The sport of football is an action-packed, high-contact sport popular across the country.  It is an American pastime people watch anywhere from in person, online, or on television. The sport attracts massive crowds, including one annual Sunday in February. The National Football League’s Super Bowl is an annual spectacle consisting of millions tuned in to watch. The franchise is compiled of many departments such as advertising, business management, and medical staff. It takes lots of work to successfully operate this league and push it into a positive direction. This is especially true when many viewers believe the sport is too violent. As a viewer, there are many elements one expects to see while watching a football game. Viewers can cheer on their favorite players, watch incredible, athletics plays, and very violent ones. One of the risks of playing a sport, especially one with as much physical contact as football, is the high probability of getting injured. In Super Bowl fifty alone, it was predicted a single player could expect to endure “an estimated 130-plus plays, hundreds of hits, tackles, spears, and lay outs”(Giles). These numbers suggest a high risk of head injuries. Based on these numbers this leaves a high risk to head injuries. A concussion is just one form of injury very common for players to experience. This is not a new concept for players, but over the last couple decades the concerns about head injuries have increased. The NFL has been working to try to make the game safer for players. Concussions are a very prominent injury in the National Football League, and due to the concern, the league is making efforts to reduce those statistics by conducting more research, improving equipment, and altering game day protocol changes. 

In recent years, the sport has been viewed as too dangerous, in the national division due to high numbers of head injuries. Concussions are a major contributing factor to that opinion. In the 2015 season, the National Football League (NFL) reported a record number of 271 concussions (Ossola). That is the most reported in history of the NFL (Ossola). There was a new standard of protocol introduced in 2009, but this recent increase in head injuries has caused for some re-evaluation (Stites). In 2011, the league changed a few rules dealing with injury protocol (Stites). More recently in 2016, the league introduced a sort of penalty system for teams that do not comply to the new rules put in place (Stites). This is a basic summary of the league’s regulations in the past few years to try to reduce the player's injury risk.  These statistics only include the number of concussions reported, so it is highly likely that many of the head injuries go unreported. 

Since football is such a high contact sport, concussions are a very common injury to suffer. In an article titled “What Happens to a Football Player's Brain During a Concussion?”, Matt Giles explains that process. The author uses an example of a concussion Antonio Brown endured to demonstrate the effects a head-on has on the brain. He explains his brain “twist(s) and spin(s). It does this in the opposite direction of the hit and inside his skull’s cerebrospinal fluid” (Giles). This fluid is responsible for protecting the brain. “In that same moment, his brain’s nerve fibers stretch and rotate” (Giles). In simpler terms, during a concussion, the brain collides with the skull, leaving bruises on the surface. In football, there is a lot of contact with other players, which creates easy conditions for players to suffer concussions. Actually, according to Auerbach and Waggoner, “Most concussions occur during practice” because this is the area where players spend most of their time. Among other high contact sports like soccer and hockey, there has not been as much reform invested in as football (Ossola). The NFL is leading the way for other sports with the new initiative “Play smart. Play Safe” (Stites). This is in the hopes that players will exit the league healthy, without barring the horrible aftermath of a concussion. 

 Concussions are arguably one of the most serious forms of injury, because of the two forms of side effects. They are divided up into long-term and short-term effects. After a collision, there are some symptoms trainers and medical staff are expected to recognize. They range from a vacant look to unconsciousness (Stites). Some other indicators could be “slowed reflexes, pain in the head or neck, bad balance or memory loss” (Ossola). Long term effects are more life-threatening and “can result in depression, impulse control problems, motor control issues like tremors, and dementia” (Ossola). There still are many open questions about head injuries, which is why it is essential the scientific community continues researching. Research is the key to understanding concussions in terms of how they form, why they form, and the possible steps needed to limit them. 

