A player must not tackle an opponent carrying the ball without trying to grasp that player. Failure to grasp with arms, charging with the shoulder, torpedoing and spearing is dangerous play. Tackling shall be defined as wrapping ones arms around the ball carrier and bringing him to ground.

A player may not intentionally strike another player with one’s head. Striking a player with one’s head is dangerous play.

A player must not tackle (or try to tackle) an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders. A tackle around the opponent’s neck or head is dangerous play.

A player must not tackle nor tap, push or pull the foot or feet or legs of an opponent jumping for the ball until that opponent’s feet are on the ground. Tackling, tapping, pushing or pulling the foot or feet or legs of an opponent jumping for the ball before that opponent’s feet are on the ground is dangerous play.

A player must not drive a tackled or blocked player into the ground while that tackled or blocked player is off his feet. Driving a player’s head and/or upper body into the ground is dangerous play.

A player must not block (or try to block) another player at or below the knees even if the block starts above the knees. A block at or below the knees is dangerous play.

Referees shall have the complete authority and the requirement to penalize dangerous play.

The penalty for dangerous play shall range from loss of yardage and/or down to removal of the offending player for some period of time and the offending team playing short for that period of time.

One solution is to put high-tech shock absorbing padding on the OUTSIDE of the helmets and the pads, which are typically the surfaces that transfer the energy of the collisions, keeping the present interior padding intact (or upgraded).

By placing the padding on the outside, much of the kinetic energy of the collision will be absorbed.

A moulded exterior padding can be made of a tough material (in engineering terms) that will withstand both elastic collisions and severe abrasion, and bonded to the plastic shells of the helmets/pads. I can be made paintable to keep the team colors and logos.

There was a MLB for Hank Stram’s SB IV winning Kansas City Chiefs in the 70′s named Willie Lanier, “Mr. Contact”, that had a wide strip of padding on the outside of his helmet, and as far as I know, he still has all of his marbles.

Technology has come a long way since the 70′s.

It can be done. Helmet makers should be thinking along these lines IMO.

Equipment that was once meant for protection is now used as a weapon. The only way to stop that behavior is to remove the weapon.

Maybe then some of these guys would actually wear a cup!

Design the helmet so that the shell splits open during hard helmet to helmet collisions without damaging the internal padding. Players then must go to the sideline to replace their helmets and miss plays (maybe you have to sit out a few plays and undergo a concussion test before returning???).

My rationale is that the risk of lost playing time provides a disincentive for using the helmet as a battering ram and may in turn help discourage the practice.

just let them play the way they want and make them sign off.

Scoring will jump tremendously…. as will the number of empty seats.

People pay to see the violence.

That is an idea that in theory, seems to make all the sense in the world.

Seriously, people don’t get fractured skulls with helmets. Fractured skulls are fatal. Do the math.

If they really want to eliminate head injuries they need to redesign the helment. Make it look more like the front end of a bumper car. The front of the helmet should have a softer pad on it, so even if it were to be used as a weapon, it would be like getting hit with a pillow instead of the end of a battering ram. Don’t make the point of emphasis on having the helmet protect the person being hit, make the point of the helmet to keep it from being a dangerous weapon.

It is already half-way there.