Limited hitting full speed in practice

[devilsden]

I have heard there was a movement in the national HS association to limit the amount of full speed contact time per week in all football playing schools in the entire nation.

 

Has any one else heard this rumour or is it just BS?

[sheppy]

News travels fast.  Just received an email from the President of the TnFCA yesterday asking to view a letter describing possible changes in "full contact", "thud", "live" practices from the National HS  Federation.  Seems four states have already adopted a policy, two of which are Texas and Alabama (I think).  Might be interesting to find out people's perspective on this possibility.

 

My first question would be, how are they going to police everyone's practices?  There is enough under handed stuff going on now.

 

Second question would be, are they going to limit pitchers on pitch counts in baseball?  There seems to be more Tommy John surgeries now than ever before at the high school levels.  Granted, concussions are a far more lethal health issue, but still where does this go from here.  After reading the letter there are suggestions of 60 - 90 minutes per week of full contact, BUT the possibility of added time during the pre-season practices.

 

I would anticipate this being a hot topic in the very near future.

 

Just went back and looked at the letter again.  Alabama, Arizona, Maryland and Texas have "varying limitations" on contact prior to the 2013 season.  Studies have shown a significant DECREASE in concussions.

Edited January 9, 2015 by sheppy

[CoachRCHelton]

Sheppy,

 

Page 1 of the January 15, 2015 High School Today (NFHS Publication) article entitled: "Concussion Task Force Suggests Reduction in Contact" by Robert B. Gardner, NFHS Executive Director, and Tom Mezzanotte, NFHS President

 

The article states, in pertinent part; "While state associations will determine their specific policies, the clear message from the task force was the need for a reduction in contact during practices. The goal, noted in the task force's final report, is to "reasonably limit overall exposure to multiple blows to the head and body (head impact exposure) and minimize concussion risk, while maintaining the integrity of the game and attempting to avoid unintended consequences. "

 

Without getting into the political ideology/movement that may or may not underly the issue (See: The War on Football by Daniel J. Flynn and or The Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner) I can give some insight about a centralized agency setting a policy regarding the issue. I coached in Arizona when the AIA implemented the change. Since AIA did not define "Full-contact", I explored the nearest governing body with a similarly situated "mandate" which was Texas (this is the same approach taken when a federal question of law arises in a Federal Circuit when there is no decision or clarity on the specific subject in that Circuit or in the USSC, then the courts can, and often do, look to the nearest Circuit for direction if that question has been answered by that Circuit).

 

Texas defines it as:

 

Full Contact- Football drills or live game simulations where there is contact at game speed and players execute full tackles and take players to the ground.

 

With this definition in mind, I modified our practice plans to accommodate, reflect, and memorialize the time factors in the respective practice periods to ensure documented compliance with the mandate. I have also included the Heat Index every day in the practice plan for the zip code where we are practicing and I have an Emergency Plan written into my Football Program Policy Manual.

 

We as a country have been increasingly confronted with a paternalistic trend regarding legislation and regulatory control, and according to Locke's Theory, until such time we choose not to consent to said governance, it will continue to expand.