The doctors group recognizes it isn’t necessarily feasible. One official called it a gold standard to strive for. “We understand completely that is undoable in today’s environment, but we think that is a correct way to organize our priorities,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, chair of the academy’s sports neurology section. He said that if a certified athletic trainer is not available to a school, perhaps contact sports should be avoided.
The recommendation was part of broader guidance from the academy on sports concussions. The group also said no athlete with concussion symptoms should be allowed to take part in sports, and that athletes of all ages who are suspected of suffering concussions should be evaluated by a specialist before returning to sports.
As to the mechanism of injury, I would imagine that any support structure which locks the mandible or jaw to the skull, would also allow the powerful masseter muscle to come into play in stabilizing the skull. But that is a guess.
Aligning the jaw in relation to the bite is key in empowering these key muscles. A common tooth protecting guard can’t do this. http://www.mahercor.com has some new data on this