The targeting rule in college football could be the “most significant rule” change ever made in the game (Matter). According to Greg Johnson of the NCAA, the rule was passed by the Football Rules Committee of the NCAA in February of 2013 to be implemented with the 2013 fall football season and is consistent with the committees’ continued attempt to address player safety. The new rule now places a tougher penalty on the defensive player for dangerous contact with the offensive player, notably direct helmet-to-helmet hits, or hits aimed above the shoulders of the offensive player. This direct, helmet-to-helmet contact is known as targeting. Although the implementation of the new targeting rule is controversial, it will help to reduce the number of serious lifelong head injuries to football players and make college football a safer sport. The targeting rule will help to reduce the number of head injuries received by football players, both in college and the NFL, that lead to lifelong health issues. As Geoff Calkins from The Commercial Appeal notes in his article about Brian McCrary, there are many former college football players who suffer from moderate to severe brain damage later in life due to playing college football and having received targeted hits. The long-term effects of these head injuries suffered in the game are just being understood and acknowledged (Johnson). Andy Staples, from Sports Illustrated, notes that the targeting rule is the committees attempt to recognize the problem and help to make football a safer sport. The main purpose of the rule is to “save players’ brains” from permanent damage, with the secondary purpose to help make the sport safer (Couch). Football is a contact sport, but with this ... ... middle of paper ... ...13. Web. 19 October 2013. Matter, Dave. “SEC official calls latest targeting rule dramatic.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 18 July 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 19 October 2013. Mihoces, Gary. “More padding the issue of concussions and better helmets.” USA Today Sports. 23 August 2013. Web. 29 November 2013. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2013 and 2014 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations. Indianapolis: NCAA, 2013. Print. Reardon, Dave. Editorial, Further Review Column. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 21 July 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 19 October 2013. Shapiro, Leonard. “Appealing and Appalling.” The Commercial Appeal. 27 October 2013. 3V. Print. Staples, Andy. “New targeting rule well intended, but bound to spark controversy.” Sportsillustrated.com/college-football. 23 July 2013. Web. 19 October 2013.
Leitch, Will. “AAU Coaches No Longer Pretending College Hoops Isn’t Corrupt.” New York Sports. 22 Mar., 2010. Web. 04 April, 2011.
The rules that the NFL is changing is rules that deal with the head like targeting, and leading with the head. The rule change with a huge uproar as the kick off, moving the ball from the twenty to the thirty yard line.
First, the rules that are enforced are a great way of making the game safe for the players. There are rules like, not being allowed to tackle certain ways. For example, if you tackle someone from the back by pulling them, then that is said to be an illegal tackle. It is also said that it is illegal for someone to pull on others facemask when tackling. There are many others rules that are enforced in the game. Another one is the rule that says, Head to Head is not allowed. What that basically is that you cannot tackle someone by contacting your helmet to the opposing player. This rule makes it greatly safe because it reduces the numbers of injuries that occur to the head and the neck. The head is the key part of the human body. When someone hits another player with the helmet in the head, it reduces the risks of concussion and that can result to serious and severe body failures, including being...
Emmert, Mark. “Concussions put football at a crossroads.” Portland Press Herald (ME) 6 April 2014: Newspaper Source. Web. 7 April 2014.
The goal is to achieve and to attain certain knowledge of concussions and proper helmet safety and to propose new suggestions to help decrease the incidence of sports-related concussions.
Concussions have become arguably the #1 most prevalent issue in football today. The number of concussions throughout football has been rising for the past 20-30 years and there seems no way of stopping them. However, the NFL and many private researchers are set on finding a way to conquer this issue. They want to stop these concussions from happening and prevent the diseases resulting from them that have ruined so many football families’ lives. In order to solve this problem, I think that these researchers need to combine all of their knowledge to solve an issue that so many want solved. As soon as we conquer this “illness” we can return to enjoying the game that we love.
I. Signpost: In conclusion, more needs to be done to prevent concussions without taking away from the intensity of the game.
the whole penalty is overturned, including the fifteen yards. Even though the penalty seems harsh it doesn’t compare to the National Collegiate Athletic Association 's targeting rule. In college if you are penalized for a helmet to helmet hit, you get ejected from the game. This rule has a possibility of changing the outcomes of games, because teams can lose key players.
Mihoces, Gary. “Parents Weigh Risks of Youth Football Amid Concussion Debate.” USA Today. USA Today, 23 May 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
In American football, helmets are required to decrease traumatic brain injuries and have been successful in doing so. A large part in the success of helmet design is improvements in technology. The sizes of athletes have gone up to make football more dangerous. To protect against brain injury, helmets designs have changed to become heavier and wider, filled within the space are energy absorbing materials, air space and padding to protect the skull upon impact. Originally, helmets were designed to prevent only traumatic brain injuries, but technology is advancing to fill the gap of concussions. Until recently, the seriousness of concussions were not considered part of the equation that needed to be addressed, so manufactures did not utilized in constructing helmets to address this issue (Post et al. 653). Upon predicting risk of concussions in tests, by themselves linear and rotational acceleration are not suitable measurements for modern helmets. These testing measurements do not address the rotational forces and minor hits to the brain which are associated with concussions (Post et al. 654). Given the seriousness of concussions in contact sports, more attention is given to prevent and reduce concussions through testing methods and advancing technology, stronger regulation and changes to the sport. As stated in the article involving the National Football League (NFL), “The risk involved in playing sports are also very real. The NFL is struggling with serious mental and physical health problems because they sustained repeated mild traumatic brain injuries, is what concussions are called. (“Concussions and Marketing of Sports Equipment” 6).
USA Today 26 May 2011, Virginia ed. : 1 C. Print. The. The "Concussions" - "The 'Concussions'" WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD.com - WebMD, 23 July 2010. Web.
Helmets drastically reduce the tremendous number of deaths caused by head injuries as well as reducing the severity of any ...
Football is one sport that has scientists working around the clock on finding the perfect solution to help decrease concussions. Scientist, Vincent Farrara, created the Xenith X1 Helmet in 2004. Ferrara used to be a quarterback for Harv...
Even though the devastation of concussions is just rising to the surface, they have always been around. In 1994, the NFL started a committee called the MTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury). Dr. Elliot Pellman was appointed as chair, and he was quoted saying, “We think the issue of knees, of drugs and steroids and drinking is a far greater problem, according to the number of incidents” (Ezell). This quote shows how concussions did not hold much importance, even though it should have been the committee's main focus. This is ironic, because in today’s sport world concussions are a highly talked about topic. They hold such significance that some rules are even being changed to lower the risk for players.
Football is a relatively dangerous sport. In the game, the whole body is open to taking shots from opposing teams every play, but the most dangerous area to be hit is the head. Hits that lead to players having their heads