The NFL Is Worried About Head Injuries. So It May Ban Helmets

June 24, 2015 in Daily Bulletin

Matt Slater took a look at the steps that the NFL is taking to reduce head injuries in American football:

  • Kick-offs have been moved further up the field and helmet-first tackles have been banned.
  • These and other measures have reduced the rate of concussions by 36%, but there are still multiple concerns about brain injuries resulting from play.
  • One idea is to ban helmets which give a false sense of security to players.
  • While paradoxical, the hope is that by doing so players would be more careful in the kinds of risks they took.
  • It would, for example, require the end of the three-point stance where the player’s feet and a hand are on the ground, with the crown of their head pointed towards the opposition.
  • Players would instead likely stand upright, and there would be fewer crunches that are trademarks of the game.

Read more about what the NFL is doing, and how helmets came about in the first place over here.

Source: BBC