No more contact in practice.

[Mazeppa]

At least we are headed that way.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaa-suggests-contact-limits-football-181044910--ncaaf.html

[Mazeppa]

And on another note: Players will not be allowed to drive or ride in cars.


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/tennessee-true-freshman-lineman-injured-in-car-accident-185446375.html

[SoonerPride]

As evidence grows of the impact and long term risks associated with concussions and microconcussions there will be serious changes to not only practices but the way the game is played.

It is fundamentally too violent as it exists now and in the future children will be hesitant to play it and schools will be fearful of lawsuits and medical liability.

The game as it exists now is not going to last.

[8timechamps]

What the NCAA is suggesting is really no different than what the NFL currently does. I really wouldn't mind that change, and I think the coaches would openly accept that. Nothing worse than losing players to injuries suffered in practice.

While I think some parents will be more discouraged to let their kids play, I don't think the game is going away.

[SoonerPride]

With this news coming down regarding the NFL settlement of concussion related injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if former college athletes who suffer from ill health effects file a similar class action against the NCAA.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/b9ae7192-76fc-576e-b3aa-ae85af633b37.html

The game might not "go away" immediately but there will be a strong push to change it to make it safer and if it can't be made safer then it will "go away."

[SoonerPride]

In fact I hadn't realized that there already were suits filed.

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/three-former-college-football-players-sue-ncaa-over-concussions-111913

As this suit moves forward I would expect the litigation to grow in size and scope.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

At least we are headed that way.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaa-suggests-contact-limits-football-181044910--ncaaf.html

Gee, who knew Mack was so prescient...

[TheHumanAlphabet]

As evidence grows of the impact and long term risks associated with concussions and microconcussions there will be serious changes to not only practices but the way the game is played.

It is fundamentally too violent as it exists now and in the future children will be hesitant to play it and schools will be fearful of lawsuits and medical liability.

The game as it exists now is not going to last.

This will be the downfall of America. One reason we are so great and our military was so good was our team player mentality of football and a person's ability to make changes to get to the end zone...

[SoonerPride]

This will be the downfall of America. One reason we are so great and our military was so good was our team player mentality of football and a person's ability to make changes to get to the end zone...

I'm not sure that analogy holds.

WWII was won by a generation that was steeped in baseball not football.

One can learn team skills without concussions.

The ill health effects of football are going to be its demise, unless they come up with a foolproof helmet. Or perhaps no helmet. I don't know. The suggestion that they remove face masks and go away from the hard shell helmet might actually reduce concussive injuries to the brain.

Perhaps the leather helmets of yesteryear were actually safer. Science seems to think so.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/story/2011-11-03/leather-helmets-concussion-prevention/51070952/1

[KantoSooner]

Does anyone know the comparative stats on concussions in rugby? No one could rationally argue that it is any less violent/manly/rough than football....and they play without helmets at all (yes, I know they have those thingies that keep your ears from being torn off, but they're not really helmets).
The contact rules there might offer a hypothetical future path for football. We wouldn't necessarily move in that direction, but it would be a possibility.

[SoonerPride]

Does anyone know the comparative stats on concussions in rugby? No one could rationally argue that it is any less violent/manly/rough than football....and they play without helmets at all (yes, I know they have those thingies that keep your ears from being torn off, but they're not really helmets).
The contact rules there might offer a hypothetical future path for football. We wouldn't necessarily move in that direction, but it would be a possibility.

It appears the international rugby association wants to study it, though is having a hard time getting enough of a sample size to make a true assessment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/16/sports/rugby/rugby-wants-to-study-concussions-but-few-want-to-participate.html?_r=0

[PrideMom]

Another knee-jerk reaction. We are always trying to take away any risks of injuries in EVERYTHING! All I ask is how many ex-football players DO NOT have any brain injuries. Probably more than anyone can count. Also, many people have inherited diseases, or other factors (drinking, comes to mind, and drugs). But, maybe it is the hard plastic protective gear that makes more injuries, that is why natural turf came back. They found that cement under the turf caused too many injuries. Going back to leather MIGHT make a difference, but the PLAYERS like to play rough. That is the nature of the ones that truly enjoy the game. I have watched Australian football, and talk about rough! They wear no pads, run around in shorts and tees, and it looks the only rule is NO BITING, all in the winter time!

[SoonerPride]

Can't bite in rugby.
Can't bite in soccer.
Can't bite in boxing.

What's the world coming to?

People need to toughen up! :wink:

[8timechamps]

With this news coming down regarding the NFL settlement of concussion related injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if former college athletes who suffer from ill health effects file a similar class action against the NCAA.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/b9ae7192-76fc-576e-b3aa-ae85af633b37.html

The game might not "go away" immediately but there will be a strong push to change it to make it safer and if it can't be made safer then it will "go away."

I agree that there is/will be a strong push to make it safer. With new technology and rule changes, that will happen.

