NFL Close to Rule Barring Return After Concussion

[peplaw06]

Didn't see this posted anywhere...

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=4698164

Head-injury rule will bar players' return
By Chris Mortensen
ESPN

The NFL and NFL Players Association are finalizing a policy that would effectively prohibit a player from re-entering a game that he exits with a concussion-related injury.

Such a policy will be effective immediately once both sides sign off on the document.

"We're really at a stage where we're dotting the i's and crossing the t's," Dr. Thom Mayer, the NFLPA's medical director, said on Saturday. "We're waiting on the final draft."

Also under discussion with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is a policy that would arbitrarily prohibit a player from playing the subsequent week after suffering a concussion.

That concept needs further debate, sources said, although it would enable teams to prepare competitively with knowledge they would be missing a player as opposed to awaiting any post-concussion symptoms late in a week, such as what has occurred recently with the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger, the Cardinals' Kurt Warner and the Eagles' Brian Westbrook, who were late scratches from games.

Any new concussion policy that forces a player to sit out games is expected to drive a discussion by the league competition committee that would expand game-day rosters beyond the current 45 available players.

Earlier in the week, the league announced a series of initiatives aimed at advancing management of concussion-related injuries. Most significantly, the league and the union will assign neurologists to each team.

"What you're seeing publicly this week is the result of a lot of hard work by both sides," Mayer said. "I give a lot of credit to Roger Goodell and I give a lot of credit to De Smith [NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith]. From the moment De took over the job, he made it clear that the health and safety of our players is non-negotiable."

One idea that Smith and Mayer have discussed is establishing a joint account or NFLPA account that would pay doctors bills, especially neurologists. Currently, teams are solely responsible for medical expenses.

Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN.

 

[speedkilz88]

If a player gets a little dinged(especially a qb) are they really going to say you can't play. What if the qb was hit in the head and gets a flag also? That would open up a huge can of worms. Players who get dinged would probably get up and try to play immediately because they are afraid that they will be pulled if they lay down.

Now if its strictly for guys that are obvious not all there and can't remember anything then of course they shouldn't be allowed to play.

 

[jchap]

I heard someone on the radio mentioning that they are thinking of putting a rule in to prevent running backs from putting their head down on runs.

 

[Cover 2]

I heard someone on the radio mentioning that they are thinking of putting a rule in to prevent running backs from putting their head down on runs.

I doubt that would actually go through. That would change the way the game is played, and would open runningbacks up to further injury IMO.

 

[theogt]

I don't get the logistics of this. How do you determine precisely why someone sat out a play? If they feel fine after sitting out they can just go back in and claim they felt some tightness in a muscle.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I don't get the logistics of this. How do you determine precisely why someone sat out a play? If they feel fine after sitting out they can just go back in and claim they felt some tightness in a muscle.

it's easy, if he's laid out on the field due to a head injury

yank him

 

[theogt]

it's easy, if he's laid out on the field due to a head injury

yank him

How do you know it's due to a head injury? What if he just grabs his calf at some point?

 

[AdamJT13]

I'm sure a rule like this would lead to players covering up any head injuries whatsoever, which would have the opposite effect from what the rule would be designed to do. Anyone who was hit hard in the head and felt woozy would just make up another injury so they could go back in the game when they feel OK.

If any head injury at all would knock a player out of the game for good, I could see defenders going for a quarterback's head (or other star players' heads) early in the game. It would be worth a 15-yard penalty early in the first quarter to knock a Pro Bowl quarterback or other offensive weapon out of the game for good.

 

[Eskimo]

Someone who is properly trained in concussion assessment would be able to determine if the player was concussed on the spot using some of the new psychometric tests that have been developed.

I do think it would be a good thing for the long-term health of the players.

I don't know if players would deliberately start going to head shots on other players. I think the league probably has the ability to suspend players for several games for such activity and I think most players wouldn't do that to each other anyway intentionally.

