How changing this one play may reduce football head injuries

Time will tell whether the NFL’s new kickoff will remain one of the most dangerous plays in football, but some younger athletes think the pros should take a page out of their playbook instead: At Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, they’ve eliminated the kickoff altogether.

From the very first play this season, NFL football has looked a lot different. The league has dramatically changed its kickoff rules in an effort to reduce injuries. A kickoff starts each half and takes place after a touchdown or field goal. Under the old rules, the kicking team starts at their 35-yard line and tries to kick the ball as far downfield as possible to get their defense a better chance of stopping the offense far from the end zone, while the receiving team tries to move the ball as far as they can up the field. With two teams running at each other at top speed, collisions between players can be devastating. The new version includes players lining up closer to each other and waiting to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20-yard line. Time will tell whether it will remain one of the most dangerous plays in football, but some younger athletes think the pros should take a page out of their playbook instead: At Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, they’ve eliminated the kickoff altogether. “The kickoff isn’t as important as it seems to outside viewers,” said Tristan Cornell, varsity team captain and junior tight end and middle linebacker, who has never once played in a game with a kickoff. “The fact that we don’t have that probably allows us to keep healthy and play throughout the entire season.” The decision to eliminate the traditional kickoff at Riverdale Country School came after a 2018 season in which the Falcons had so many injuries, the school had to cancel its last game because of a lack of healthy players.