The scientific and medical communities have been working together for decades on concussion research, but unfortunately there is still lots of unknown information. All past acts put in place by The National Football League have been based on research. One of the new areas explored is the relationship between genetics and a person's susceptibility to head injuries. Author Alexandra Ossola suggests factors such as “stress or returning too soon to normal activities, can affect how long it can take an athlete to recover from a concussion. There may also be a biological component which makes women and children suffering concussions different from men” (Ossola). Genetics is not the only topic being researched by scientists. Many scientists are trying to find alternative ways for head injuries to be detected and tracked. Wayne Sebastianelli, an accomplished doctor at Penn State, is one medical researcher who poses an important question. He inquiries about “The biggest question people still have is when does the injury really stop occurring and is it ever really completely recovered,” (Ossola). He simply means there is no definite time to tell when a concussion is fully healed or if it is even ever healed completely. As one example, researchers are looking at Biomarkers, which is a “protein or by-product of the injury that doctors would be able to detect in a simple test of a patient's blood or saliva” (Ossola). Concussions can take lots of time to heal. Having another source to track the healing progress is important.  Other studies are focused on the effects of the immune system in relation to concussions (Ossola). It has been discovered that when injuries happen anywhere in the body, the immune system reacts strongly to repair (Ossola). Scientists would then look to the immune system to see the status of concussions. 

There is new safety equipment being created by the NFL to reduce the amount of brain injuries.  These new ideas go hand in hand with research, but the implication is different and many times the results are more quickly noticed. In a video source narrated by Chuck Salter, he and a few other experts explore a few new technologies being invented to protect players. They make the case that there is always room for improvement when it comes to safety equipment. Some of the new innovations include a tether, which would prevent a player’s head from wiping too hard in any one direction. More innovations include the creation of softer turf to reduce impact. Another technology is a new absorbing helmet to simultaneously cushion the head and reduce impact. Many believe there is no helmet that could ever be invented that could possibly eliminate concussions, but every adjustment helps. Sometimes a little piece of padding or equipment can make the difference between a life-threatening injury or a recoverable one. They have donated thousands of dollars to support inventors and they are also working with huge clients. Right now, the NFL is working with the US Army to conduct research and cross some technology with some equipment they normally use during deployment. 

In terms of preventing head injuries with protective equipment, the helmet has been under scrutiny for a long time. One way the sport of football is trying to ease the impact on players’ brains is to test and revise helmets. The United States alone has “3.8 million sports-related concussions each year” (Rowson and Duma). This statistic prompted scientists Rowson and Duma to conduct a case study. This study uses 24 drop tests of a helmet to demonstrate the hard hits to a player’s head. The system according to which they rank the safety of the helmets is called the STAR system or The Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risks. This is just one example of how researchers are modifying helmets based upon testing. In past years, the HIT system was common to use. It detected in-action hits to the head by documenting the acceleration and impact (Rowson and Duma). Behind the scenes, there are many efforts to limit dangerous blows to a player’s head. Obviously, concussions are not the only injury occurring in the game of football, but the research being conducted in this area will most likely impact other areas with the new information discovered. The league has backed research institutions and all kinds of revolutionary testing to reduce the risk of injury every time the ball is snapped. 

As much preparation that can be done, there is nothing that prepares for game day itself. The National Football league broadcasts all over the country and, as soon as kickoff happens, thousands of people are cheering in person and at home. With such a large audience, it is imperative, as a monster company, to execute the game properly. There are many elements parts to ensure it is a successful, exciting game, and most importantly a safe one. The NFL has not always had the same concussion game day protocol it has currently. It is something that is revised year by year, depending on the new research available. Game day protocol is a combination of elements. It is composed of identifying symptoms and the treatment made available for the player. 

In the past, game day protocol was barely existent, but now it is effective and beneficial to players’ health. Two well-accomplished authors named Paul Auerbach and William Waggoner wrote an article titled “It’s Time to Change the Rules.” The authors make a lot of good points about the struggle to balance between the excitement and safety happening in a football game. Football is very intense and competitive; therefore, it sometimes makes it seem ethical for players to hit harder on purpose. Auerbach and Waggoner say, as early as grade school, football athletes are taught to hit harder in hope to eliminate the opposing player from the field (Auerbach and Waggoner). The stakes are so high, especially in the NFL, that players will often risk their own health to play. It is common, the authors note, for players to lie on tests to detect concussions that could potentially keep them on the bench (Auerbach and Waggoner). Another issue the league has had is the amount of healing time for those who are injured. These are just a few problems the league faces when trying to improve the effectiveness of game day protocol. 

