According to a 2014 ESPN study, football (the NFL in particular) is the most popular sport in America. Although it is the most popular sport in America the recent development of concussions and severe brain injuries are jeopardizing the game’s future.
Source: http://www.traumaticbraininjury.net
The NFL, the players, and everyone around the sport of football have realized, due to new research, in recent years that concussions and other head injuries are very dangerous and can even shorten a player’s life. The NFL has been sued multiple times because of the effects concussions have had on player’s during and after their careers which include and early death. The article "New NFL rules designated to limit head injuries" talks about the new rule changes to protect players. The new rules include not allowing players to “launch himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck” (old rule only pertained to receivers), play is immediately whistled dead when a player loses his helmet, “during field-goal and extra-point attempts, the defense cannot position any player on the line directly across from the snapper, who's considered to be in a defenseless position.” As a football player, I have seen players launch themselves and hit other players in them head and I have seen how players can get seriously injured by this. The NFL also implemented stricter guidelines for a player to return from a concussion. Obviously concussions and head injuries are a main issue in the NFL and I am happy to see the NFL adjusting some rules to better protect the players. On the other hand, these rule changes will not be enough to reduce the amount of concussion and it will become even more difficult for the NFL to continue to adjust rules and keep the game the way it’s meant to be at the same time.
Future Question: What is the NHL doing to protect their players from concussions and head injuries?
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