Illegal hits, playing with concussions will continue

[DrDawkinstein]

This problem will be solved when players stop using their head as a weapon. The old technique of leading with your face mask or the crown of your helmet when tackling or blocking has to go. Football equipment is there to protect the players not enable them to do things that they wouldn't do otherwise. Consider this from an article I read:

 

"Football can learn some valuable lessons from rugby. In that sport, hits to the head, and even those using the shoulder, are illegal. You essentially must tackle with your arms, and players are drilled on a technique in which the defender moves his head to the side of an opponent's body to avoid head-on collisions. It's not such a stretch to think an NFL player could adjust to these kinds of rules and become a defensive stalwart by bear-hugging players to the ground rather than launching himself like a heat-seeking missile. It wouldn't make for such jarring highlights on SportsCenter each Sunday night, but it could save lives."

 

Now rugby still has its share of concussions, but I'll bet if players don't lead with the head or shoulder AND are wearing helmets concussions would essentially disappear.

 

 

Im not sure what article you read that in, but it's not really accurate with regards to technique. The sentiment is there, but they take the technique breakdown a step too far. Or rather, maybe theyre just using poor descriptions.

 

You can and should tackle with your shoulder, but it's an open armed shoulder tackle.

 

The tackling in rugby is naturally more upright and arm based because of the nature of how the game flows/plays. Play continues after the tackle, so tackling low puts you in a bad position to keep playing. Also, its a lot of lateral playing, not direct. High speed, direct hits still happen, buts it not the majority like in the NFL.

 

Either way, a good, proper tackle is pretty simple. Breakdown to a base, Lead with shoulder/chest and keep your head up. Slide your head to one side and wrap with your arms. And keep your feet driving. Applies to direct tackling in either/any sport.

 

LBs and DBs in the NFL could make BRUTAL hits using this technique. As they did for 50 years. Theyre just lazy, and they want to stick with what's trendy or cool. The whole "I dont have to tackle, I just blast you and you go down" BS.

Edited July 8, 2011 by DrDareustein

[Peace]

This problem will be solved when players stop using their head as a weapon. The old technique of leading with your face mask or the crown of your helmet when tackling or blocking has to go. Football equipment is there to protect the players not enable them to do things that they wouldn't do otherwise. Consider this from an article I read:

 

"Football can learn some valuable lessons from rugby. In that sport, hits to the head, and even those using the shoulder, are illegal. You essentially must tackle with your arms, and players are drilled on a technique in which the defender moves his head to the side of an opponent's body to avoid head-on collisions. It's not such a stretch to think an NFL player could adjust to these kinds of rules and become a defensive stalwart by bear-hugging players to the ground rather than launching himself like a heat-seeking missile. It wouldn't make for such jarring highlights on SportsCenter each Sunday night, but it could save lives."

 

Now rugby still has its share of concussions, but I'll bet if players don't lead with the head or shoulder AND are wearing helmets concussions would essentially disappear.

 

From the down position, the first thing to make contact is often a head. It's not leading with a head that causes head hits, it's slapping, helmets colliding, head hitting the ground, knees hitting heads, etc. You're obsessing on concussions, which is not the bigger issue anymore. The accumulative hits to the head are now showing up as a huge factor in brain damage.

 

Poor tackling form will not solve the problem for kids.

[GaryPinC]

From the down position, the first thing to make contact is often a head. It's not leading with a head that causes head hits, it's slapping, helmets colliding, head hitting the ground, knees hitting heads, etc. You're obsessing on concussions, which is not the bigger issue anymore. The accumulative hits to the head are now showing up as a huge factor in brain damage.

 

Poor tackling form will not solve the problem for kids.

 

Keep in mind one other factor:

 

http://www.headinjury.com/sports.htm

 

" ...during the minutes to few days after concussion injury, brain cells that are not irreversibly destroyed remain alive but exist in a vulnerable state. This concept of injury-induced vulnerability has been put forth to describe the fact that patients suffering from head injury are extremely vulnerable to the consequences of even minor changes in cerebral blood flow and/or increases in intracranial pressure and apnea...."

 

Evidence is mounting that a large part of long term brain injury is due to subsequent head traumas before the person has recovered from the initial concussion, not simply repeated blows to the head. On the other hand if a person is diagnosed with concussion and fully allowed to recover, it may avoid long term brain injury even if the person experiences more concussion(s).

 

If true, this puts the onus on the NFL to have the best diagnosis and treatment criteria available to avoid repeated injury. This also sets up future lawsuits if the NFL does not take sufficient responsibility given the scientific evidence.

 

This is why the NFL is coming down hard on the head-to-head contact and why they are being much more cautious if a player is suspected of having a head injury. I don't expect the NFL to back down on the hitting/concussion issues and I even wonder if the league will expand its 53 man roster to help account for all the players that will be sitting out with any form of concussion. We'll see but I don't expect the NFL to go back on all this.

[DrDawkinstein]

From the down position, the first thing to make contact is often a head. It's not leading with a head that causes head hits, it's slapping, helmets colliding, head hitting the ground, knees hitting heads, etc. You're obsessing on concussions, which is not the bigger issue anymore. The accumulative hits to the head are now showing up as a huge factor in brain damage.

 

Poor tackling form will not solve the problem for kids.

 

Regarding your point about accumulative hits and "the kids"...

 

Everything kills you. From the moment you are born, you are dying. Your body deteriorates. I played youth football for years, amongst other contact sports. I dont know one person that has grown up to have brain damage from hits inflicted while playing Pop Warner at 8 years old. And I know men who are in their 30s now that played from 5 years old through high school and even college.

 

When you talk about the accumulative hits, if you are referencing the life of a Professional Football player, then I can understand your concern. But for the vast majority of kids, their "career" is over in their teens.

 

Also, the velocity and force of hits/slaps/knees/etc in Pop Warner is no where close to the hitting in the NFL or even college (College being another level that the majority of kids will not play at).

 

8, 9, 10, even 14 years olds cant and dont generate hits as severe as we picture Football being in our heads. Have you ever gone to a Pop Warner game? Soooo booooring, unless your kid is in there, because theyre so slow. That's not to say that injuries cant or dont happen, but you're letting fear outweigh living.

 

If you're point in this thread is "Kids shouldnt play football", then I respectfully but completely disagree 100%.