Ivy League to Eliminate Tackling from Football Practices

[KerryRhodes]

Football coaches in the Ivy League unanimously decided to remove tackling from regular-season practices, per a Tuesday report by Ken Belson of the New York Times.

They made the decision in an attempt to further limit players' chances of suffering head and brain injuries.

No tackling in practice is an extreme decrease from NCAA regulations, which state there can be four full-contact practices each week, but it's a decisive stance on a subject that's plagued the game of football. According to a report by Timothy Bella of Al Jazeera in December 2015, there were 501 reported concussions in the past three college football seasons.

A study done by Ph.D. holder Timothy A. McGuine—a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison—showed the elimination of full-contact practices could decrease injuries at lower levels of the sport, per Bert B. Vargas, M.D., of Neurology Reviews.

In his study, McGuine tested high school football players from 2012-2014. In 2012 and 2013, teams had full-contact practices, and in 2014, they did not. Vargas explained McGuine's study:



During all three seasons, almost half the concussions (46%) occurred during tackling. Although the overall rate of concussions dropped from 1.57 per 1,000 athletic exposures in the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons to 1.28 per 1,000 athletic exposures in the 2014 season, the difference was not significant... The difference in concussions occurring during practice, however, did differ significantly before and after the rule change. The rate of concussions during practice in 2014 was 0.33 concussions per 1,000 athletic exposures, compared with 0.76 concussions per 1,000 exposures in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Twelve of 15 concussions in 2014 practices occurred during full-contact practices, a rate of 0.57 per 1,000 exposures, and 82 of 86 concussions in the 2012 and 2013 seasons occurred during full contact practices, a rate of 0.87 per 1,000 exposures.


Full story@

http://m.bleacherreport.com/article...to-eliminate-tackling-from-football-practices

 

[Beagle11]

I think we will see the end of football as we know it starting on the high school level. It will eventually end up some version of touch-football. While the NFL and major NCAA teams have the financial resources to fight lawsuits and pay settlements, the smaller schools and high schools do not. The only thing standing between the end of the sport as we know it today, is one jury decison against a school. As soon as that jury decision is handed down, the insurance companies will exclude coverage for tramatic brain injury cases, and that will be the end of it. It may not even take a verdict, a large case being filed may be enough to promulgate the change.

 

[KerryRhodes]

True.

Alot of high schools no longer have kick or punt returns.

They wont stop until every level of football is defunct.

 

[kozmas]

Al Jazeera, I always refer to them for my sports information. I don't see the end of High School football but I do see some public schools watering it down quite a bit and then whining that the private schools should have to also.

 

[Beagle11]

One large successful or almost lawsuit against a school system is all it will take.

 

[Rollem Cards]

And people wonder why voters are mad as hell.

 

[beantowncard]

All players and their parents will have to sign a hold harmless agreement, which will reduce the number of players available. This is really a much bigger deal at the NFL level. There are far fewer head injuries in high school just because of the size and speed of the players. But it will filter down.

 

[zipp]

I don't think football's going anywhere anytime soon. BUT liability concerns will change the way the game is played for sure. Whether or not anyone will want to watch is the question, once it eventually morphs to something like this...

 

[beantowncard]

Football coaches in the Ivy League unanimously decided to remove tackling from regular-season practices, per a Tuesday report by Ken Belson of the New York Times.

They made the decision in an attempt to further limit players' chances of suffering head and brain injuries.

No tackling in practice is an extreme decrease from NCAA regulations, which state there can be four full-contact practices each week, but it's a decisive stance on a subject that's plagued the game of football. According to a report by Timothy Bella of Al Jazeera in December 2015, there were 501 reported concussions in the past three college football seasons.

A study done by Ph.D. holder Timothy A. McGuine—a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison—showed the elimination of full-contact practices could decrease injuries at lower levels of the sport, per Bert B. Vargas, M.D., of Neurology Reviews.

