New York’s consideration of a law banning tackle football for preteens may be attributable to the alarming rate of brain injuries high school football players sustain. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, data from high school sports injury surveillance ranked boys’ football highest in concussion incidents. Both sports competitions and practice sessions injuries earned boys’ high school football the top ranking.
A concussion occurs when a strike to the head results in a traumatic brain injury. Inclusion in the database required the injury to have occurred during a sports competition or practice session with follow-up medical attention establishing a concussion diagnosis.
NY bill proposal hears testimony from doctors, coaches and former football players
The renewed interest in the 2017 proposed legislation to ban preteen tackle football in New York led to a recent hearing. As ABC News reports, researchers, doctors, coaches and former players presented evidence and research findings regarding brain injuries associated with tackle football.
The hearing focused on the risks of degenerative brain diseases and traumatic brain injuries connected to the repeated concussions that players commonly incur in tackle football. The research indicates that loss of brain function, depression and cognitive issues may develop from the frequent head injuries football players endure.
Compensation for sports-related brain injuries may require legal actions
While new laws regarding young players’ participation in football remain under consideration, sports-related brain injuries may require legal actions to obtain full compensation and much-needed relief. A sports team or league, for example, may be negligent with regard to providing players with the proper safety equipment during events or practice. A coach may also be liable for injuries when ordering a player back into a game before medical attention concludes a return to play is advisable. In some cases, a player may receive an incorrect diagnosis from a sports doctor, and the brain injury may go without treatment and worsen.