After the 2009 introduction of protocol, an addition in 2011, and 2016 enforcement protocol the NFL started playing safer games. There have been many additions, and these are just some of the new reinforcements to limit head injuries. For years, there was a “team medical staff and an unaffiliated neurological consultant” on the sidelines every game in case an injury was observed (Stites). There are also two medical spotters positioned in the booth that reviews plays to give their input and double check on rough hits. Recently in 2015, the NFL added a new rule for spotters which “allow[s] for the medical spotters to stop the game with a medical timeout to remove an injured player” (Stites). This new rule will ensure hurt players are treated properly. The medical team is responsible for watching the wellbeing of players and treating them when they are not well. In place of treating them, a new rule was added called the “Return-to-Participation Protocol”. While this may seem minor, it makes a huge difference on a player’s health. This rule institutes a five-step program for the hurt player to be released back onto the field. It is broken down into rest and recovery, light aerobic exercise, aerobic exercise with an introduction of strength training, football specific activities, and clearance (Stites). In summary, the player is evaluated and progresses to do exercises to ensure they are ready to run back into the huddle. This program really helps keep players from being re-injured. Studies show that the real danger is not the initial concussion, but the number of concussions a person could experience after that. In the long term, early detection is vital since multiple head injuries can have greater repercussions such as. Changing game day protocol ensures help will be available and will be accurate to keep players playing longer. 

The enforcement protocol consists of safe tackling, enforcing game penalties, and fines which will collectively reduce the amount concussions. These all act as reinforcement for the protocol put in action. In the NFL, they have helped create a movement, along with USA Football, called “Heads- Up Football” (Keilman). The goal is to “encourage players to make contact by rising into the ball carrier with their chests and shoulders, keeping their heads back” (Keilman). In 2016, new regulations were created to enforce the league's concussion protocol. They established new punishments because they found not all thirty-two clubs were following the 2009 concussion protocol. Infractions range anywhere from “$50,000 to $150,000 for a first violation, or loss of draft picks” (espn.com). This is in the hope that guidelines will be followed and therefore make playtime safer. Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, discussed the possibility of sending a representative to each team to oversee that operations were being run legally (espn.com). The rise in concussions in the past couple years has forced the league to respond to maintain their reputation, as well as the players’ well beings.

Head injuries are a huge problem in sports, but there are some who have opposing opinions. There are arguments, even by our current president, against the progress the NFL has made. During his campaign, the NFL is growing “soft like the country has become soft” (Boren). Donald Trump voices one of the common issues many people have about the sport. Many believe the more regulation and interference, the more boring the game is going to get. Thus, many people may stop watching, because they expect exciting, violent packed plays. However, there are ways for fans to still get that satisfaction whilst putting player safety first. Changing tackling styles and forcing players to get more creative will lead to better more athletic plays. A brain injury “can lead to memory loss, depression, confusion and other neurological and psychological issues” (Boren). This makes the risk of playing football huge, and if implementing some small rules here and there will help save someone’s life down the road than the protocol is worth it. Other critiques include the expensiveness of funding research and innovations. However, the cost of keeping a player healthy is completely worth the thousands of dollars invested in research. The National Football League has many moving parts, not just the talented athletes. One of the main roles of the field is management and overall health of players for them to play the game they love for life. 

Football is what a lot of American’s constitute as something they love and bond over with their families. It is a very entertaining game filled with excitement and cheering. However, a few years ago the National Football League was being questioned regarding the dangers of concussions for players. Families were seeing replays of abnormally tough hits to the head on while sitting on their couches and in their stadium seats. For the player’s sake, it is important that there is new research being conducted. It is imperative there are new innovations being created. Lastly it is essential that we revise the rules to fit the changing ways the game of football is being played. If the National Football League leads the way with these changes, effects will be felt from little league to the professionals, then football will have a bright future. 

 