Football requires contact and physicality among players. Therefore, injury risk is prevalent regardless of how old your athletes are. While people have scrutinized the sport for concussions and other injuries, advancements have made the game safer. Ultimately, it’s up to coaches to protect their players through teaching and proper decisions. Here’s a guide to football’s safety evolution and how to protect your athletes.
The Evolution of Football Safety
Concussion protocol wasn’t always a big deal in football. In the early 1900s, players didn’t often wear helmets for protection, leading to incredible injury risks. The sport frequently used gang tackles and helmetless heads for unforgiving contact.
Football was historically more physical because you had to call running plays. The forward pass wouldn’t come until Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. The 26th president enjoyed the sport, so he didn’t want to see widespread bans. How did he save it?
Roosevelt influenced safety changes by introducing the forward pass. This new rule mitigated the mass formations and reduced the number of injuries. As a result, the following college football seasons saw fewer fatalities and players sidelined by injuries. It wouldn’t be long before helmet rules came into play.
