1) it wouldn't change anything in ncaaf since teams do not snap less than :10 on average
2) coaches saying there's no evidence are straight up lying
i'm not even talking the obvious anecdotal evidence that the more hits to the head you take in a game (inability to substitute = staying on field for more plays) but actual studies that are being ignored
Purdue U did a 2 year study on high school players and found clearly that it's not one big hit that leads to concussions it's taking many hits over and over (like a kid that can't get off the field)
so coaches can keep their heads in the sand because of their beloved offensive schemes and saban/bielema can say they are worried about the health of the kids but both are lying. they want what's best for their football teams....period
clearly not allowing substitutions and taking more hits will = more concussions. the studies are there and the data is there. they've done a good job in trying to eliminate head-on-head collisions but the data suggests those shots aren't the real issues it's the culmination of many collisions, not specifically because of one big bad hit to the head. there's a reason soccer players get concussed at a very high rate...they use their head to hit the ball over and over and over and over. it's the repeated contact that takes a toll, not one big shot so obviously the less hits you have to take, the better off your brain will be
but whether it's CNS, or DickRod, or Leach, or Bretty B ... they don't give a dick about the 19 year old they care about winning games and whatever rule(s) they can sway to help them do so will be useful
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Helmet-sensor impact data from each player were compared with brain-imaging scans and cognitive tests performed before, during and after each season.
"The most important implication of the new findings is the suggestion
that a concussion is not just the result of a single blow, but it's really the totality of blows that took place over the season," said
Eric Nauman, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and an expert in central nervous system and musculoskeletal trauma. "The one hit that brought on the concussion is arguably the straw that broke the camel's back."
Researchers evaluated players using a type of brain imaging technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, along with a computer-based neurocognitive screening test. The fMRI scans reveal which parts of the brain are most active during specific tasks.
Thomas Talavage, an expert in functional neuroimaging and co-director of the Purdue MRI Facility, said the scans indicate players are adapting their mental processes to deal with brain changes.
"The changes in brain activity we are observing suggest that a player is having to use a different strategy to perform a task, and that is likely because functional capacity is reduced," Talavage said. "The level of change in the fMRI signal is significantly correlated to the number and distribution of hits that a player takes. Performance doesn't change, but brain activity changes, showing that certain areas are no longer being recruited to perform a task."
Findings, detailed in a paper to appear online in the
Journal of Biomechanics, are contrary to conventional thinking.
"Most clinicians would say that if you don't have any concussion symptoms you have no problems," said
Larry Leverenz, an expert in athletic training and a clinical professor of health and kinesiology. "However, we are finding that there is actually a lot of change, even when you don't have symptoms."
The research may help to determine how many blows it takes to cause impairment,
which could lead to safety guidelines on limiting the number of hits a player receives per week.
"Any change in fMRI data is a concern, but we don't yet know what these changes mean, what they translate to, in terms of cognitive impairment," Breedlove said.
