How To Avoid Concussions In The NFL
The NFL has been the subject of some scrutiny from the media and retired players in the past few years. They recently paid $765 million to former players and their families in a concussion lawsuit settlement. (NFL.com) "We now have a fund that is there for players and their families if they are having any issues. We also are going to baseline those players. If they develop neurocognitive issues, there will be a fund there for them." Said Commissioner Roger Goodell. (NFL.com) On top of making the fund for retired players the NFL has also implemented several new rules to help current players reduce the risk of injury. While these new rules are a start, these are only the beginning steps to further preventing serious injuries caused to players.
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In the concussion protocol there are eight sections on game day management of concussions, outlines for tests a player must pass in order to play, potential concussion signs/ symptoms, and the NFL sideline concussion assessment. (Management of concussions) With the more strict concussion protocol this could be significantly reduced. The concussion protocol will also prevent players from coming back before their concussion has completely gone away. Before the league began taking concussions seriously this was a common problem, leading to more serious head injuries. Along with making hits to the head and neck area these rules and guidelines have the potential to prevent repeated head injuries and make the game safer for the …show more content…
While there aren’t as many as there are positive these also need to be looked at. The major negative affect is that the referee’s may now have too much power. They were given the ability to make a player leave the field if they appear to have a concussion. This could end up being a problem, the referees are trained to look for the signs of a concussion but they still are not medical experts. The officials could send players who have no sign of a concussion to the sideline to get check out while continuing the game. It’s hard to enforce repercussions on the officials because it’s a judgment call. One owner said “We do not expect this to be a rule that gets used a lot.” (Chicago Tribune) While they may not expect it to get utilized a lot they have no control of the officials
In the concussion protocol there are eight sections on game day management of concussions, outlines for tests a player must pass in order to play, potential concussion signs/ symptoms, and the NFL sideline concussion assessment. (Management of concussions) With the more strict concussion protocol this could be significantly reduced. The concussion protocol will also prevent players from coming back before their concussion has completely gone away. Before the league began taking concussions seriously this was a common problem, leading to more serious head injuries. Along with making hits to the head and neck area these rules and guidelines have the potential to prevent repeated head injuries and make the game safer for the …show more content…
While there aren’t as many as there are positive these also need to be looked at. The major negative affect is that the referee’s may now have too much power. They were given the ability to make a player leave the field if they appear to have a concussion. This could end up being a problem, the referees are trained to look for the signs of a concussion but they still are not medical experts. The officials could send players who have no sign of a concussion to the sideline to get check out while continuing the game. It’s hard to enforce repercussions on the officials because it’s a judgment call. One owner said “We do not expect this to be a rule that gets used a lot.” (Chicago Tribune) While they may not expect it to get utilized a lot they have no control of the officials