Justice and American Politics » sport and concussion

New NFL Rules to Prevent Concussion

gjohnson — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:48:28 +0000

During their meeting in Orlando this week, and following much embarrassing publicity last year, National Football League officials made some key changes in their safety rules. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/25/sports/AP-FBN-NFL-Meetings.html?_r=1 Some of the rules passed Wednesday are aimed at protecting “defenseless” players, as the Associated Press described them, such as ball carriers who lose their helmets during action on the field. One of the changes is that a “defenseless” player can’t be struck in the neck or head area by a rival who uses his shoulder, helmet or forearm to make contact, according to AP. Before, such tackles were prohibited against receivers who couldn’t protect themselves, but now they apply to and protect all players. The rules changes made by the NFL also include one that mirrors college safety measures. Now in the NFL, if a player running with the football loses his helmet, the game will immediately be stopped, with the ball set at the spot where the helmet came off. Even umpires are getting more protection under the new rules. Umpires will now be placed behind the offensive backfield, not the linebackers’ area. That change was made because NFL officials had seen “a hundred” examples of umpires being runover. The National Hockey League also came closer to making more stringent safety rules, in terms of head injuries. It appears likely that hockey officials will impose punishments for blind-side checks to the head effective immediately, not at the start of next season, according to The New York Times Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/25/sports/AP-FBN-NFL-Meetings.html?_r=1

Missouri May Pass Student Concussion Law

gjohnson — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:18:33 +0000

Missouri is the latest state to be weighing legislation that would keep young athletes off the field if they appear to have sustained a concussion.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/healthfitness/story/EB4F233FBE11B772862576E9006F382D?OpenDocument

The proposed law mandates that athletes can only return to play after they are examined by a licensed medical professional and then give written permission to come back.

The concussion bill before the Missouri House is being sponsored by Rep. Don Calloway, although some of his fellow lawmakers don’t think his proposal goes far enough.

Rep. James Morris told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he wants the final law to be stricter. He is especially concerned about the issue because Morris witnessed his own son being knocked unconscious during a football practice. Morris insisted that his son be taken to the hospital.

More than 20 states are considering legislation to set stricter rules to bench athletes when they sustain head injuries. Several of those bills, including Missouri’s, are similar to a Washington law that was passed after Zachary Lystedt, 13, sustained traumatic brain injury at a junior high school game.

Missouri’s high school athletic organization is also preparing to take steps regarding head injuries, by instituting new rules regarding concussions.

According to the Dispatch, high school athletes who have symptoms of concussions will not be allowed to return to play the same day they are hurt, even if they don’t lose consciousness.

N.J. Introduces New Regulations To Protect All Student Athletes From Concussions

gjohnson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:58:26 +0000

The New Jersey entity that regulates high school athletics in state Monday introduced a set of rules that mandate that athletes who sustain head injuries must undergo a series of tests before being able to return to the field to play.

The story got significant play in the state’s primary newspaper, The Star-Ledger of Newark, which ran it on Page One. http://blog.nj.com/hssportsextra/2010/03/njsiaa_sets_guidelines_for_dea.html

If the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) approves the new measures, there would be a standard set of regulations to treat concussions for athletes in every single sport, according to The Ledger.

One of the new regulations is that players who sustain a concussion or head injury must show no symptoms or problems for a week before they can play again.

They must also do a six-step regimen where they gradually do aerobic exercise and get the OK of a medical professional to play again.

Trainers, student athletes and coaches will receive annual training on concussions, including their symptoms.

Those are some, but not all, of the requirements under the new NJSIAA guidelines. That body oversees athletic programs at 434 high schools in the Garden State.