Research on CTE and Concussions Changed the NFL. Experts Say That’s Not Enough

Research on CTE and Concussions Changed the NFL. Experts Say That’s Not Enough New equipment, new rules, new attitudes won’t matter unless they trickle down to college, high school, and youth football levels. The NFL lauded its own rule changes as substantial steps to reduce concussions and better protect the brain health of its players. But some scientists and researchers who study the impact of blows to the head on the human brain say they were less impressed with the NFL’s actions. The risk of developing CTE is directly correlated with the number of years of football played, not the number Of concussions suffered, according to Boston University research. The Concussion Legacy Foundation, affiliated with the CTE Center, advises parents to not let children play tackle football until they are 14 years old. The National Football League altered kickoffs to reduce the type of full-speed, bone-crushing tackles that can cause some of the most serious head injuries to players. All players are required to wear protective knee and thigh pads, in case the ball is declared dead at the spot where they collided with another player.

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