SEATTLE (AP) — The NFL says concussions decreased by 13 percent overall during the 2013 season from the previous year, and the number of concussions coming from helmet-to-helmet contact was down 23 percent.

Those are the findings of the NFL’s Health and Safety committee, which released its report to The Associated Press on Wednesday. Those numbers are notable considering concussions were a particular focus for the league during the 2013 season, which included independent neurologists on the sidelines and unaffiliated athletic trainers watching for injuries from the press box.

Jeff Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety, says those numbers are a strong indicator players are understanding the rule changes the league has made to try to lessen head injuries. He cautions it’s just one year and the numbers may rise in the future, but the goal is steady, long-term decline in concussions.