Litigation

NFL considers rule changes to reduce incidence of concussions

By Michael Kaplen

According to an article in today?s Washington Post, the NFL is considering rule changes that would reduce the head to head contact between players as a way of reducing the incidence of concussions in professional football.

The rule change will be a subject of discussion between the players union and the league at upcoming meetings.

Some of the possible rules changes include a ban on helmet-to-helmet hits on all ballcarriers, in addition to the existing bans on such hits on quarterbacks and receivers; roster exemptions for players recovering from concussions; and the elimination of the three-point stance used by players at the line of scrimmage.

While steps to reduce the frequency of concussions should be applauded, these steps will not eliminate the risk of concussions in football and the league needs to continue to devote its resources to educating players and staff about the risk of concussions, the symptoms of concussions and the need to stay off the playing field until medically cleared to return to play.

Read the full story:   NFL considers rules changes to combat concussions 

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on February 20, 2010 (boomark / email).