What is 'fencing posture?' Explaining concussion-related response position shown by Tua Tagovailoa after head injury

A concussion is defined as a "mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function." The person can lose consciousness, but that doesn't happen in all concussions. Any time you are dealing with an injury to the brain, it can be severe and have long-lasting effects.

Football is a high-contact sport, so concussions are common. It is a highly discussed topic when making changes to make the game safer for current players and their future. Even with these efforts, concussions can still happen.

In Thursday night's game between the Bills and the Dolphins, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took a hit that caused him to stay on the ground. His fingers curled as he lay on the ground, and it was evident that he had likely just suffered another concussion. Tagovailoa eventually got off the field under his own power and was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a confirmed concussion.

MORE: How long is Tua Tagovailoa out? | Tua Tagovailoa concussion history

What is the fencing response?

The fencing response is "an unnatural position of the arms following a concussion." Essentially, right after a concussion, the person will be on their back with their arms stiffly jutting out at uncommon angles. It's an involuntary position that resembles the standing position in fencing , with one arm bent toward the body and the other stretched out.

In the figure above, "A" represents the blow to the head, with "B" showing the person falling backward. "C" shows the person lying on the ground, but with their arms in the signature fencing position.

Dr. Brian Sutterer describes the 'fencing response" as "the muscles contracting — not because he's volitionally doing it but because there's enough brain trauma that it's activating those neural pathways, activating those circuits abnormally to cause [a] contraction, [a] seizure-like response."

MORE: 5 best Dolphins QB options | Dolphins QB depth chart | Tua Tagovailoa contract details

Concussions that result in a fencing position are considered to be more severe. In Tagovailoa's case, this is the third official concussion in his career, calling into question whether or not he will need to medically retire. Tagovailoa also elicited a fencing response in one of his previous concussions.

Tua Tagovailoa's Concussion History

Tagovailoa had many injuries in college, including multiple ankle injuries and a bad hip injury. He never had a documented concussion, but the general thought is that it feels like it just wasn't ever officially diagnosed.

Week 4, 2022

Tagovailoa's first diagnosed concussion came in Week 4 of 2022 against the Bengals (see above), just a week after what many thought was a concussion against the Bills. He stayed down on the field, had the fencing response and was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher. It was later ruled a Grade 1 concussion, which is the least severe.

Week 16, 2022

Tagovailoa missed only about a month of action before returning to the field. Unfortunately, he suffered another concussion in Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers. This one was ruled a Grade 3 concussion, which is the most severe.

Week 2, 2024

It took trainers six minutes to rule out Tagovailoa for the remainder of Thursday night's game. We don't know yet how severe this concussion is, and more information will likely be coming out in the next week or so.