Helmet to Helmet hits

[BaseballUmp]

ESPN just reported that the NFL could begin suspending players for helmet to helmet hits

ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5699517)

[slpybear the bullfan]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
ESPN just reported that the NFL could begin suspending players for helmet to helmet hits

ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5699517)

How do you teach players to tackle if they have to worry about this? :confused:

[Bullaholic]

Well, they could back into each other, slpy....:D
Concussions are a growing concern in athletics and I don't want to make light of the issue---perhaps new helmet technology will be advanced more rapidly because of the urgency of this matter.

[Old Tiger]

BRING BACK LEATHER HELMETS!

[MoveInDad]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Well, they could back into each other, slpy....:D
Concussions are a growing concern in athletics and I don't want to make light of the issue---perhaps new helmet technology will be advaced more rapidly because of the urgency of this matter.
Perhaps they could pace magnets in the helmets in such a way so that the southern poles would repel each other... although the extra weight might cause more neck injuries that it prevents.
;)

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by MoveInDad
Perhaps they could pace magnets in the helmets in such a way so that the southern poles would repel each other... although the extra weight might cause more neck injuries that it prevents.
;)

Actually, MID, I've done some thinking on helmet design over the years---perhaps some type of space-age composite helmet with a built-in, replaceable outward deploying air bag feature would be one answer. The bag would be regulated by a sensor and deploy only if the shock reached injurious limits.

[DDBooger]

Kid from Rutgers was cripled from the neck down, the knockout from the Eagles/Falcons game all in one weekend. According to ESPN it's the launching themselves into players HEAD first rather than running through the player.

[MoveInDad]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Actually, MID, I've done some thinking on helmet design over the years---perhaps some type of space-age composite helmet with a built-in, replaceable outward deploying air bag feature would be one answer. The bag would be regulated by a sensor and deploy only if the shock reached injurious limits.
Can't see that working. How would the sensor detect if it was helmet - helmet as opposed to the helmet - shoulder pad for instance. Also, the 'whip lash' effect of an air bag deployment directly on the head would seem to rule that out... wasn't sure if your post was a bit tongue in cheek like mine or genuine.

[sahen]

give them leather helmets...bet the defensive guys would be a lot less likely to "launch" himself at anything if they know they will most likely be KOed as well...for that matter go w/ no helmets, i don't think rugby has this prob...

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by sahen
i don't think rugby has this prob... They lose more teeth than consciousness. lol

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by sahen
give them leather helmets...bet the defensive guys would be a lot less likely to "launch" himself at anything if they know they will most likely be KOed as well...for that matter go w/ no helmets, i don't think rugby has this prob...


alot of experts say football would be safer without helmets..I actually would not be surprised if it in 10 years football is played without them

[BaseballUmp]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
alot of experts say football would be safer without helmets..I actually would not be surprised if it in 10 years football is played without them

???Now there is talk about possibly having inside officials wearing helmets...

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by slpybear the bullfan
How do you teach players to tackle if they have to worry about this? :confused:

I don't know about everyone else, but when I was taught to tackle it never involved helmet to helmet contact, and this was in the late 70's. It was about putting your facemask between the ball carrier's numbers and driving your legs.

I think this issue stems from a basic lack of fundamental instruction, combined with the desire to be on ESPN or YouTube for delivering a monster lick. Just my $.02...:nerd:

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by MoveInDad
Can't see that working. How would the sensor detect if it was helmet - helmet as opposed to the helmet - shoulder pad for instance. Also, the 'whip lash' effect of an air bag deployment directly on the head would seem to rule that out... wasn't sure if your post was a bit tongue in cheek like mine or genuine.

No I was being serious. The bag would deploy on any contact that exceeds certain pre-set sensor shock limits. The deployment would be outward for only a few inches----not inward, and it would necessitate the player picking up another pre-loaded helmet.

[Old Tiger]

I think a lot of hits are perceived as helmet to helmet when they really are not. In the slow motion replays you see it being a shoulder hit to the head.


Another problem is once a receiver catches a ball he cradles himself for the hit which causes the helmet to helmet a lot of time.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by Old Tiger

Another problem is once a receiver catches a ball he cradles himself for the hit which causes the helmet to helmet a lot of time.

that IMO is the biggest issue..Ball Carriers are taught to go as low as they can, this forces THEM to lead with their head..so if a LB is going for the chest area, but the RB then tries to go lower you get helmet to helmet

[MoveInDad]

Originally posted by sahen
give them leather helmets...bet the defensive guys would be a lot less likely to "launch" himself at anything if they know they will most likely be KOed as well...for that matter go w/ no helmets, i don't think rugby has this prob...
Funny, I was going to mention Ruby in my comment but thought I might get 'flamed' for comparing the two...
We lived in England for 11 years and my son grew up playing rugby, in that entire time he never suffered serious injury, just a LOT of bruises, minor sprains and 'scratches' from having aluminum studs (cleats) being raked over his body at the bottom of a ruck. In his 2nd play in last year's first preseason scrimmage he suffers a serious knee injury and fractured tibia - primarily because he didn't have a 'feel' for the way bodies are flying around in football.
Anyway, I love both sports, but I worry WAY more now he's playing football - playing on the D line - than I did when he played rugby - rugby is just a more 'natural' sport and I'm pleased to see it gaining rapidly in popularity in the U.S.