Football will never "go away". Just like boxing, race car driving or MMA will never "go away". They're all dangerous, but there will always be people that want to participate and an audience to spectate.

[BermudaSooner]

The "Oklahoma" drill may be a thing of the past soon.

[BoulderSooner79]

I agree that there is/will be a strong push to make it safer. With new technology and rule changes, that will happen.

Football will never "go away". Just like boxing, race car driving or MMA will never "go away". They're all dangerous, but there will always be people that want to participate and an audience to spectate.

And you forgot the biggest carrot of all: $$$. Owners, players, coaches, agents and many others down the line make massive amounts of money on the game. The game may well mutate to adapt to the legal threats and we already see that, but it won't go away.

[PrideMom]

Safety, Safety, Safety! They make bicyclists wear helmets, but if a car runs over you, I doubt the helmet will do you much good. LIFE is a gamble, you can be doing everything right, and still bad things happen. Players are NOT forced to play the game of football, and they know they will get hurt playing, but they play any way. Remember Rocky Calmus playing with a broken arm, Tiger Woods playing golf with a torn ACL, and they said that Micky Mantle always played with injuries. It is the competitive nature of the athlete that we like to see. I have seen players "dog it" and it is a disappointment. We saw Bradford just walk of the Rams field, and slipped on the protective sheeting, and tore his ACL. How can anyone predict injuries to others?

[jkjsooner]

With this news coming down regarding the NFL settlement of concussion related injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if former college athletes who suffer from ill health effects file a similar class action against the NCAA.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/b9ae7192-76fc-576e-b3aa-ae85af633b37.html

The game might not "go away" immediately but there will be a strong push to change it to make it safer and if it can't be made safer then it will "go away."

I didnt' go to that link but I will say that the NFL deserved to lose a suit - at least for anyone who played between the time information first came out about CTE and the time where the NFL stopped denying that it existed. For a good decade they denied it, told the players in pamplets it did not exist, and even funded sham research in scientific journals.

For older guys, I'd just say that the NFL had no way to know the specific danger of CTE and all knew it was a violent game.

For newer guys, the NFL is now open about the dangers. If you want that risk/reward then it is up to you.

(There are other issues of course like playing injured players, etc.)

[jkjsooner]

Does anyone know the comparative stats on concussions in rugby? No one could rationally argue that it is any less violent/manly/rough than football....and they play without helmets at all (yes, I know they have those thingies that keep your ears from being torn off, but they're not really helmets).
The contact rules there might offer a hypothetical future path for football. We wouldn't necessarily move in that direction, but it would be a possibility.

The nature of the games are very different. American football is described as a collision sport not a contact sport. If you want to be successful on defense, you must collide with your oppenent to stop any forward motion. That's not so important in rugby as there isn't a concept of 10 yards and first downs. Rugby also has fewer blind hits and what we call blocking is illegal.

As for the helmet, it is both a cure and a problem. Rugby players aren't going to slam their heads together like in football. Some argue to get rid of the solid helmets but I'm not sure that is possible because of the way the game is played.

[SouthFortySooner]

The game as we know it may wimp away. But what will replace it will be even more exciting. Just as boxing became boring some guys put up a cage and said, 'no rules'! Can't wait for the MMA version of football! Only then will those with the 'fire in their bellies' be able to shine!

[picasso]

The "Oklahoma" drill may be a thing of the past soon.

Bull in the ring was worse.

[picasso]

We also did a drill during the week against our biggest rival. It was called The Wall.
You got in any stance you wanted with back to our concession stand wall. All you had to do was get through two players across from you, but, if you got pinned they could hurt you for a sec.
Mmm yeah.

[jkjsooner]

If they're really interested in injuries the first thing they need to do is reinstate the substitution limits and speed the game up. Make it where 350 lbs guys can't play the game and even 275 lbs guys have to adjust their training regiment to encourage stamina over strength.

And, by the way, this is exactly the opposite of what Saban thinks will make the game more safe.

[KantoSooner]

Ah, the memories. Senior Slam Day, when the seniors could call out underclassmen, make you stand, holding the ball, not allowed to move. They got a ten yard wind up and got to slam you.
Had nothing to do with football, of course; it was just a sanctioned way to allow upper classmen to beat the crap out of their juniors.
Put in place by the same coaches who liked to make you eat dirt.

[cvsooner]

Also, let us not forget that following the 1905 season, football was nearly banned in this country, due to 18 deaths and 137 serious injuries. President Teddy Roosevelt stepped in and helped implement changes to make the game safer, such as ten yards for a first down, a line of scrimmage, penalties, the forward pass, and so on. Really kind of a fascinating story:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/31657/time-teddy-roosevelt-saved-football

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/05/opinion/greene-super-bowl/

Also, a very good book on the whole situation, called "The Big Scrum."