In his study, McGuine tested high school football players from 2012-2014. In 2012 and 2013, teams had full-contact practices, and in 2014, they did not. Vargas explained McGuine's study:



During all three seasons, almost half the concussions (46%) occurred during tackling. Although the overall rate of concussions dropped from 1.57 per 1,000 athletic exposures in the combined 2012 and 2013 seasons to 1.28 per 1,000 athletic exposures in the 2014 season, the difference was not significant... The difference in concussions occurring during practice, however, did differ significantly before and after the rule change. The rate of concussions during practice in 2014 was 0.33 concussions per 1,000 athletic exposures, compared with 0.76 concussions per 1,000 exposures in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Twelve of 15 concussions in 2014 practices occurred during full-contact practices, a rate of 0.57 per 1,000 exposures, and 82 of 86 concussions in the 2012 and 2013 seasons occurred during full contact practices, a rate of 0.87 per 1,000 exposures.


Full story@

http://m.bleacherreport.com/article...to-eliminate-tackling-from-football-practices

Didn't the Ivy League eliminate football from their Saturday's?

 

[Rollem Cards]

I don't think football's going anywhere anytime soon. BUT liability concerns will change the way the game is played for sure. Whether or not anyone will want to watch is the question, once it eventually morphs to something like this...

I think the hand wringers will attempt to morph it.

But I think the attempted morphing will stop when the Multi-multi million$ of dollar quit pouring into the coffer. Got to follow the money.

I won't pay to watch flag FB live, or watch it on TV. The NCAA/schools may never get it back

I (and apparently tens of thousands of others) quit watching NASCAR when they "civilized" it. They saw their mistake and tried to somewhat fix it, but my Sundays are filled with other activities now. Got out of the habit and don't care about it now.

Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio

 

[wilkie01]

Football is the closest sport to war. That is the reason it is played at the military academies. Football is not for the weak or the fearful person. Football is not everybody gets a trophy sport either.

 

[beantowncard]

Football is the closest sport to war. That is the reason it is played at the military academies. Football is not for the weak or the fearful person. Football is not everybody gets a trophy sport either.

Well that's how it ought to be, anyway.

 

[wilkie01]

Indeed

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

That's nothin, UK eliminated tackling from games. (See: Jackson, Lamar; Prescott, Dak; Dobbs, Josh etc etc etc)

 

[65bird]

Apparently Bobby, and some others, are already a little ahead of that curve with a Rugby style tackle that originated with Pete Carroll at the Seahawks. The emphasis is on the shoulder not the head. And, as some have observed, there is even less tackling in practice nowadays, and down the road - even in games . WKU's Brohm talks about the game naturally evolving as safety concerns are raised.

 

[Mayoman]

This just in? Serious discussion on shortening the fields to 75 yards vs 100 yards. "We don't want the guys to have to run so far....it might give them a heart attack!!!!" Sic, sic

And no more snaps under center......that would be sexual harassment....inappropriate touching.

And huddling up would be frowned upon....too much secret talking.

And tight ends would need to be called something else.....we don't want to promote alcoholic terms.

And halfbacks feel slighted by fullbacks....pc police are on to that one......

And................whatever the heck else you want to come up with on your own!

Wow....just wow. What is next.....slow break BB......running fast not allowed. Baseball with smaller bats? The list could be infinite. Where are you George Orwell/1984 when we need you?

 

[nccardfan]

Virtual image baseball, so you're not really hitting, throwing or catching a real ball..

 

[beantowncard]

Virtual image baseball, so you're not really hitting, throwing or catching a real ball..

Just like the Indians (oooops, that not allowed either)!

 

[cardman162004]

Oh no I won't be able to watch people bash their heads in for my entertainment, what a cruel world I live in. To hell if you have to suffer the repercussions down the line, it's more important my fat, lazy, ass has something to do. No wonder society is in the shitter. Go get a hobby you selfish pieces of garbage. A bunch a classless, trashy, Americans feeling entitled to other peoples lives. Never mind people now have a better understanding of life after football. Oh but everyone has to be a hardass, red blooded, muslim hating, American. So shake it off and let me live vicariously through you since I can't do anything else of any importance. Got vote for trump.

"Just like the Indians"
More like, "Just like the barbaric, white, european, conquistadors who are only worried about self preservation and domination". They're Native Americans, as in the people who were here to get raped and murdered for your ignorant self to still be calling them the incorrect name after hundreds of years. Indians are from India, clown. But you're probably just another Christian Terrorist, so why should I think you'd be on any other intellectual plane. go force a minority out of a trump rally.

