Thoughts on Weight Restrictions for Football

ruin the game completely. why not put a speed restriction in too. If you can run a 40 faster than 4.6 your too fast. Hell, why stop there? Better add a strength limit. Nobody that can benchpress 225 lbs over 10 times can't play either. My god!

Concussions are part of football. Unnecessary concussions should not be part of football.

When players were tearing up knees and other ligaments with blocking below the waist on specialty teams, rules committees imposed new rules. Same with chop blocks and horse collars.

If officials vigorously penalize for players launching themselves (already a rule) and rules forbid "kill shots" with failing to wrap up, coaches will demand proper tackling. As long as the NFL and ESPN highlight kill shots where a player hits hard but with improper form, players will keep hitting high and with the helmet.

Just my two bits ...

I got a concussion after colliding with a 145lb RB while playing OLB, and another from a 160lb inside center while playing rugby. They just kind of happen, and mine in particular were the result of poor technique.

As I heard on the radio from a few NFL players the method to reduce concussions is simple...go back to the leather helmet and no facemasks.  If you don't have any protection on yoru head or face you are much less likely to go full bore helmet first into your opponent.  You are more likely to do what is necessary (take the opponent to ground) but less likely to what is unneccessary (cause bodily harm).   I know the players or yore wear slower and whiter but it seems logical to me that this would help.

The single easiest and most effective way to completely eliminate concussions.

Eliminate helmets and all forms of pads minus a cup. 

I enjoy football alot more than rugby but i think they have this one right. With pads today there is a sence of fearlessness and imortality that directly leads to devistatingly violent hits. Take away a mans armor and he will be forced to brace for impacts more intelligently and not simply throw his body around like we see in football today.

Nuf said.

/thread

F=ma

your postulate is fail

cut the mass in half, but if the player is twice as fast it is the same force

Energy = Mass*Speed^2
Big linemen don't move very fast. A 220 lbs Safety running at 20 MPH has almost twice the energy as a 320 lbs LT coming off the line at maybe 12 mph. Add in the safety coming down and hitting a WR sprinting straight twords him at the same speed, a 40 mph collision with two 200 lbs guys is WAY more dangerous.

on this blog.  I understand the importance of reducing concussions, but imposing weight restrictions is NOT the way to do it.  No disrespect OP, but wow.  Seriously??

Based on reading this post, speed is more important than weight. 

So to slow down players:

1)  Give them heavy shoes ...like jockeys.  Heavier shoes for faster guys.  Pant's if necessary.

2)  Slow down the turf. It's possible to put in turf that is slower...similar to court speeds in tennis.  Worse case, we could have everybody play in mud bowl like conditions.  That would eliminate head injuries.

I will just say it's football. People know what can happen. Don't want those bad things to happen? Don't play. 

It's not the weight.  Speed + hits = dizziness.

Take a look at this video of the Lions' 1957 season. Pay attention to the tackling, and what you'll see is a near-total absence of defensive guys leading with their heads. Helmet-to-helmet contact is incidental, and you simply don't see any attempted kill shots delivered above the shoulders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM90sML1eSc

My suspicion is that the nature of the equipment—helmets and pads—that they wore at the time made leading with the head and full-speed kill shots more likely to injure the guy who was delivering it than the intended recipient.