Houston, we have football

Houston is the only city with both an XFL and a USFL team. This, plus its NFL team means that Houston gets football almost all year round. However, all of these teams make it a hotbed for competition. The status of this “battle for Houston” will likely be an indicator of which league is winning the nationwide competition for fans. However, only the XFL team, the Roughnecks, plays in Houston, with the USFL team, the Gamblers, playing several hours away in Memphis.

By Elijah Moon

Around 100,000 concus sions occur each year across America from high school football players. Half of these concussions go undetected and unnoticed leading students to high risk of potential permanent brain damage and CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a fatal brain disease caused from repetitive head contact and injuries. The scary fact about CTE is that it progressively gets worse as you get older and potentially leads to memory loss, confusion, dementia, suicidality, and people can lose their ability to speak.

Football is an impact sport and very prone to injuries especially in the head. Injuries have greatly decreased by 24% since 2010, though the amount of injuries is still high. But how have the rules and regulations changed over time to keep athletes much more safe?

Over the years, safety rules and regulations have evolved significantly to address concerns around player safety and reduce the risk of injury.

Coach Derrick Lewis, former NFL player and a current head coach of a high school football team. He has known football for a while and how the game has changed throughout the years. "Well the biggest change has been the way that athletes are taught to tackle," says Coach Lewis. In the sport of rugby, concussions aren’t as prevalent as in American football because of the helmet to helmet contact.

"Rugby style tackling is executed with the shoulder and not the head. This technique has reduced the number of head injuries in football by 30%."

Coach Osorio played football in college and is a current high school track and football coach. He has similar thoughts to Coach Lewis and states, "As for tackling techniques, In the past, players were taught to lead with their heads when making a tackle, which often resulted in head and neck injuries. Today, coaches are taught to teach players to tackle with their shoulders and chest to reduce the risk of injury."

Coach with his kids Dominique, Derrick Jr, Darius, Demante, and Dejon.

In the past, players were not allowed to make contact with kickers and punters, who were considered defenseless. As far as new rules, this applies to any player in a position in which they cannot protect themselves from contact. Coach Lewis shares his opinion on this rule, "This rule has been the biggest change that has dramatically impacted the game."

Another large factor that contributes to player safety are helmets. In the past, helmet safety standards were different and football helmets were not designed with safety as the primary concern and many players wore outdated or poorly fitted helmets. Today, helmets must meet safety standards set by the National Operating committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) and be reconditioned and recertified regularly.

Although all these changes were made to keep student athletes and professionals safe, some people are not happy with these changes and say the game is "becoming soft." Coach Lewis says that, "Any regulation that will keep an athlete safe is definitely beneficial and necessary. We as spectators watch these sports for the violence, boxing, MMA, football, car racing, and taekwondo, etc. These are all sports which capture our imagination because of the potential for injury. The problem is that spectators are not the ones performing the act and therefore have no risk."

Coach Osorio agrees, "The safety of players should always be the top priority, and the changes made in recent years have helped to reduce the risk of injury and improve player safety." risk of injuries to players. participating in the sport, and protocols for dealing with head injuries such as concussions.

While some of these changes may have been met with resistance at first, the evidence has shown that they are necessary for the health and safety of players. By prioritizing player safety, we can help ensure that football remains a fun and exciting sport for players and fans alike, while minimizing the risk of long-term health consequences.

Another thing that has helped improve player safety is the introduction of concussion protocols which has helped to ensure that players receive proper medical attention and are not at risk by returning to play too soon after a head injury.

The limitations on full-contact drills during practice have helped to reduce the risk of head and neck injuries, which are often the result of repetitive contact. Additionally, changes to tackling techniques and the introduction of stricter penalties for dangerous hits have helped to reduce the

The rules and regulations for players are very similar from high school athletes to college athletes to NFL players. The NFL first makes the new rules and Coach Lewis explains that these new changes will later trickle down to college and high school ball. However, there are some differences and particular states may have different safety regulations than other states. The UIL, NCAA, and NFL all have regulations in place to protect players from injuries. The UIL limits the amount of full-contact practice time allowed during the week, requires players to undergo medical evaluations before

The NCAA also has regulations in place for tackling and blocking, limitations on contact during practices, and mandatory medical evaluations for players. The NFL has the strictest regulations in place, including restrictions on certain types of hits, mandatory use of protective equipment, and advanced medical protocols.

These regulations are designed to reduce the risk of injuries, and to ensure that players are properly educated about the risks and how to protect themselves.

If a player gets injured during a game or practice, they can only return to the field under certain conditions. The University Inter scholastic League (UIL), which governs high school sports in Texas, has specific policies and procedures regarding the return to play of athletes who have suffered an injury during competition.

"In the case of concussions, for example, UIL requires that any athlete who has been diagnosed with a concussion must be evaluated and cleared by a medical professional trained in the evaluation and management of concussions before they can return to play. This evaluation must be conducted according to the Concussion Oversight Team (COT) and Return to Play Protocol established by UIL," Coach Osorio explains.

All high schools have sports trainers and medical professionals in order to help athletes with injuries and will determine whether they are recovered from the injury. Coach Lewis says, "They must be cleared by the trainer. No player can reenter competitions without a thorough examination from a doctor and school trainer."

In addition to concussions, UIL also has policies and procedures in place for other types of injuries. For example, athletes who have suffered a sprain or strain must have a medical release form signed by a physician or licensed athletic trainer before they can return to play.

Overall, the goal of these policies and procedures is to ensure that athletes are not returned to play too soon after an injury and that they are fully healed and cleared by a medical professional before they resume competition. This helps to minimize the risk of further injury and ensures the safety and well-being of the athletes.

There are also limitations on the greater emphasis on coaching and education, with more coaches being trained in proper tackling techniques and players being educated on the risks associated with the sport," Coach Osorio adds. while the sport is still very fun to play and watch. With the increased focus on player safety and advancements in sports medicine and technology, there are now more resources available to manage injuries.

Some of the specific improvements in football include the adoption of concussion protocols, stricter rules and penalties for dangerous hits, and the development of better equipment, such as helmets and pads. Additionally, there has been a growing movement towards reducing contact in practice, as well as increasing the amount of recovery time between games.

However, there are still some challenges and issues that need to be addressed to make football an even safer sport. For example, Coach Osorio says that, "There are still concerns about the longterm effects of head injuries, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and more research is needed to fully understand the risks and potential solutions. Additionally, there are still some disparities in the resources and education available to different schools and teams, which can impact the safety of players."

"Additionally, there has been a

While there is still work to be done, the improvements in football in recent decades have been significant and have helped to make the sport safer for players.