

A true evolution of football, at the youth level, is necessary to ensure a tomorrow for youth football players across the country.īy virtue of being private organizations, youth football leagues are not regulated as heavily as public entities like public school districts with football programs, who must answer to high school athletics associations. Specifically, it is non-revenue generating youth football leagues who are in danger of being forced to close because they can no longer afford the requisite level of insurance for the upcoming season. However, tomorrow is no longer guaranteed after the curtain was pulled back on the potential neurological damage caused by collision sports like football. No matter who you were or what your job was, on game day, the world stopped spinning for an afternoon. In essence, all football leagues from Pop Warner to the NFL acted as if they owned a day of the week. Football leagues and organizations have been able to act with discretion, effectively insulating themselves from true reputational harm. Until recently, changes to football have always been made knowing there will be a tomorrow.

Changing rules make headlines in the offseason and spark controversy among fans (just ask anyone but a Patriots fan about the tuck rule). Football is no exception to this trend–at every level, the game has made significant alterations to the rules to improve safety and competitive balance. The most common evolutions across major sports are changes to the rules of the game, made in concert with experts or special committees. Growth in medical knowledge and shifting societal values are often reflected in the evolution of sports at all levels.
