Concussions were slightly down in the NFL this season, according to injury data the league released Thursday, but still 18 percent higher than just two seasons ago.

Players suffered a total of 244 concussions this season, down 11 percent from a year ago (275) but still higher than the reported numbers from 2014 (206) and 2013 (229). League officials attribute that difference to awareness and the increased likelihood that players will self-report the injury.

The number of concussions experienced in regular-season games fell nearly 9 percent, from 183 in 2015 to 167 this season. League officials were especially pleased to see only 71 reported concussions in the preseason, a five-year low for the NFL.

Before the 2015 preseason, league health and safety officials made a push with teams to better monitor head injuries and educate players during training camp.

“Those discussions led to a significant decrease — over 30 percent — between 2014 and 2015 and that number has stabilized in 2016, with a decrease of 3 percent,” said Dr. John York, co-owner of the San Francisco 49ers and chair of the NFL Owners’ Health and Safety Advisory Committee. “So we’re happy with those results. (They) show that clubs do listen and are very interested in the number of concussions with their players, and we can have an effect on the culture in the National Football League.”

The league did say Wednesday that concussion protocol was not strictly followed when Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore was treated for a hit to the chin and mouth in a first-round playoff game

Moore, a former Oregon State standout, was bleeding from the mouth and allowed to return to the game too quickly at Pittsburgh, the league said in a statement. The determination was made after the NFL and the NFL Players Association reviewed the case.

Bleeding from the mouth requires evaluation in the locker room under the protocol, the league said. Moore was evaluated on the sideline and returned to the game four minutes after the hit.

No disciplinary action against the Dolphins will be taken but their staff must undergo a full review of the protocol, and future deviation may lead to fines against the team, the NFL said. There is no indication that competitive issues had an impact on the care Moore received, nor did he demonstrate any concussion symptoms during or following the game, the league said.

Moore missed only one play in Miami’s 30-12 loss. Following the game, Moore said he felt fine when he returned to the field.

The NFL determined the Dolphins’ doctor took appropriate steps to promptly and fully involve an unaffiliated neuro-trauma consultant in the evaluation of Moore, and they jointly cleared him to return to the game. But they failed to recognize that Moore presented a documented symptom — bleeding from the mouth — that required further evaluation in the locker room.

The league changed its kickoff rules again this year, allowing offenses to take possession at the 25-yard line following a touchback. The result was an increase in touchbacks by 2 percent, according to league figures, and a corresponding decrease in returns by 2 percent.

Injuries did not significantly change, however. Concussions on kickoffs fell from 20 to 17, hamstring tears were slightly up from 11 to 13, and ACL and MCL tears were up from four to nine, according to the league’s data.