 

[cardman162004]

It's funny you all think you're better, more intelligent, articulate, and many other things over uk fans but in the end,outside of the sports realm you're all same clueless meatheads. When it comes to real life things you don't use critical thinking. That's why you feel the need to talk about uk fans so much. So you can feel better as a person by vilifying someone over something so trivial as football. You validate yourselves as individuals by comparing yourself to uk fans . You're no better.

 

[beantowncard]

Wow. You are truly an ignoramus of the first magnitude.
It was a joke about the Cleveland Indians, you self-righteous a-hole. If you read the post I was responding to, then you might understand. BTW, while you are making so many assumptions about me, why don't you assume that I am a person of good will who played and love the game of football, suffered no ill effects, and benefitted from the lessons it imparted.

No one wants to see people hurt, permanently or otherwise. The vast majority of people who play football suffer no enduring harm. Please develop a sense of humor, and try not to assume too much. Life is better that way.
BTW, my wife of 28 years is from India, so I know where Indians come from.

 

[BooneCo_Card]

All players and their parents will have to sign a hold harmless agreement, which will reduce the number of players available. This is really a much bigger deal at the NFL level. There are far fewer head injuries in high school just because of the size and speed of the players. But it will filter down.

Funny, but that is about what the opponents' helmets looked like when I saw my grandson play freshman ball in CT. His team wore traditional helmets but stress 'heads up' tackling by using the shoulder pads and arms.

 

[beantowncard]

Funny, but that is about what the opponents' helmets looked like when I saw my grandson play freshman ball in CT. His team wore traditional helmets but stress 'heads up' tackling by using the shoulder pads and arms.

Boone, I don't understand...do you mean to say that the opponents helmets were marked up, but your son's team wasn't? The heads up method is better not only for safety but better for getting the opponent on the ground.

 

[BooneCo_Card]

Boone, I don't understand...do you mean to say that the opponents helmets were marked up, but your son's team wasn't? The heads up method is better not only for safety but better for getting the opponent on the ground.

The opponent's team helmets had padding on the outside of the shell. It was the 1st time I had seen this type of helmet. My daughter said a lot of the teams in CT were going to that style of helmet.

I totally agree with you on the merits of heads up tackling, both in efficiency and player safety.

On a personal note, I can't wait for HS FB to begin. It's the eldest grandson's JR year and he will be returning after missing last year due to thumb surgery.

 

[beantowncard]

The opponent's team helmets had padding on the outside of the shell. It was the 1st time I had seen this type of helmet. My daughter said a lot of the teams in CT were going to that style of helmet.

I totally agree with you on the merits of heads up tackling, both in efficiency and player safety.

On a personal note, I can't wait for HS FB to begin. It's the eldest grandson's JR year and he will be returning after missing last year due to thumb surgery.

I think they will eventually go (back) to a soft or flexible helmet with no face mask, which would virtually force the tackler to turn his head aside, and not use the helmet as a weapon. In addition to some rules changes, I think this would go a long way toward improving safety.

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

I think they will eventually go (back) to a soft or flexible helmet with no face mask,

LOL! Not sure if you're serious

 

[beantowncard]

LOL! Not sure if you're serious

Yep. I think they will discover that this, along with better technique, will reduce CTE dramatically. Remember, the modern helmet us designed to protect the skull, not the brain.

 

[Mayoman]

Yep. I think they will discover that this, along with better technique, will reduce CTE dramatically. Remember, the modern helmet us designed to protect the skull, not the brain.

That might help with the brain injuries.....however, the Dentist's and Ear, Nose and Throat doctors will surely benefit from that change.....and mom's everywhere will worry, worry, and worry some more about whether they want little 'Johny' to suffer those type of injuries. Catch 22.

 

[beantowncard]

That might help with the brain injuries.....however, the Dentist's and Ear, Nose and Throat doctors will surely benefit from that change.....and mom's everywhere will worry, worry, and worry some more about whether they want little 'Johny' to suffer those type of injuries. Catch 22.

Agreed. But a broken nose is easier to fix than a broken brain. Have to pick your poison. Football is a tough game. That's why many of us live it so much.

 

[Bardman]

It's funny you all think you're better, more intelligent, articulate, and many other things over uk fans but in the end,outside of the sports realm you're all same clueless meatheads. When it comes to real life things you don't use critical thinking. That's why you feel the need to talk about uk fans so much. So you can feel better as a person by vilifying someone over something so trivial as football. You validate yourselves as individuals by comparing yourself to uk fans . You're no better.

