NFL Rules
As of 2017, the NFL has made 47 rule changes since 2002 to reduce the risk of injuries. Starting in the 2018-2019 season, there will be over 50 new rule changes.
The NFL Competition Committee was created in 1968. They are in charge of modifying and adopting rules for the game. The committee, which currently consists of eight members, meet regularly after each Super Bowl. They discuss player safety, review information and data, and present their agenda to physicians, safety experts, NFL medical committees, NFL Players Association and more.
The committee reviews playing rules, technology (such as helmets), game-day operations, roster regulations and player protection. Throughout the season, injury data is collected. In 2017, the most concussions were recorded with 291 counted during both practices and games.
The data and video give the committee a visualization for how the game is being played so they can make the necessary changes for the next season. Their intention is to evolve the game to make it enjoyable to still watch and play while keeping their athletes safe.
“The one thing that the NFL does care about is player safety because their players are the most important thing to the league,” Ted Rath, Los Angeles Rams Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, said. “We take health and safety very seriously both at the team level and definitely at the NFL level.”
Marques Hagans, a former wide receiver for the NFL in 2006-2010, notices there are more rules in place to try to protect players from head-on collisions than when he played in the League. But he says it is difficult to do so in a game where contact is a premium.
“Football is a gladiator sport,” Hagans said. “And I know there is a lot of the backlash from the post-playing days on CTE and the stress that’s on the brain from so much physical contact. But I think it’s almost impossible to prevent head-to-head contact because that’s what the game is founded on.”
Seattle Seahawks Scout, Todd Brunner, said there is a lot of information circulating in the media about concussions, but the league is doing the best they can. He says they’re trying to progress.
“They’re trying to get to a point where they can help prevent concussions. I don’t think they can ever prevent a concussion, but I think they’re going to monitor it a lot better,” Brunner said. “I don’t know if we will ever get to a point where we can actually prevent a concussion without actually not hitting or using your head to play the game, but you’re not going to get around it. You’re always going to use your head to play the game.”
Los Angeles Rams Sports Dietician, Joey Blake, agrees. He says it uncertain if the NFL can prevent a concussion without changing the true dynamics of the game. He also adds that athletes are bigger, faster and stronger than they were 20 years ago.
“I think the NFL has definitely done a lot at this point by altering the game a little bit,” Blake said. “Obviously, the fine system is in place and they’ve changed the tackling by giving them that strike zone to hit between the shoulders and the hip. They’re trying to get the guys a little more conscious of how to tackle and where to tackle.”
The most recent rules that went into effect for the 2017-2018 season to prevent concussions were: prohibiting a leaper to attempt a block during a field goal or an extra point play. The other rules give receivers defenseless player protection when running a pass route.
“When I first got in the League in 2010, they had just passed a rule that made it illegal for any player to line up directly across from me as the long snapper to prevent hitting me in the head or neck area,” Morgan Cox, Baltimore Ravens long snapper, said. “And since then they’ve even expanded that rule to mean that you can’t hit the snapper directly to the side or from the front. And then just recently they also passed the rule where you can’t jump over the long snapper in order to try and block a kick and it was largely to prevent head and neck injuries from guys who would maybe get their foot clipped and then land on their head.”
On the NFL Play Smart Play Safe website, Mike Tomlin says, “The game is evolving and it’s evolving for the better.”
The committee selected by the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, is currently chaired by Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay.
The other seven members include New York Giants owner John Mara; Dallas Cowboys owner Stephen Jones; Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy; Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway; and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
Below is a timeline of all NFL rule changes that are concussion-preventing.
