A few years back, they did a study of protective gear worn by football players. They found that the much older pre-WW2 equipment did not protect as well, but there were far fewer injuries, because the players took more care not to injure or get injured. The modern helmets, face protectors and shoulder pads are used as weapons and players know that they protect better, so they take less care at avoiding injury for themselves and others. Result: more and more severe injuries.
Yeah, have read the same thing about more protective gear. Rugby players, without the gear, don’t have as many concussions either. The Seahawks have teach rugby tackling styles to prevent injuries. It also is a more effective style.
I have sympathy for that argument, but there is a serious problem which face protectors address: paralyzing neck injuries. How, you may ask, does a face protector prevent paralysis? The answer is that those paralyzing injuries occur when the top of the head impacts something - such as the bottom of a swimming pool, or the hip of a ball carrier in football. The spine (usually the fifth cervical) fails in compression.Thus, the prescription for avoiding cervical vertebrae fracture is,
“See what you hit.” But if you don’t have face protection, “See what you hit” translates into “lose some teeth.” IOW, it ain’t gonna happen.
“The modern helmets, face protectors and shoulder pads are used as weapons and players know that they protect better, so they take less care at avoiding injury for themselves and others. Result: more and more severe injuries.”
The one thing I never see referenced is how many of those affected players spent most of their careers playing on artificial turf.
I have read that leg and foot injuries are much worse when they occur on AT.
Had a relative that played college football. He said he hated playing on artificial surfaces, it was like playing on frozen concrete.
For my money AT is the main culprit here.