Competition Committee proposals: end play when ball carrier's helmet comes off & sudden death overtime

[saden1]

WSJ had a great piece on head injuries last year.

The problem is that there's nothing any helmet could do to stop the brain from taking lots of small hits. To become certified for sale, a football helmet has to earn a "severity index" score of 1200, according to testing done by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, or Nocsae. Dr. Robert Cantu, a Nocsae board member and chief of neurosurgery at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., says that to prevent concussions, helmets would have to have a severity index of 300—about four times better than the standard. "The only way to make that happen, Dr. Cantu says, "is to make the helmet much bigger and the padding much bigger."

The problem with that approach, he says—other than making players look like Marvin the Martian—is that heavier helmets would be more likely to cause neck injuries.

One of the strongest arguments for banning helmets comes from the Australian Football League. While it's a similarly rough game, the AFL never added any of the body armor Americans wear. When comparing AFL research studies and official NFL injury reports, AFL players appear to get hurt more often on the whole with things like shoulder injuries and tweaked knees. But when it comes to head injuries, the helmeted NFL players are about 25% more likely to sustain one.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by saden1

WSJ had a great piece on head injuries last year.

I remember reading that

it'd be hard to get them to adjust playing without helmets or pads and yeah it'd increase other injuries.. not sure it's a great idea

[Mc2guy]

Originally Posted by saden1

WSJ had a great piece on head injuries last year.

One thing they could do, which I think would help a lot is to dispense with the notion of a reusable helmet.

Motorcycle helmets are built to withstand one hit. They are built to crush in order to absorb the impact and be replaced. Football helmets could be built in a similar way so that you play until you have a strong head strike, and then you replace the "guts" of the helmet...using the reusable outer shell.

This would work well since you could keep the material light and the shell would only have to last a game, not a season.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Mc2guy

One thing they could do, which I think would help a lot is to dispense with the notion of a reusable helmet.

Motorcycle helmets are built to withstand one hit. They are built to crush in order to absorb the impact and be replaced. Football helmets could be built in a similar way so that you play until you have a strong head strike, and then you replace the "guts" of the helmet...using the reusable outer shell.

This would work well since you could keep the material light and the shell would only have to last a game, not a season.

the guts can hold up.. it's the shell that's the issue

actually it's not even so much that.. motorcycle helmets are one impact because of the force.. in football they typically don't get the same impact

it has more to do with the head just getting beaten around so much.. it's the guts that need more working, not replacing

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by Mc2guy

One thing they could do, which I think would help a lot is to dispense with the notion of a reusable helmet.

Motorcycle helmets are built to withstand one hit. They are built to crush in order to absorb the impact and be replaced. Football helmets could be built in a similar way so that you play until you have a strong head strike, and then you replace the "guts" of the helmet...using the reusable outer shell.

This would work well since you could keep the material light and the shell would only have to last a game, not a season.

Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the arse it is just to get a helmet to fit properly, first with the chinstrap, then with the air in the helmet? Maybe it's feasible but I just remember when playing how it took some guys a week to find the right fit for their helmet, and this was just in high school, I can't imagine what the pro's go through getting one or two helmets to fit right (I presume they use a different helmet on gameday).

Personally the first thing they need to do is outlaw light weight helmets. I'm pretty sure those don't help much in terms of preventing concussions.

[tryfuhl]

just heard on ESPN that the overtime change would only be for the postseason

ugh

[53Fan]

Snyder thinks OT proposal will pass - NFC East Blog - ESPN

[RobH4413]

I don't quite get this mentality that stopping the play when the helmet comes off is sissy. Yeah, players look bad ass when they fight for more yards after their helmet is ripped off, but it's such a minor sacrifice to protect players.

Rules implemented to protect the players' heads are extremely important to protect the game. The more concussion news that takes place, the more of a crack down there will be on the game, and taking a preventative course of actions seems logical.

Look at all the brain injuries former NFL players are suffering. It's absolutely devasting...both physically and mentally. When it's all said and done, it's just a game...and no-one should significantly risk their lives to play it.

Think about if your brother or son made it to the NFL. It's a man's game, but it's also not suicide. Lets be smart people.

[MTK]

New OT rule just passed for playoffs only at this point.

Just go ahead and do it for the entire season, this playoffs only rule is silly if you ask me.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

New OT rule just passed for playoffs only at this point.

Just go ahead and do it for the entire season, this playoffs only rule is silly if you ask me.

Agree 100%

If it can determine the outcome of a playoff game it should be able to do the same in games that could determine whether a team is playoff eligible or not.

[skinsfanthru&thru]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

New OT rule just passed for playoffs only at this point.

Just go ahead and do it for the entire season, this playoffs only rule is silly if you ask me.

Just heard Chris Mortenson report they will be looking more closely at expanding it to the regular season as well at the owner's meeting in May. I think that's the only way it should be changed is all or nothing. Why would you not include this rule on the games that actually determines the teams in the playoffs?

[Skinny Tee]

(Jay Glazer Tweet)

On Tuesday 23rd March 2010, @Jay_Glazer said:

Coaches r quite upset owners voted to change OT rules while they were playing in nfl coaches golf tourney. Was on schedule to be voted on tomorrow, not while the coaches were out

[mlmdub130]

Originally Posted by Skinny Tee

(Jay Glazer Tweet)

On Tuesday 23rd March 2010, @Jay_Glazer said:

Coaches r quite upset owners voted to change OT rules while they were playing in nfl coaches golf tourney. Was on schedule to be voted on tomorrow, not while the coaches were out

Coaches aren't happy with rule change | ProFootballTalk.com

Reason for accelerated overtime vote still isn't clear | ProFootballTalk.com

[GusFrerotte]

The OT rule is dumb. If it isn't broke don't fix it. The stoppage of play when the helmet flies off of the ball carrier is good common sense. That guy gets whacked in the head with a helmet and you are asking for serious trouble, like a probable death, so I can understand that. I heard they want to protect Wrs more now from getting big licks on them. Now that is going to wussify the game. The NFL bigwigs need to chill. IF the wussify their product too much folks will go to the NHL!!!!

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by GusFrerotte

The OT rule is dumb. If it isn't broke don't fix it. The stoppage of play when the helmet flies off of the ball carrier is good common sense. That guy gets whacked in the head with a helmet and you are asking for serious trouble, like a probable death, so I can understand that. I heard they want to protect Wrs more now from getting big licks on them. Now that is going to wussify the game. The NFL bigwigs need to chill. IF the wussify their product too much folks will go to the NHL!!!!

While I understand that sentiment; can you quantify not being broke? Does it work as it is? yes. But so would playing another full quarter, or ending after 4 quarters regardless. I would say that, seeing as how after every overtime, the conversation about the "unfairness" of the coin toss comes up, it is broke. Is it statistically unfair, I don't know, people have flung lots of stats on both sides. This change, which I like, takes out the sour grapes quotient that has come after most every game where the first team wins, which is probably about half the time (statistically fair, but it just fails the eye test).

I am glad they approved it and hope they pass it for the regular season as well.