[sportscurmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Personally I think more padding is just window dressing and doesn't do much to prevent head injuries. You could wrap guys in bubble wrap, but if they crash into each other with enough force the brain is going to get jarred no matter what you do. So the most logical thing to do is reduce (or eventually eliminate) some of the plays where the highest speed collisions take place.

I am surprised they don't make mouth guards mandatory though. I know in high school we had to wear them. I'm not sure what research says about them reducing head injuries though. I think I remember reading the conclusions are mixed.

Studies I read regarding mouthguards about ten years ago were inconclusive with regard to their ability to mitigate concussions. However, there were no data to suggest that using a mouthguard increased the likelihood of a concussion. So, high schools in most places mandated their use.