Brain Research Foundation

New NFL Rule

BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION APPLAUDS NEW NFL RULE TO PREVENT HEAD INJURIES, CALLS FOR ADDITIONAL SCIENCE

CHICAGO – August 11, 2010  With professional football preseason camps in full swing, new rules are now in place to protect players from helmet hits to their neck and shoulders. The National Football League has expanded its rules to prevent “defenseless” players from being hit in the head by an opponent and referees will whistle dead any play in which a player loses his helmet on the field.
“This rule change is part of a growing awareness among sports organizations and signals the serious risk of sports-related brain injuries,” said Dr. Terre Sharma, Executive Director of Chicago’s Brain Research Foundation. “While we hope that this change will reduce brain trauma and long-term brain damage, fundamental research is needed to fully understand the effects of sport on neurological systems.”
The Brain Research Foundation is a strong advocate of educating players and their families about the degenerative brain conditions that result from unanticipated blows to the head. Fifty percent of high school football players suffer concussions each season and, according to the Sports Legacy Institute, as many as 90 percent of concussion injuries are undiagnosed and untreated.
Academia, the sports industry and youth sports are fast coming to the realization that the effects of sports related head trauma are more complex and far reaching than we knew, and that research in the field currently lacks what is required to protect our children.

About the Brain Research Foundation
The Brain Research Foundation is dedicated to supporting cutting-edge neuroscience research that leads to understanding the brain and its functions. Its support of novel research through seed grants, and programming that builds awareness of neurological health advances our understanding of diseases and injuries that affect the brain.