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I'm not sure helmets and padding are the driving issues here-aren't a lot of cases of CTE caused by sub concussive hits? Like linemen who hit each other on play

I'm not sure helmets and padding are the driving issues here-aren't a lot of cases of CTE caused by sub concussive hits? Like linemen who hit each other on plays and have their brains rattled around? I'm not sure what can be done to ameliorate that, other than turning football into flag football.

deleted 12y ago
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ritchiea 12y ago
I often wonder if football could be played without pads like rugby. And yes I do think the damage done to linemen can be attributed to helmets because when you have a helmet you have a false sense of security that you can smash your head into another person or another person's helmet without injury. I suspect without helmets players would make active attempts to keep their heads out of harms way as much as possible.
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  > And yes I do think the damage done to linemen can be attributed to helmets I don't. In all eras of football -- including the eras before pads and helmets -- the close-in part has been the most damaging and seen the most fatalities (especially before elaborate protective gear.) Rule changes designed to spread the game out specifically for the purposes of safety have reduced that overall, but the linemen are still in the worst of what remains. > And yes I do think the damage done to linemen can be attributed to helmets No doubt they would -- and did -- but "as much as possible" is unlikely to be enough to offset the increased consequences when it is not possible. Its not like we haven't had football without, or with less effective, helmets.
  - a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
    The hits are big and regularly concussive because of the pace of the game. It's very short bursts of activity with lots of rest in between, resulting in enormous players with much explosive power. If there were less than a minute between every play, you simply wouldn't get the huge hits. The players would have to be smaller and trained for more endurance at the expense of power. The existence of special teams and having separate players for offense and defense also contributes to the problem. If the players were forced to play the whole game they simply couldn't be the wrecking balls they are now.
    - panzagl 12y ago
      Ooh, I like this idea- cut rosters down to 25 or so. Game becomes less about specific physical abnormality and there's more money to spread among fewer players.
    - zo1 12y ago
      Not a bad start. But have you seen the size of regular rugby players? They still specialize from the looks of it, and even the "small/fast" players are 6ft+ and above average in weight and build.
      - dagw 12y ago
        Still a 300+ lbs professional rugby player is very rare, a 300+ lbs NFL lineman is basically the norm.
- alaxsxaq 12y ago
  Concussions are a serious issue being discussed in Rugby - estimates are that 1% of players will suffer from early onset dementia. Maybe more than the differences in protective gear, the reduced incidence of concussions in rugby are likely due to differences in tackling techniques - Ruby requires a wrap-up technique which results in players leading with the shoulder and not the head since they have to wrap their arms around the opponent and bring them to the ground.

deleted 12y ago

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ritchiea 12y ago

I often wonder if football could be played without pads like rugby. And yes I do think the damage done to linemen can be attributed to helmets because when you have a helmet you have a false sense of security that you can smash your head into another person or another person's helmet without injury. I suspect without helmets players would make active attempts to keep their heads out of harms way as much as possible.

dragonwriter 12y ago
> And yes I do think the damage done to linemen can be attributed to helmets I don't. In all eras of football -- including the eras before pads and helmets -- the close-in part has been the most damaging and seen the most fatalities (especially before elaborate protective gear.) Rule changes designed to spread the game out specifically for the purposes of safety have reduced that overall, but the linemen are still in the worst of what remains. > And yes I do think the damage done to linemen can be attributed to helmets No doubt they would -- and did -- but "as much as possible" is unlikely to be enough to offset the increased consequences when it is not possible. Its not like we haven't had football without, or with less effective, helmets.
- a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
  The hits are big and regularly concussive because of the pace of the game. It's very short bursts of activity with lots of rest in between, resulting in enormous players with much explosive power. If there were less than a minute between every play, you simply wouldn't get the huge hits. The players would have to be smaller and trained for more endurance at the expense of power. The existence of special teams and having separate players for offense and defense also contributes to the problem. If the players were forced to play the whole game they simply couldn't be the wrecking balls they are now.
  - panzagl 12y ago
    Ooh, I like this idea- cut rosters down to 25 or so. Game becomes less about specific physical abnormality and there's more money to spread among fewer players.
  - zo1 12y ago
    Not a bad start. But have you seen the size of regular rugby players? They still specialize from the looks of it, and even the "small/fast" players are 6ft+ and above average in weight and build.
    - dagw 12y ago
      Still a 300+ lbs professional rugby player is very rare, a 300+ lbs NFL lineman is basically the norm.
alaxsxaq 12y ago
Concussions are a serious issue being discussed in Rugby - estimates are that 1% of players will suffer from early onset dementia. Maybe more than the differences in protective gear, the reduced incidence of concussions in rugby are likely due to differences in tackling techniques - Ruby requires a wrap-up technique which results in players leading with the shoulder and not the head since they have to wrap their arms around the opponent and bring them to the ground.