I am happy to see changes to football practice policies based on data of childhood head impacts. JR

Amidst Concern About Head Injuries, Youth Football League Issues New Practice Rules

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June 14, 2012, 4:13 pm ET by Gretchen Gavett

Football has never been more popular. But is it worth the risks? Watch FRONTLINE’sFootball High for more on head injuries, heatstroke and other issues facing young athletes.

Starting in August, Pop Warner youth football league practices will likely look a bit different.

The league announced yesterday that it’s revamping its practice rules in response toincreased concern about head injuries in football. The rules include:

• A ban on full speed head-on blocking or tackling drills when players line up more than 3 yards away from one another. Intentional helmet-to-helmet hits are not allowed.
• A limit on hits during practice. Only one-third of practice time per week can be devoted to drills that use contact, which breaks down to about 40 minutes per practice.

In a press release about the revamp, Pop Warner also reiterated that certain blocking and tackling techniques, including face tacking and spearing, remain prohibited. The league is in the process of updating its website to include easily accessible information about concussions and safety.

Full article here

Virginia Tech researchers placed helmets with sensors on 7- and 8-year-old football players and collected data on more than 750 hits to the head over a season. The findings are the first quantitative study of the acceleration and risk that young brains face in youth football. Special correspondent Stone Phillips reports.

Initial report here