IS FOOTBALL SAFE ENOUGH TO PLAY?

By: Tyler Rastia

Key Points

How equipment began

Equipment of today and the future

Significant rule changes

Is it enough?

Helmet History

Helmet began as leather in 1893

Some padding was introduced during the time of World War II

Head injuries were becoming a significant concern

1950 was when plastic helmets were created

Helmet Future Helmets are constantly

improving and a great example is the Riddell 360

Concussion proof padding can significantly reduce the impact of a hit

More future improvements include air cooled padding and in game brain monitoring

Shoulder Pad History Shoulder pads were first

introduced by stitching leather to inside of the player’s jersey

Leather was not strong enough to protect against hits so plastic shoulder pads were created in 1939

Players assumed the thicker the plastic, the more protection

Shoulder Pad Future Theory of thicker plastic

makes for more protection is gone

Harder material is used taking place of fabrics such as nylon

With the new material, players can have just as much protection without sacrificing speed and mobility

Temperature Management System allows for air cooled shoulder pads

Knee and Thigh Pads Idea of knee and thigh pads

originated from rugby Early padding was once again

made of leather Foam padding has taken the

place of leather in today’s game

Knee and thigh pads have generally stayed the same over the years other than different foam materials

Rule Changes Head injuries have become a significant

concern in today’s game In 2010 the NFL made a rule that a

defensive player is not allowed to hit an offensive player with the crown of the helmet

2010 also year defenseless receiver rule and helmet to helmet rule was made

2013 is the year offensive players can’t hit defensive players with the crown of their helmet

Rule Changes Continued

2013 is also the year knee and thigh pads are required for all players

Rule changes have created a lot of controversy over the years, but they definitely are helping to make the game of football safer

Conclusion There is no way to completely make the game of

football safe. And there is no one way to make the game of football safer. Equipment is doing very well at giving players more protection during games but equipment alone cannot improve player safety. With equipment getting the help of the rule changes in place now and future rule changes to come, safety in the game of football will continue to be improved