Football is a game of speed, athleticism and explosive hitting power. Fans across the United States have made football the most popular sport in the country. While fans love the spectacular touchdown plays, they also love the big hits that define the game. The health risks when playing the game at a competitive level are great and players have to follow the rules that are designed to protect the player's health.
No Leading With the Helmet
Neither tacklers nor blockers can hit their opponents while leading with their helmets. The helmet is supposed to provide protection the player and it is not a weapon. Players who lead with their helmets are not only violating rules that result in a penalty, they are also putting their long-term health in serious risk. Player have suffered devastating neck injuries when leading with their helmets. Those injuries include paralysis. There are occasions when players will change direction suddenly and helmet-to-helmet contact cannot be avoided. However, whenever possible, the helmet cannot be used to hit an opponent.
Grabbing the Face Mask
This is another safety rule in football that can have serious health ramifications. A tackler may be trying to bring down a ball carrier or a receiver by chasing him and wrapping him up with a hard tackle. However, the tackler may sometimes--accidentally or not--reach out and grab the opponent's face mask. This can result in a serious neck injury that knocks a player out of the game or sends him to the trainer's room.
Horse-collar Tackle
A horse-collar tackle occurs when a defender chases a ball carrier down from behind and grabs him on the back of his uniform shirt just underneath the helmet. This type of tackle has been known to cause both concussions and other injuries to the ball carrier. If a tackler gets a grip of the back of the uniform and pulls hard, the player can fall to the ground and hit the back of his head on the turf. While a helmet will protect the head, a horse-collar tackle can still cause injuries. Additionally, if the player's spiked shoes catch in the turf as he is being pulled backwards, leg and ankle injuries can also occur.
Member Comments