Anyway, the point here is the game evolves for reasons relating to the safety of the players. It's not them being namby-pamby wusses, for crying out loud. I think some of you would like these to be gladiatorial contests. It's a game...one some of us take way too seriously at times.

[BoulderSooner79]

The limits on contact suggested in that article didn't sound unreasonable. Would that have a big impact on the way Stoops runs practice now?

[KantoSooner]

CV, I spent most of my life overseas and have had to explain football to foreigners quite often. And in doing so, I make explicit that, to understand the game, you have to understand the sporting aspects, but also the societal role of the game. And the best way to explain that is to compare it to gladiatorial contests.
Football fills the same niche that intramural raiding did for our Neolithic ancestors. It IS war, recast as sport. And that explains the passionate connection some feel for it that is not seen, for example, in tennis or baseball. And it explains why the university version, with it's closer ties to a given territory, has the deep fan commitment that it does. It also explains, to some degree, the reluctance that many have to eliminating physical risk. At some deep level, we understand that our war/game will simply not be as meaningful if there is no blood.
I do not wish injury on any player.....but I also stand and bellow my approval at a shatteringly harsh hit....along with 80,000 or so of my 'tribe'.

[Curly Bill]

I think the decline in the popularity of football is going to be due not to litigation, though I don't discount the impact of current and future litigation, but it'll be due to moms and dads telling Junior that they don't want him to play, maybe not even allowing him to play, and beyond that the possibility that Junior himself looks at the real possibility of lifelong debilitating injury and calls bullsh*t on that noise himself.

And yes, I think the decline in participation in football is inevitable, and with it the future overwhelming popularity of the sport, though I don't contend that football is "going away."

[picasso]

CV, I spent most of my life overseas and have had to explain football to foreigners quite often. And in doing so, I make explicit that, to understand the game, you have to understand the sporting aspects, but also the societal role of the game. And the best way to explain that is to compare it to gladiatorial contests.
Football fills the same niche that intramural raiding did for our Neolithic ancestors. It IS war, recast as sport. And that explains the passionate connection some feel for it that is not seen, for example, in tennis or baseball. And it explains why the university version, with it's closer ties to a given territory, has the deep fan commitment that it does. It also explains, to some degree, the reluctance that many have to eliminating physical risk. At some deep level, we understand that our war/game will simply not be as meaningful if there is no blood.
I do not wish injury on any player.....but I also stand and bellow my approval at a shatteringly harsh hit....along with 80,000 or so of my 'tribe'.
It's modern warfare. My small town beat your small town. Bitch.

[picasso]

I think the decline in the popularity of football is going to be due not to litigation, though I don't discount the impact of current and future litigation, but it'll be due to moms and dads telling Junior that they don't want him to play, maybe not even allowing him to play, and beyond that the possibility that Junior himself looks at the real possibility of lifelong debilitating injury and calls bullsh*t on that noise himself.

And yes, I think the decline in participation in football is inevitable, and with it the future overwhelming popularity of the sport, though I don't contend that football is "going away."
Or the fact that all of these goober parents have kids playing at way too early of an age.

It's a joke.

[Curly Bill]

Or the fact that all of these goober parents have kids playing at way too early of an age.

It's a joke.

I detest pewee football!

[KantoSooner]

Hey! That was the only time I was any good at it!

[8timechamps]

Bull in the ring was worse.

Bull in the ring was banned in Colorado a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure some other states outlawed it too. It's too bad, because that was one drill that did a good job of teaching kids the importance of staying alert. You can preach it all day long, but until a kid gets laid out (because he wasn't looking) it's a hard lesson to learn.

[8timechamps]

I detest pewee football!

This coming year will be the first year (in almost 15 years) I will not be involved (as a parent). I can't wait!

I've been an assistant high school coach for the same amount of time, and there is no question the coaches/fans/officials at the peewee level are far worse. Not to mention the games are pretty terrible until the kids hit about 13.

[picasso]

Bull in the ring was banned in Colorado a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure some other states outlawed it too. It's too bad, because that was one drill that did a good job of teaching kids the importance of staying alert. You can preach it all day long, but until a kid gets laid out (because he wasn't looking) it's a hard lesson to learn.
Staying alert and how to keep your head up when absorbing a hit.

[Curly Bill]

This coming year will be the first year (in almost 15 years) I will not be involved (as a parent). I can't wait!

I've been an assistant high school coach for the same amount of time, and there is no question the coaches/fans/officials at the peewee level are far worse. Not to mention the games are pretty terrible until the kids hit about 13.

My main thought is kids shouldn't be playing organized football until they're around 12 or 13, which would of course put them entering junior high.

[PLaw]

I would like to see injury data comparing American football, rugby, Australian rules football, and FIFA football.

FIFA gets the flop title for sure.

Just enforce the rules - no spearing, no targeting above the shoulders, and game on.

Or, just take off the face masks and go back to leather helmets and shoulder pads.

Bummer