Pop Warner eliminating kickoffs for youngest ages; is NFL next?
Kickoffs have been eliminated in Pop Warner’s three youngest divisions, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). It’s the sign of a movement that’s starting at the bottom but also in the works at the very top of football, too.
The ball will be placed at the 35-yard line after scoring plays and to start each half in the Tiny Mite (ages 5-7), Mitey Mite (7-9) and Junior Pee Wee (8-10) divisions. The organization will then review the results from that change a year from now and consider implementing the rule change at older ages of youth football.
The NFL enacted a trial move at the owners’ meetings this spring to change the kickoff rule, putting touchbacks at the 25-yard line for the 2016 season. Of course, the opposite could happen. Five additional yards given for a touchback could entice teams kicking off to try a different strategy, such as pooch kicks, coffin-corner kickoffs, more onsides kick attempts, higher-arcing kicks and such. Are those safer plays? They could in fact be more dangerous than the standard-length kickoffs; we just don’t know.
Still, it’s a greater part of a league movement to improve safety on what the NFL says is the sport’s most dangerous play. Previously, kickoffs were set at the 35-yard line, moved up five yards, which dramatically increased the number of contact-free touchbacks.
In a league where a player can suffer a concussion that lingered four months, one that was suffered on a high-collision kick, there is a heightened sense of concern. Some coaches and executives have speculated that the kickoff might be removed from the NFL game — perhaps even within the next 5-10 years.
That greater worry obviously has changed the minds of a lot of people about the safety of the spot in general, and it’s causing the lower leagues of youth football — starting with Pop Warner — to change the way the game is played.
“We are constantly working to make the game safer and better for our young athletes, and we think this move is an important step in that direction,” Pop Warner executive director Jon Butler said. “Eliminating kickoffs at this level adds another layer of safety without changing the nature of this great game.”
Enrollment in Pop Warner has not increased in recent years, and yet lawsuits from parents of Pop Warner players who suffered concussions that led to problems thereafter are up. The NFL protected itself against mass litigation with a massive concussion settlement, which recently was upheld in appeals court and could possibly begin to provide former players already diagnosed with brain injuries linked to repeated concussions benefits in the coming months, according to published reports.
– – – – – – –
Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
