The Football Rule Change Runaround

By Nathan Young on March 1, 2013

Football is very popular in Alabama! Many people are devoted to high school football on Friday nights and College Football on Saturdays! The NFL, not so much! Football is like a religion down here and when potential rule changes starts appearing in the news. It gets people talking.

One rule being talked about would change the way high school practices are done in Alabama. The AHSAA is looking into a rule change that would restrict live hitting in football practices to only two practices a week.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/02/ahsaa_is_considering_reducing.html

The thinking is the AHSAA wants to make parents feel more comfortable with allowing their children to participate in contact sports. AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese even referenced President Obama by saying “President Obama said he would have to consider if he would allow his own child to play football. It’s a very strong statement. I don’t think we can just put that thought aside because there are a lot of parents saying that now.”

National medical researchers are worried about hits on the kids brains while being tackled. But will any changes actually reduce the risk for concussions? Many high school coaches not only condition the players, they also teach the kids the proper way to tackle. That’s the problem folks! This is not the only rule change being proposed in football. One proposed rule change in college football would prohibit players from being in a three-point stance. Another rule change in college football would prohibit blocking below the waist. Another college football rule change would eject a player for targeting a defenseless player above the shoulders. And the most unpopular rule changes comes from the NFL. They are proposing a rule change that would end the kickoffs.

All of these potential rule changes will eventually trickle down to all levels of the football game. Many fans of football are not happy seeing these potential rule changes and are worried these changes will eventually lead to flag football or no football at all. But some aspects of the game needs to change. Many fans love seeing massive hits during a game like this one.

The science has been there for years saying that hard hits to the head causes concussions. Over 100,000 concussions occurs in the football game each year. I don’t agree with some of these changes like taking away the kickoffs. Coaches and players needs to teach proper tackling to reduce injuries in the game. Over-excessive hits and helmet-to-helmet contact needs to be penalized greatly including ejections. The current standards to keep out players with concussion symptoms needs to stay in place. And yes, numerous water breaks during the hot weather needs to become the norm.

I know several high school football fans hates seeing the heat timeouts during the first few weeks of the football season. But they are there for a reason! Many high school football players will not play at the next level. So why ruin their chances at a great life because they were dehydrated. I love watching football and taking pictures at football games. Football is going nowhere anytime soon! The game could be made safer in some areas like the helmets. Could we be seeing all football players wearing the Guardian Cap — a one-size, fits-all soft shell that covers the helmet on the outside. Maybe.