NFL Safety Measures

See lots of complaints about safety measures and wussifying football. I don't see it on the field. Still an incredibly violent game filled with big hits and lots of injured players. So I am curious what safety measures folks feel are unreasonable?

I agree completely, 'cak. There were a couple of heated threads about the NFL enforcing existing rules during the season, and after reading/absorbing the information and perspectives from all sides, I paid a lot of attention to how the game was being played with this subject in mind.

And honestly, I did not see any changes other than a tapering off of the cheap shots.

I'd like to see clear examples of the so-called "wussification" of the sport by those advancing this opinion, because otherwise it's a bunch of rhetoric with no substance.

I am all for the safety of the game, afterall the longer the "stars" can keep playing the more competitive and compelling the games are.

I think helmet technology is coming around. I think the biggest thing is to enforce rules regarding "leaving the feet." I think the sport is still hard hitting but a line is crossed with the launching into people. Fines don't do much good. Suspensions might make people think.

I agree with some players that they are just reacting but maybe this starts at the lowest levels of football. When I played in high school in the 80s I don't remember many guys launching at others but I remember alot of great hits that were just hard hits. We were taught head across the chest and wrap up. Of course bigger guys you might have to hit a little lower but the head and chin were always up. Guys duck the head now and just dive. That is where it is dangerous for them and others. Maybe they need to get more teaching for the lower levels that because they are enamored with the big hits and thus we have poor tackling league wide in my book.

I also think there needs to be a more reasonable line on the QB hits. Honestly, I don't know where to start but we are talking 6'3 and taller guys weighing a ton and in hand to hand combat to get to the QB. Sometimes you are going to be coming in high. I don't see it as a penalty to get off your block and to get to the QB even if a little high. I think this goes back to above with the leading with the crown debate. If its an open shot, the guy can avoid hlmet to helmet but I see way too many penalties called on guys just coming off blocks and running into the QB just because of momentum. I think you can still keep the integrity of the game if you can find a happy medium here. Afterall most PI and other penalties are judgement calls as it is.

I'm also a fan of the 16 game schedule with less preseason. I think even with expanded rosters and an extra bye you are going to have a watered down league. Half the guys on teams now aren't what I'd call "elite" by NFL standards so the extra guys aren't going to move that scale up. In reality the stars are still playing more games and even a bye doesn't heal most of the nagging stuff.

Just some random thoughts.

HoustonFrog said:

When I played in high school in the 80s I don't remember many guys launching at others but I remember alot of great hits that were just hard hits. We were taught head across the chest and wrap up.

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And drive through the player which implied don't leave your feet/lose your leverage. Players generally have crud tacking techniques and I think it is resulting in more shoulder injuries to the players themselves with players coming in lowering the shoulder with no attempt to wrap up v. arms wide shoulder square.

I also think there needs to be a more reasonable line on the QB hits. Honestly, I don't know where to start but we are talking 6'3 and taller guys weighing a ton and in hand to hand combat to get to the QB. ... Afterall most PI and other penalties are judgement calls as it is.

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Do you have any specific rules in mind or just how they are enforced? I think it should be explicitly stated on blows to the head that the refs can make a call on incidental/unintentional v. intentional. DE coming off the edge aiming for hitting the shoulder or arm getting blocked enough that his arm grazes the helmet shouldn't get flagged.

infantrycak said:

And drive through the player which implied don't leave your feet/lose your leverage. Players generally have crud tacking techniques and I think it is resulting in more shoulder injuries to the players themselves with players coming in lowering the shoulder with no attempt to wrap up v. arms wide shoulder square.



Do you have any specific rules in mind or just how they are enforced? I think it should be explicitly stated on blows to the head that the refs can make a call on incidental/unintentional v. intentional. DE coming off the edge aiming for hitting the shoulder or arm getting blocked enough that his arm grazes the helmet shouldn't get flagged.

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Right on the tackling. Explode with the hips. We were also taught that lowering the head in any way was dangerous for ourselves due to paralysis and other neck injuries.

How they are enforced. I agree with everything you said and that was what I was getting at. I've seen guys have to leap over cutblocks, etc and they 5 feet from the QB and they end up grazing the helmet or hitting just below the chin and they get whistled. I think even the ref coming on the mike and announcing that the hit was unintentinal due to the block, etc would be alright.

There were a few penalties called this past year the I felt were not good calls. I will see if I can dig some up.

Rey said:

There were a few penalties called this past year the I felt were not good calls. I will see if I can dig some up.

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Bad calls happen every year, regardless if it's holding, pass interference, roughing the passer, etc.

Unfortunately, the human element of officiating is what it is.

Double Barrel said:

Bad calls happen every year, regardless if it's holding, pass interference, roughing the passer, etc.

Unfortunately, the human element of officiating is what it is.

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The calls I am talking about were called due to more strict guidelines regarding safety.

Sure bad calls happen every year, but this thread is about safety measures "wussifying the game"....

There were bad calls made that directly had to do with safety or in some cases, over-protection....IMO

Rey said:

The calls I am talking about were called due to more strict guidelines regarding safety.

Sure bad calls happen every year, but this thread is about safety measures "wussifying the game"....

There were bad calls made that directly had to do with safety or in some cases, over-protection....IMO

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I know what this thread is about, and I'm just pointing out that you can probably find bad calls for many infractions every year.

But, bad calls doesn't mean that we should get rid of holding, pass interference, roughing the passer, or so-called "cheap shots".

Bad calls are just part of the game, but they in no way justify altering the rules to account for them other than replay situations.