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NFL safety boss says the league could ban helmets one day

By on June 25, 2015

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/american-football/33167457The chairman of the National Football League’s health and safety advisory commission believes American football could ban helmets in the future.

The NFL has tried to reduce the risk of head injuries over the last five years and recently reached an almost $1bn legal settlement with ex-players suffering with head trauma.

But some experts think helmets give the players a false sense of security.

“Can I see a time without helmets? Yes,” said Dr John York.

“It’s not around the corner, but I can see it.”

The idea of banning helmets has been raised by some doctors and ex-players in recent years without ever really being taken seriously.

The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to bang heads at the line of scrimmage

The reason the idea is back on the table is because of the NFL’s belated acceptance of the link between head injuries and the type of neurological problems that only boxers were believed to encounter in later life.

Faced with a spate of tragic incidents involving former players struggling with depression, memory loss and mood swings – as well as growing cultural awareness of the issues surrounding concussion – the league has introduced a raft of rule changes. bbc.co.uk

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