California bill would limit full-contact high school football practice
Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle / 6-30-14
In about a month, high school football teams across the state will begin grueling two-a-day practices in preparation for the season ahead, but it may be the last time. By next season, the rules governing that time-honored tradition could change.
AB2127, which has passed legislative muster and awaits Gov. Jerry Brown's signature, would limit full-contact football practice sessions for high school players to 90 minutes twice a week, prohibit two-a-day practices on consecutive days and automatically sideline a player who has suffered a concussion for a week until he or she is medically cleared to return to action.
The legislation would prohibit full-contact drills in the off-season and calls on the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Sports Medicine to develop standard protocols for a player's return to the field after a head injury.
Its author, Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova (Sacramento County), said the legislation isn't a cure-all in an inherently violent sport, but in light of what has been learned in recent years about the long-term effects of multiple concussions among NFL players, it offers a set of guidelines that could help parents who are weighing the consequences of allowing their children to play the game.
MORE: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/johnson/article/Bill-limiting-time-for-football-practice-concerns-5591400.php
Some coaches voice concern, saying that "players (would be) at greater risk because its restrictions would reduce their readiness to play." I say bullshit.
I like the bill.
