"One Football Rule Change Might Lower Concussion Risk" - Dennis Thompson
The most dangerous play in football can be rendered safer through a simple rule change, a new study out of the Ivy League suggests. Moving the kickoff line forward by just five yards -- from the 35- to the 40-yard line -- reduced the average annual concussion rate in Ivy League football by more than 68 percent, the study revealed. The NFL is considering eliminating the kickoff altogether if it can't be made safer, ESPN has reported. The Ivy League study is "great news," said Kristen Dams-O'Connor, PhD, co-director of the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai. "This is a really great example of how this much-loved sport can be made safer," Dr. Dams-O'Connor said.
- Kristen Dams-O’Connor, PhD, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Co-Director, The Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai
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