See my sibling comment to you, markdown. I think the helmet and padding came because of the rules, not the other way around. Also, just an FYI that high tackl

See my sibling comment to you, markdown. I think the helmet and padding came because of the rules, not the other way around. Also, just an FYI that high tackles (at the head) are also illegal in football. The "head tackle" was made illegal after being popularized by Dick "Night Train" Lane. See this, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPm-6ZlTM5o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPm-6ZlTM5o, for the savagery of yesteryear.