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by MoveInDad
Funny, I was going to mention Ruby in my comment but thought I might get 'flamed' for comparing the two...
We lived in England for 11 years and my son grew up playing rugby, in that entire time he never suffered serious injury, just a LOT of bruises, minor sprains and 'scratches' from having aluminum studs (cleats) being raked over his body at the bottom of a ruck. In his 2nd play in last year's first preseason scrimmage he suffers a serious knee injury and fractured tibia - primarily because he didn't have a 'feel' for the way bodies are flying around in football.
Anyway, I love both sports, but I worry WAY more now he's playing football - playing on the D line - than I did when he played rugby - rugby is just a more 'natural' sport and I'm pleased to see it gaining rapidly in popularity in the U.S.
Transitioning from Football to Rugby is difficult too. The instincts to throw a block are hard to ween.

[lulu]

And one does not have to get hit "in the
head" to sustain a concussion. Just a hard enough jolt to move the brain will do it. My nephew was not hit in the head week before last and he had a concussion.

[MoveInDad]

Rugby player making a tackle in football... note the knee brace now. ;)

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by MoveInDad
Rugby player making a tackle in football... not the knee brace now. ;)http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=434107474925&set=a.151608114925.116770.555234925&pid=5330969&id=555234925 excellent form tackle

[MoveInDad]

Originally posted by DDBooger
excellent form tackle
I deleted the link because I didn't think it would work if you weren't logged in to FB... I need to go to FAQ to see how to post a pic.

[bwdlionfan]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
The bag would be regulated by a sensor and deploy only if the shock reached injurious limits.

Is injurious a word? Not trying to play grammar police I've never heard of it... wondering if it's a word or if you did a nice job on word creation.

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Is injurious a word?

I've heard personal injury lawyers use it quite a bit...

[bwdlionfan]

Although the hit in the eagles-falcons game was pretty vicious... I didn't think it warranted a penalty. It didn't appear the defensive guy was trying to hit him helmet to helmet or trying to hit a defenseless receiver.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by bwdlionfan
Is injurious a word? Not trying to play grammar police I've never heard of it... wondering if it's a word or if you did a nice job on word creation. Yes it means serious injury steming from the root words Injury and serious which come from the latin words malum and serius.

[slpybear the bullfan]

Originally posted by Maroon87
I don't know about everyone else, but when I was taught to tackle it never involved helmet to helmet contact, and this was in the late 70's. It was about putting your facemask between the ball carrier's numbers and driving your legs.

I think this issue stems from a basic lack of fundamental instruction, combined with the desire to be on ESPN or YouTube for delivering a monster lick. Just my $.02...:nerd:

I was taught exactly the same. We were told to look up, put the crossbars on the letters. But there were lots of times the when you lowered yourself and hit, the other player would drop down and it would be facemask to helmet, facemask to earhole, facemask to facemask, etc.

Of course, we also got a royal butt chewing if we looked down. I can still remember my coaches yelling at us about being paralyzed if you looked down...

[OldNavy]

40 years ago when I played, it was the back of the head hitting the ground that hurt me the most, getting knocked backwards.

Saw a hit that knocked a young man unconscious this last week. Nothing vicious or even on purpose. The two head gears hit at about 90 degrees. Both players got hurt. The young man that went unconscious had his head twisted as if he had received a right hook on the chin. The other boy had his helmet twist on his head, pulling the mouth guard from his mouth and he chipped a couple of teeth and bit his lip requiring stitches. From the film it was not apparent that either saw the other until the collision occurred.

Any way you look at it, football is a contact sport. Could be we have too many that try to injure, I don't know. I do know that I don't want any one hurt, but I want them to be able to play football, not rugby or soccer or flag ball. Really, leather helmets are not the answer, they don't protect against the knee or hard thigh hit to the head which happens at the line of scrimmage.

[eagleqb_14]

Originally posted by slpybear the bullfan
How do you teach players to tackle if they have to worry about this? :confused: :iagree: :iagree:

[Old Tiger]

The NFL complains about concussions but they do not force their players in the league to wear mouthpieces. It is proven that mouthpieces can reduce concussions.

[1st and goal]

Face it, some players are out there to "tear somebody's blanking head off". You can almost always tell a vicious hit if shown in slo-motion. Defenses do it to intimidate and sideline star players.

Remember the hit on Shipley the week before? Did that guy get fined? I never heard anymore about it.

[1st and goal]

Originally posted by 1st and goal
Face it, some players are out there to "tear somebody's blanking head off". You can almost always tell a vicious hit if shown in slo-motion. Defenses do it to intimidate and sideline star players.

Remember the hit on Shipley the week before? Did that guy get fined? I never heard anymore about it.

It was TJ Ward and he got fined $15,000.