The NFL is adding a new rule this year to try and make the sport a little safer and to increase the quality of life of its players once they leave the game. According to the
Washington Post (and other media sources):
Under the rule, it will be illegal for either a runner or a tackler to initiate contact with the crown of his helmet while outside the tackle box (the area between the two offensive tackles when they line up) and more than three yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Such an action will result in a 15-yard penalty.
Some football purists may disagree with this rule, but personally I think it's a step in the right direction.
The idea is to stop a person from using their head as a battering ram in the open field where players are generally at their fastest. While this may make sense to people who do not follow football, those that do follow the game have seen any number of collisions where a player lowers his head to gain an advantage prior to contact, only to be carted off the field with his head and neck restrained. These incidents are becoming more frequent. And no matter how many times you see it, the violence which causes a large human being, in motion a few seconds ago, to be rendered almost instantly motionless takes your breath away. After these collisions, football fans these days are savvy enough to know to look for any movement of the extremities, which may indicate that the player is not paralyzed (or worse). Without exception, seeing a downed and possibly semi-conscious player move a foot or even a finger causes everyone in the room (or stadium) breathe a sigh of relief.
The problem is the helmet, which gives the player a sense of security. While the helmet does cushion a blow to the head area, it does nothing to protect the neck or brain from the forces related to 500 pounds or more of humanity colliding with each other from opposite directions. Hopefully this rule will make those collisions less violent by making sure the top of the helmet is not involved and players rely more on their arms, bodies and instincts to escape (or stop) opposing players.
For the purists, helmet to helmet hits will still be allowed within three yards of the line of scrimmage and within the "tackle box".
The keys to this making a real difference are coaching and a similar rule at all other levels of organized football. Coaches need to make sure that players understand that an extra yard to two is not worth the punishment the player absorbs or the possible penalty the team is assessed. By enacting this kind of rule at all levels of football, from pee-wee to the pros, hopefully the number of football related head trauma injuries we read about on our sports pages will be reduced. Let's hope other football sanctioning bodies follow the NFL's lead.
And now it's time to hear from the football purists.