- Football - Jeri Schott Collection
As society became more civilized and civil wars less prominent, sports answered the need for combat and excitement. The human race has engaged in sports for thousands of years. Football is a true combative sport, satisfying the belligerent urges of those who watch and those who play. People love to yell for their teams. The sound of colliding helmets gives fans a sense of life, pride, and youth.
The new rules affecting the 2009-10 season are the latest examples of a possibly changing game. Either the players have become bigger and more vicious, or the majority of viewers and players are more sensitive to the inherent threat of injury than ever before. Rules now protect the players though there is worry that the game of football somehow lacks the grit it once had. A rough form of touch football is replacing the original game as played by Rosie Grier and Frank Gifford. One argument is that the players get paid well to play hard. Player safety overrides literally bashing heads in.
Roughing the Passer
Thirty years ago, NFL coaches directed their defense to take the quarterback out. Rules now protect the quarterback and restrict any such sentiment. In 2008, Tom Brady suffered an injury that removed him from the entire season. Due to this injury, a new rule was added to the 2009-2010 season under “roughing the passer”. If a defensive player is on the ground, he cannot lunge toward the quarter back and tackle below the knees using his head and shoulders. (However, a player may tackle from the ground using his hands.) Since Tom Brady tore his ACL in such a situation, the League determined such a move unsportsmanlike. As any assault under “roughing the passer”, the offending team loses 15 yards when charged.
Rules Protecting the Head and Brain
On the other end of the body from the ACL sits the delicate but resilient human head. The illegal facemask rule prohibits a player from grabbing an opponent’s helmet by the bars and yanking the head around. The rule protects players from serious neck injury and possible paralysis. Several new rules concerning the area above the shoulders affected the 2009-10 football season. One rule denies an offensive player the pointed delivery of a blind side block above his challenger’s head. Another rule protects the defenseless receiver from being tackled by the head.
A number of studies suggest that those who suffered head injuries from football play later suffer from dementia, short term memory loss, and brain diseases such as chronic traumatic encelopathy (CTE) and Alzheimer’s. While there is controversy regarding the specifics of such studies, the NFL is paying close attention. A player who experiences symptoms of brain injury such as blacking out, nausea, or dizziness must leave the game or practice for the day. The Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Committee focuses on the seriousness of player concussions and head injury. The culture of football is changing into a less barbaric version previously known.
More Safety Rules
Two rules introduced in the 2009-10 season involve special teams. On a kick off, the receiving team previously lined up, shoulder to shoulder, to protect their receiver. The idea was to create a blocking line of men as the receiving team moved forward. The kicking wedge is limited to 2 men as of the 2009-10 season. Another new rule states that during an onside kick, the kicking team cannot have more than five players on either side of the kicker.
Replay Review Updated for 2009-10 Season
The replay review is a debatable topic unto itself. This season forward, replay officials are given the opportunity to review a call concerning a loose ball. The pending question: Is it a fumble or is it an incomplete pass? Many believe the official review option ruined the game of football. Competitors often want to play the referees first call, whether it is right or wrong, and move on in the game. Others believe the official review option brought fairness and chance not otherwise available. The new rule is not made for safety but does affect the outcome of games from now on.
Football is a game of heart and not for the faint of heart. Rules continually cause debate and evoke questions from spectators. Concern for player safety has not compromised the excitement for it is still the most watched sport in America.
Reference
Football Changes the Rules. (2010). Britannica Book of the Year, 2010. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Online
Retrieved January 27,2010 from EBSCO Power at http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9476421.
Gifford, F. (2008). The Glory Game. New York: Harper Collins.
Jeri Schott - Hi, Thanks for checking in with me. I am attending college but my ultimate dream is to write and earn money for doing so! I love ...
