Rule changes in football and CTE
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The origins of the game
"The game shall be played upon a rectangular field, 330 feet in length and 160 feet in width,1 enclosed by heavy white lines marked in lime 2 upon the ground. The lines at the two ends shall be termed “goal lines.” Those on the two sides shall be termed “side lines” and shall be considered to extend beyond their points of intersection with the goal lines."
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http://mentalfloss.com/article/74896/origins-sports-early-rules-football
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The game shall be decided by the final score at the end of the two halves. The following shall be the value of plays in scoring: Touchdown, 5 points. PAT, 1 point. Field goal, 4 points. Safety, 2 points.
A Touchdown is scored when the ball is in possession of a player is declared down by the Referee, any part of it being on, above or behind the opponent’s goal line.
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evolution of equipment for safety
"Football pads and equipment were first introduced in 1877 by LP Smock, a player at Princeton University at the time. His pads featured quilt-like materials stuffed and sewn to the underside of the shoulders of his jersey. These early shoulder pads provided minimal protection and were not worn by many players. Pants extended past the knee and did little to protect the legs of a football player".
"Later in the 1890s the quality and protection provided by football pads increased as well. Two athletic manufacturing companies, Spalding and Victor, became the leaders in equipment when they introduced a leather pad system. These pads were designed to be worn on the exterior of the uniform, unlike LP Smock's version. Hip, knee, and thigh pads were also added to the canvas pants. Leather shoulder pads remained until the 1960s, and the basic design of the pants is still intact today."
Soft leather helmets came into the picture in 1915, which were designed to protect the head from injury. These did not have much more padding than the head harnesses that preceded them, even with the slight cushion on the inside. Hard, molded leather helmets were then created and patented by the John T. Riddell Company in 1939. The next season, the chinstrap was created. Chinstraps, at this time, had no purpose in regards to safety, but were responsible for keeping the helmet on the player's head during play. At this point, helmets were not mandated by either the NCAA or the NFL, and many players opted not to wear them out of comfort.
No players are allowed to wear and projecting material on their person. No hard material shall be worn for personal protection
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In the mid-1900s, major safety rules were enacted that are still in place to this day. The first of this is the roughing the passer penalty, created in 1938 to protect the quarterback. According to the league, any defensive player cannot hit the passer after an amount time of him releasing the ball. In 1955, a ball carrier was deemed "down by contact" if any part of his body, other than his hands or feet, made contact with the ground while in the grasp of a defender. Come 1956, the NFL banned grabbing the facemask of any player on the field, offensive or defensive unless that player was carrying the ball. Six years later that rule was expanded to include all players.
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"The NFL Competition Committee receives and considers input from coaches, general managers, owners, current players and NFL Legends, the NFL Players Association, medical personnel and the media, and conducts hours of discussion and film study before recommending changes to any rule."
The most significant change for 2018 is the Use of Helmet rule. The rule states that it is a penalty if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.Initiating contact with the helmet to any part of an opponent. Contact does not have to be to an opponent’s head or neck are lowering the head and initiating contact to an opponent’s torso, hips, and lower body, is also a penalty.
"No wedge blocks are permitted. A wedge block is defined as “two or more players intentionally aligning shoulder-to-shoulder within two yards of each other, and who move forward together in an attempt to block for the runner.” Players initially lined up in the setup zone may still double-team a block if it is not a wedge block."
"CTE was first described in 1928, when Dr. Harrison Martland described a group of boxers as having “punch drunk syndrome.” Over the next 75 years, several researchers reported similar findings in boxers and victims of brain trauma, but fewer than 50 cases were confirmed. In 2005, a pathologist named Bennet Omalu published the first evidence of CTE in an American football player: former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster."
"Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed after death through brain tissue analysis. Doctors with a specialty in brain diseases slice brain tissue and use special chemicals to make the Tau clumps visible. They then systematically search areas of the brain for Tau clumps with a unique pattern specific to CTE. The process can take several months to complete, and the analysis is not typically performed as a part of a normal autopsy. In fact, until recently there were relatively few doctors who knew how to diagnose CTE."
"Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. Most of what we have learned about CTE has come from the research of Dr. Ann McKee, director of the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, who has revolutionized our understanding of CTE. "
New safer equipment
What is CTE
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"NFL helmet-makers Riddell and Schutt have introduced headgear features including sensors that automatically register data about head impacts and plates that can move independently of each other."
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Riddell, one of the most popular brands in the NFL, has introduced two new technologies this fall for the NFL and NCAA. Its Precision Fit process uses 3D scanning to custom-fit helmets. The system puts cushioning and liners in exactly the right location for each person, and also improves a players' field of vision—ideal for avoiding collisions altogether.
A second Riddell technology is the InSite Impact Response System. Here, Riddell has inserted sensors into the helmet to alert sideline staff when major impacts happen during a game or practice. Using a five-zone sensor pad in the liner of the helmet, the system measures impact severity and sends an alert when a single impact or a sequence of hits to the head exceeds a marked threshold. The system also tracks a player's history of impact exposure.
In addition, the Vicis design moves the polycarbonate shell to the inside, using a flexible polymer on the outside of the helmet so that the player's headgear can act like a car's bumper and deform upon impact, slowing down forces from the start. With the two layers connected by interior columns able to shift in multiple directions, Vicis has engineered movement within the design to push forces in varying directions.
The company Xenith has introduced its Epic+ to the market. Instead of gluing shock absorbers directly to the shell as has been traditionally done, Xenith has interwoven a floating shock bonnet suspension system to allow the head and shell to move independently, mitigating linear and rotational forces. The multi-stage shock absorbers strategically collapse and release air upon impact, meant to provide optimized resistance depending on the force.