Category: Finance | Title: NFL Race Norming: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters | Tag: NFL Race Norming | Meta Description: NFL race norming adjusts cognitive test scores by race to assess concussion claims, affecting settlements and player eligibility...
What Is NFL Race Norming in Cognitive Testing?
NFL race norming is a method that adjusts baseline cognitive test scores by race before evaluating concussion-related impairment. In the NFL settlement fund, Black players historically had their test scores lowered by a statistical correction factor, while white and non-Black players were compared to a different reference group. This practice meant that Black players had to show a larger decline from their adjusted baseline to qualify for payouts. The NFL and the settlement administrator used these adjusted norms to determine eligibility for brain injury claims under the class action settlement. Critics argue the approach treats racial groups as monolithic and ignores individual variation, while defenders say it was intended to account for population-level differences in test averages. The NFL agreed to stop using race-norming after a 2021 lawsuit challenged the practice, and new evaluation protocols were introduced to remove racial adjustments from cognitive testing. Forbes reported on the legal challenge and the NFL's response.
Under the updated process, the NFL settlement now uses a race-neutral approach to compare a player's current test results with their own prior baseline, rather than adjusting for race. The change followed pressure from players, attorneys, and advocacy groups who argued that race-norming systematically disadvantaged Black retirees. The settlement fund also expanded eligibility criteria and increased transparency around how cognitive test scores are interpreted. The NFL and the claims administrator now state that race is not used as a factor in determining whether a player has suffered cognitive impairment. This shift reflects a broader trend in medicine and employment testing to move away from race-based adjustments and toward individualized assessment. The NFL's official settlement page outlines the updated evaluation rules.
How Race Norming Affected NFL Concussion Payouts and Eligibility
Impact on Settlement Claims and Payout Amounts
Race norming directly affected which NFL players qualified for payouts from the concussion settlement fund. Because Black players' baseline scores were statistically lowered, many had to demonstrate a more severe cognitive decline to meet the impairment threshold. This meant that some players who would have qualified under a race-neutral standard were denied payments. The practice also created uncertainty and delays in claims processing, as players and their attorneys had to navigate a system that factored race into the scoring formula. The total payout amounts available to individual players depended on the severity of cognitive impairment as measured by the adjusted tests. The NFL settlement fund has paid out billions of dollars to retired players, but the race-norming adjustment meant that the distribution of those funds was not equal across racial groups. SEC filings related to the settlement fund provide financial details.
Key Numbers and Eligibility Thresholds
Under the original race-normed system, a Black player might need to score several points lower on a cognitive test than a white player to demonstrate the same level of impairment. The exact adjustment varied by test battery and by the statistical model used by the settlement's medical evaluators. The NFL settlement fund did not publicly disclose the precise correction factors for each racial group, which made it difficult for players to understand how their scores were being interpreted. In 2021, a federal judge in Philadelphia approved a settlement revision that eliminated race-norming from the cognitive testing process. The revised framework uses a player's own prior test results and educational background as the primary baseline, rather than comparing them to a racial group average. The change applies to new claims and to players who appeal prior denials under the old methodology.