Football is a violent game that children, as young as five years old, are playing. Safety is crucial when such young kids participate in football. I don’t think safety regulations should start with the NFL players.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made some rule changes since becoming the commissioner in 2006. He has been successful in taking out the big hits on offensive players, especially wide receivers, not allowing defensive players to lead with the crown of their helmet. This makes the game friendlier for the offense because there is no fear of getting hit when going over the middle.
Another rule which protects the quarterback does not allow the defensive player to touch the quarterback’s helmet when they go in for a tackle. Even if it’s just a tap, it can be called for a personal foul resulting in a 15-yard penalty.
A new rule recently implemented by the NFL penalizes the offense when a runner lowers his head and makes contact with the defender.
The penalty moves the offense 15-yards back, which slows down the game, having to stop for something that, for a player, is an instinct to protect oneself against a hit.
I am not against rules implemented to keep football safe. Some of these rules are a good start in the right direction, especially with a high rate of concussions in football.
I don’t believe that we should start applying these rules to the NFL first. High School and youth football should be where these rules are implemented, then it should lead into college, and later transition into the NFL. It’s best to introduce these rules when the player is new to the game rather than trying to teach an old dog new tricks.
The league and Roger Goodell are changing the game I love, and they do so without even bothering to include NFL players in their decision. If they do, it must not be running backs, because they don’t seem to agree with them. Players like Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, and Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson have all expressed dislike for the rule. Richardson also believes that he may be the reason for the rule.
How far will Roger Goodell go until there is no more tackling and we are watching glorified flag football. The NFL knows what it’s doing. It can change the game as much as they want and not face a decline in viewership from the fans and that’s unnecessary roughness.
