading.

In short: Parents choose between 3 main approaches: None; Non-contact versions until high school; Full participation with good coaching. Evidence: experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh. Best settled: school age.

- Area: Safety, risk and independence
- Evidence: Experts disagree
- Best settled: School age
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/safety-risk-and-independence--contact-and-collision-sports

## Contact and collision sports: what are the options?

1. **None**: The child does not play sports with tackling or body contact.
2. **Non-contact versions until high school**: The child plays versions without tackling or checking until high school.
3. **Full participation with good coaching**: The child plays the full sport, with a coach who teaches safe technique.

## Contact and collision sports: what does the evidence say?

**Experts disagree.** Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh.

AAP declined to set a minimum tackling age; delaying bodychecking in hockey cut injuries by about half

Sources:

- [Healio](https://www.healio.com/news/pediatrics/20151025/aap-releases-policy-statement-on-tackling-injuries-in-youth-football)
- [CPS](https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/sport-related-concussion-and-bodychecking)

## What else is worth knowing?

Sports with tackling or body-checking carry a risk of concussion. Many leagues now delay contact until older ages. Families weigh that risk against what the child gets from the team and the sport.

## Questions to ask each other

- How do we feel about football, hockey or soccer heading for our child?
- At what age would we say yes?
- What would make us pull our child out?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=safety-risk-and-independence&topic=safety-risk-and-independence--contact-and-collision-sports