Concussion programs in soccer: RE-AIM framework evaluation

Despite the expanding range of concussion-prevention initiatives in soccer, a fundamental challenge remains unresolved. Programs differ considerably in their structure, delivery formats, intended audiences, and outcome metrics, making meaningful comparison difficult and limiting insight into their effectiveness in real-world settings. Moreover, the majority of existing research places minimal emphasis on implementation-related considerations, including organizational uptake, intervention fidelity, feasibility, and long-term sustainability [7,22,28]. Important contextual factors—such as sex-specific considerations, variations across settings, particularly in resource-constrained environments, and broader system-level determinants—also remain insufficiently explored [14,21,27]. As a result, practitioners, policymakers, and sporting organizations lack a cohesive understanding of which concussion-prevention strategies are not only efficacious but also practical, scalable, and sustainable across diverse soccer contexts. This evidence gap is particularly consequential because successful translation of concussion-prevention research into routine practice depends on evaluating both intervention outcomes and the processes that support implementation. Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive mapping of the literature to identify existing program types, examine how they are implemented, and delineate areas where empirical evidence is sparse or absent [15,29]. A scoping review is well suited to this purpose, as it allows for broad inclusion of study designs and outcome measures while capturing the full scope of available evidence.