Wow. Pot meet kettle. People get considering playing basketball and soccer. Should we take away those sports too? Driving my car puts my life at risk yet I chose to do it.

 

[Cardsmack29]

I think they call this powder puff football nowadays. Everyone should wear pink and have group hugs before and after every game. Then everyone gets a trophy and free smoothie.

 

[kozmas]

Bardman, I agree with you there is a risk in everything you do. Driving your car, boating, flying in an airplane, eating sugar products, drinking alcohol, etc. It is up to the individual to choose what they want to do and how they want to live not the government or watch groups.

 

[Knucklehank1]

I think they call this powder puff football nowadays. Everyone should wear pink and have group hugs before and after every game. Then everyone gets a trophy and free smoothie.

Hate to break the news to you, but most teams do very little full contact drills during the regular season. Heck, it was that way in the late 90's when I played in college. I'm sorry if your grade school coach brainwashed you into thinking that regular full contact drills were how things had to be done.

 

[nccardfan]

I'm sorry but I think that's why fundamental tackling is so bad. How do you expect guys to make tackles during games when they don't see it in practice? Tackling stationary dummies is not the answer or slow motion with no pads either.

 

[Knucklehank1]

I'm sorry but I think that's why fundamental tackling is so bad. How do you expect guys to make tackles during games when they don't see it in practice? Tackling stationary dummies is not the answer or slow motion with no pads either.

Ok, I'll fill you in on college practices. You do a significant amount of tackling in the preseason at full speed. During the season, you still practice at full speed but generally just wrap up the ball-carrier without taking them to the ground. However in season, the focus is on 1) mental aspects of the game (scouting, scheme, assignment, etc), 2) being in best possible physical condition on Saturdays.

I haven't seen any empirical evidence that tackling is any better or worse than it was in the "good old days". In fact, one could argue that if tackling was in fact "so bad", then teams would be running the ball more and passing the ball less.

 

[nccardfan]

I don't know about empirical data but I do know there were quite a few threads about our horrible tackling or lack of tackling in several games. There were also a few threads critiquing the coaches as to whether or not they were coaching fundamentals. I have also witnessed quite a few games where players don't wrap up like they should. So I will stand by my analogy.

 

[Knucklehank1]

I don't know about empirical data but I do know there were quite a few threads about our horrible tackling or lack of tackling in several games. There were also a few threads critiquing the coaches as to whether or not they were coaching fundamentals. I have also witnessed quite a few games where players don't wrap up like they should. So I will stand by my analogy.

For every Josh Harvey Clemons, I will present Calvin Pryor. For every Gerod Holliman, I will present James Sample. Point being there are always guys who excel in one area and are deficient in others.

 

[beantowncard]

Tackling is hard to put a number on. Was it a bad tackle, or a great play by the offensive player? Empirical evidence is that which is observed, and the observations of many, though anecdotal, are that tackling is becoming a list art. Poor tackling actually favors the passing game in my opinion, as there are fewer opportunities for gang tackling and more open field situations, where lack of technique really shows up (think wide receiver screen). I think the rugby style tackle is safer and more effective, but like anything else practice makes perfect.

 

[wreckcard#22]

practicing tackling does not help game time tackling IF practice tackling increases traumatic brain injuries...this is a return on investment and protection of resources mentality that does not diminish the game, but improves it. As we learn the impact of certain characteristics of the game; whether that be tackling in practice, head gear, technique, kick off spot, blocking rules (chop blocking is a recent change, do you think that's a panzie move that diminishes the game), personal fouls, etc...as we learn, the game evolves...the game will not go away, but it will change and we will all be better for it.

now, back to the slippery slope arguments and sky is falling knee jerk reactions.

 

[nccardfan]

Tackling is hard to put a number on. Was it a bad tackle, or a great play by the offensive player? Empirical evidence is that which is observed, and the observations of many, though anecdotal, are that tackling is becoming a list art. Poor tackling actually favors the passing game in my opinion, as there are fewer opportunities for gang tackling and more open field situations, where lack of technique really shows up (think wide receiver screen). I think the rugby style tackle is safer and more effective, but like anything else practice makes perfect.

Yes it does favor the passing game because you can't hit a QB and now you can't hit a defenseless receiver. It does put more pressure on DBs to make open field tackles, which they can't do in practice, only in simulations.