4 ms·

Why is it crazy to replace the helmets on each major impact? This is a multi billion dollar industry

canadaj 8y ago
The problem is that replacing the helmets after each play or major impact would take time, and the clock doesn't always stop after a play during football. If we stopped the clock to replace a helmet, we open up the possibility of a team using this to slow down an advancing offense, or by an offense to gain a short timeout in a sense. Basically it just doesn't mesh well with the flow of the game.
- awakeasleep 8y ago
  As someone who doesn't watch much football because the game doesn't seem to have any flow, it's interesting to hear that it is actually a concern. https://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/i3OtXsk.png https://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/i3OtXs... https://qz.com/150577/an-average-nfl-game-more-than-100-commercials-and-just-11-minutes-of-play/ https://qz.com/150577/an-average-nfl-game-more-than-100-comm...
  - ThirdFoundation 8y ago
    These studies never take into account that the game is still ongoing while the ball is not in play. A lot of the game takes place before the snap, as does the strategy. The offense after a big play sometimes struggles to get to the line of scrimmage in time to snap the ball again. There is a flow and rhythm to the game for those of us who enjoy the sport. Though I can understand where you are coming from.
  - throwawayjava 8y ago
    Parent is referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurry-up_offense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurry-up_offense Another interesting thing: one major advantage of speed is actually slowing the game down. E.g., if you move quickly between plays, you can catch the other team with too many men on the field during a substitution. in that case, you sometimes get a "free throw" (if the play works out, you decline the "too many players on field" penalty; but if the play doesn't work out or the other team intercepts the ball, you take the penalty and pretend like the failed play didn't even happen. So you can actually increase the length of the game by moving quickly in-between plays...
- jbigelow76 8y ago
  Just replace them after every series[1], that way while the offense is coming off the field they are getting their helmets swapped out and the defense is going in with fresh helmets, rinse/repeat. [1] A series being after the offenses/defenses swap out, this could be as little as one play, but rarely more than 15-18 and I would guess on average about 8 or 9. Edit: grammar
rhcom2 8y ago
These players have to start somewhere. A highschool can't eat the cost of multiple helmet replacements.
- poulsbohemian 8y ago
  Agreed, but the hits my nine year old is making playing pee wee league are significantly different than those happening in college, the CFL, and NFL. In the same way that a pro skier in the backcountry uses very different safety equipment than the person on in-bounds groomed snow. This isn't to say that we shouldn't seek to keep kids as safe as possible, just that I don't see an issue in scaling the equipment (and its costs) relative to the risk.
  - jsgo 8y ago
    Anecdotal, but from what I've heard it tends to be that at the high school and earlier levels hitting is done in a more chaotic manner. Yes, they're not 300-plus pound athletes hitting people, but seems that even in the earlier stages it is detrimental.
    - Retric 8y ago
      It's also cumulative so someone doing 4 years in HS then stopping is inherently safer than someone that goes to collage and even that's safer than a 5+ year NFL run. Granted far more people play at lower levels but it's reasonable to consider cost benefits for each group. With the option to increase protection for people expected to continue to the next level.
      - salvar 8y ago
        The average NFL career is 3.3 years, so a HS football stint would actually be longer.
        Retric 8y ago
        The average is dragged down by people that stop very quickly. People that stay for 5+ years are at much higher risks than someone that stops at 1. And again that's after 3-4 years in collage and 2-4 years in high-school. So we are talking ~9 years vs up to 26+ when every year is more risky than the last because of cumulative damage.
tengbretson 8y ago
It adds an incentive for the defense to intentionally crumple an offensive player's helmet with the intention of taking them out for a play or slowing down their rhythm. It would likely have a net-negative impact on safety.

The problem is that replacing the helmets after each play or major impact would take time, and the clock doesn't always stop after a play during football. If we stopped the clock to replace a helmet, we open up the possibility of a team using this to slow down an advancing offense, or by an offense to gain a short timeout in a sense. Basically it just doesn't mesh well with the flow of the game.

awakeasleep 8y ago
As someone who doesn't watch much football because the game doesn't seem to have any flow, it's interesting to hear that it is actually a concern. https://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/i3OtXsk.png https://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/i3OtXs... https://qz.com/150577/an-average-nfl-game-more-than-100-commercials-and-just-11-minutes-of-play/ https://qz.com/150577/an-average-nfl-game-more-than-100-comm...
- ThirdFoundation 8y ago
  These studies never take into account that the game is still ongoing while the ball is not in play. A lot of the game takes place before the snap, as does the strategy. The offense after a big play sometimes struggles to get to the line of scrimmage in time to snap the ball again. There is a flow and rhythm to the game for those of us who enjoy the sport. Though I can understand where you are coming from.
- throwawayjava 8y ago
  Parent is referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurry-up_offense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurry-up_offense Another interesting thing: one major advantage of speed is actually slowing the game down. E.g., if you move quickly between plays, you can catch the other team with too many men on the field during a substitution. in that case, you sometimes get a "free throw" (if the play works out, you decline the "too many players on field" penalty; but if the play doesn't work out or the other team intercepts the ball, you take the penalty and pretend like the failed play didn't even happen. So you can actually increase the length of the game by moving quickly in-between plays...
jbigelow76 8y ago
Just replace them after every series[1], that way while the offense is coming off the field they are getting their helmets swapped out and the defense is going in with fresh helmets, rinse/repeat. [1] A series being after the offenses/defenses swap out, this could be as little as one play, but rarely more than 15-18 and I would guess on average about 8 or 9. Edit: grammar

rhcom2 8y ago

These players have to start somewhere. A highschool can't eat the cost of multiple helmet replacements.

poulsbohemian 8y ago
Agreed, but the hits my nine year old is making playing pee wee league are significantly different than those happening in college, the CFL, and NFL. In the same way that a pro skier in the backcountry uses very different safety equipment than the person on in-bounds groomed snow. This isn't to say that we shouldn't seek to keep kids as safe as possible, just that I don't see an issue in scaling the equipment (and its costs) relative to the risk.
- jsgo 8y ago
  Anecdotal, but from what I've heard it tends to be that at the high school and earlier levels hitting is done in a more chaotic manner. Yes, they're not 300-plus pound athletes hitting people, but seems that even in the earlier stages it is detrimental.
  - Retric 8y ago
    It's also cumulative so someone doing 4 years in HS then stopping is inherently safer than someone that goes to collage and even that's safer than a 5+ year NFL run. Granted far more people play at lower levels but it's reasonable to consider cost benefits for each group. With the option to increase protection for people expected to continue to the next level.
    - salvar 8y ago
      The average NFL career is 3.3 years, so a HS football stint would actually be longer.
      - Retric 8y ago
        The average is dragged down by people that stop very quickly. People that stay for 5+ years are at much higher risks than someone that stops at 1. And again that's after 3-4 years in collage and 2-4 years in high-school. So we are talking ~9 years vs up to 26+ when every year is more risky than the last because of cumulative damage.

tengbretson 8y ago

It adds an incentive for the defense to intentionally crumple an offensive player's helmet with the intention of taking them out for a play or slowing down their rhythm. It would likely have a net-negative impact on safety.