 

[Vintage]

I'm sure a rule like this would lead to players covering up any head injuries whatsoever, which would have the opposite effect from what the rule would be designed to do. Anyone who was hit hard in the head and felt woozy would just make up another injury so they could go back in the game when they feel OK.

If any head injury at all would knock a player out of the game for good, I could see defenders going for a quarterback's head (or other star players' heads) early in the game. It would be worth a 15-yard penalty early in the first quarter to knock a Pro Bowl quarterback or other offensive weapon out of the game for good.

No kidding. Go head hunting on a QB like Drew Brees?

Would be WELL worth it if a team played the Saints...

 

[xpistofer]

No kidding. Go head hunting on a QB like Drew Brees?

Would be WELL worth it if a team played the Saints...

calling Bill Laimbeer...

 

[Cowboys22]

All this will do is put pressure on the trainers to not diagnose concussions for the important players. Does anyone think a trainer is going to tell Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady that they have a concussion and can't play any longer in a playoff game? I doubt it!

 

[jobberone]

All this will do is put pressure on the trainers to not diagnose concussions for the important players. Does anyone think a trainer is going to tell Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady that they have a concussion and can't play any longer in a playoff game? I doubt it!

Trainers wouldn't make the call. A doctor would and I suspect if they put that rule in effect it would likely be a neutral neurologist.

It will drive some to not answer questions truthfully but they will get the obvious ones out of the game. I've played with players who were severely concussed and it's not pretty.

I don't think anyone wants to take any chances with concussions and making them worse.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

How do you know it's due to a head injury? What if he just grabs his calf at some point?

instant replay

if it's plain beyond day that he got hit in the head, and that's why he's on the ground (see Brian Westbrook) then yank him

 

[Direwolf63]

Trainers wouldn't make the call. A doctor would and I suspect if they put that rule in effect it would likely be a neutral neurologist.

It will drive some to not answer questions truthfully but they will get the obvious ones out of the game. I've played with players who were severely concussed and it's not pretty.

I don't think anyone wants to take any chances with concussions and making them worse.

Yep. The neurologist employed by the league would have final say, not the trainers employed by the team.

But I do agree with Adam that this rule runs the risk of deliberate head hunting. Especially against the Brady's Manning's and Bree's during playoff games. And yes, Romo too.

 

[Eskimo]

Yep. The neurologist employed by the league would have final say, not the trainers employed by the team.

But I do agree with Adam that this rule runs the risk of deliberate head hunting. Especially against the Brady's Manning's and Bree's during playoff games. And yes, Romo too.

I think it is just part of the unwritten code amongst players not to deliberately go after each others heads. Those who go after knees and such quickly develop a bad reputation around the league - see Muddy Waters. Head hunting is way worse than knee hunting, IMO.

 

[Hoofbite]

I don't think this would increase the number teams going after star players. If you knock a dude in the head good enough to have him sit, odds are he won't be on point if he were to come back in. Basically, you get the same result if you smack a dude in the head right now.

I'd imagine that any player deemed to have intentionally targeted the head would be ejected and probably suspended.

The entire point is to reduce injuries. Trying to produce an injury in an illegal fashion will definitely get punished.

 

[Cowboys22]

Trainers wouldn't make the call. A doctor would and I suspect if they put that rule in effect it would likely be a neutral neurologist.

It will drive some to not answer questions truthfully but they will get the obvious ones out of the game. I've played with players who were severely concussed and it's not pretty.

I don't think anyone wants to take any chances with concussions and making them worse.

I was talking about during the game. Do they have a league doctor/neurologist on the sidelines of each game? If not, it would be someone employed by the team having to say its a concussion. There will be unspoken pressure on that person to say its not a concussion and let the player play, especially if its a star player and/or a big game.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

you could take headshots

but really, you'd have to hit the QB really, really hard

I just don't see how it's possible to take a QB out this way, unless it was really, really blatant

 

[jimmy40]

I heard someone on the radio mentioning that they are thinking of putting a rule in to prevent running backs from putting their head down on runs.

ahead of his time: