Why some footballers are wearing unusual collar around their necks during matches

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Football has been around for over 150 years and a lot has changed about the beautiful game throughout its history. One thing that has largely remained the same, though, is the uniforms that players don when taking part. Sure, there have been a few minor changes here and there, but whether it's the Premier League, Champions League or your local Sunday league, football kits are the same for everyone.

Players wear shirts -- usually short-sleeved, sometimes long -- shorts, long socks and football boots. Occasionally, goalkeepers wear hats to keep the sun out of their eyes and they have been known to don long trousers as opposed to shorts, but that is rare. All in all, kits have stayed the same throughout football history.

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Recently, though, fans have spotted some footballers wearing unusual collars during games and there's a good reason for the change to their kits.

Q-Collars Have Been Worn to Try Prevent Concussions They were seen in the 2023 Women's World Cup

Eagle-eyed football fans noticed that some players, particularly in the women's game, have been wearing unusual collars during matches. These are Q-Collars. The Q-Collar is a non-invasive device, designed to be worn around the neck of athletes aged 13 and over during sporting activities.

Its main purpose is to help prevent brain injuries to athletes when they sustain impact to the head. According to Dr. David Smith, the medical professional who designed the device, the Q-Collar offers "mild compression against the jugular veins, which causes a very small backfilling into the cranial space."

This ensures that blood will build up and then that blood will act as a cushion, which prevents the excessive brain movement within the skull that has been known to cause injuries such as concussions. The device was designed by Smith and cleared for sale as a medical device in 2021 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which conducted research studies on the Q-Collar and found that the data suggested using the device would help protect the brain from major injuries and trauma, saying that the research "indicated protection of the brain associated with device use."

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Any athlete who sustains a concussion is 4-6 times more likely to sustain another

The device has been worn in other sports such as American football and hockey, but it was brought to attention during the Women's World Cup and there was a good reason for that.

Research Shows Women Are More In Danger of Concussions They are more at risk of high trauma brain injuries

High-profile men such as Drue Tranquill, Tony Pollard, Dalton Schultz, Shaq Thompson, Taylor Rapp, Boston Scott and Colby Parkinson have won Q-Collars during NFL games in the past. It has been used in both men's and women's football. Canada's Quinn and Costa Rica's Rocky Rodriguez were just two of the stars to wear it during the Women's World Cup in 2023.

There's a reason for this, though. According to research, studies have shown that athletes who compete in contact sports are at a higher risk of traumatic brain injuries. A further study, conducted by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that the risk of cognitive impairment increased with frequently heading the ball, having assessed more than 450 retired men's football players in the UK.

Furthermore, the Daily Mail has revealed that women are twice as likely as men to experience a concussion, with the effects said to also be worse for women and they recovery period longer. This stretches across all sports. As a result, the Q-Collar was brought in to see if it helped prevent such injuries or at least lower the damage and frequency in which they occur. Not everyone is a believer in the device, however.

There Has Been Debate Over the Q-Collar's Effectiveness Some medical professionals aren't convinced

While many have spoke glowingly about the Q-Collar, some medical professionals aren't convinced Smith's design will help prevent concussions. They actually think that wearing it could lead to athletes taking risks with their bodies that they normally wouldn't, leading to potential injuries. James Smoliga, a professor of physiology at High Point University in North Carolina, was quoted by the New York Times saying:

"The danger with a device like this is that people will feel more protected and play differently and behave differently."

The FDA, however, declared that it found that no "significant adverse events were associated with device use", and that "the probable benefits outweigh the probable risks."

Concussion awareness has risen astronomically in recent years, with former WWE superstar, and Harvard graduate, Christopher Nowinski bringing attention to issues related to brain injuries after his in-ring career was ended prematurely due to one. After conducting extensive research into concussions within American football, Nowinski co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation and more work is being done to prevent brain injuries than ever before. With all footballers being free to wear the Q-Collar should they wish to going forwards, there's a chance the device will pop up more and more in the future.

Statistics courtesy of Daily Mail, JAMA & Cognitive FX and accurate as of 14/06/2025