The NFL (and other football governing bodies?) are actually equally worried, if not more worried, by the repeated lower intensity hits that take place in the t

The NFL (and other football governing bodies?) are actually equally worried, if not more worried, by the repeated lower intensity hits that take place in the trenches (read: offensive and defensive linemen). So improving refereeing is perhaps part of the solution (to avoid some of the more horrific/sensational injuries), but other things need to change to protect the linemen. It's sad actually, skills players in football have always been the ones talked about and focused on, and here we have, yet again, the linemen mostly forgotten about. Another point mentioned here is that the improvements in helmet design have undoubtedly led to more violent use of the helmet. I have a friend in the NFL league office, and they're well aware of this ironic (?) fact, but what is there to do? Go back to leather caps without face masks? The technology mentioned here could actually provide the players with real-time data and threshold points ("you've had 264 high-intensity hits this season; danger zone") which could perhaps help to adjust player habits more readily. I'm thinking about a parallel situation where certain residents used less water (or some other utility) than their neighbors when the meter was visible for routine/daily check-ins. Disclosure: I played a year of college football as a quasi-lineman (tight end) before the drudgery of football practice led me to quit and move over to [JV] basketball.