Considered the most popular sport in the United States, American football is arguably an enthralling and tense game. It went on to even inspire many award-winning films.
The sport cultivates teamwork, perseverance, hard work, dedication, and talent. However, like every good thing, even American football has its drawbacks. For instance, a ground-breaking study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) stated that 99% of the donated brains of NFL players have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The problem does not end here.
These are five major disadvantages and risks of American Football.
1. The probabilities of injuries
Sustaining an injury, whether it’s minor or major, is an inevitability of the game; especially in this sport, where there is full-physical contact among the players. Players are prone to get injured even during practice sessions as well as during a game.
According to Stop Sports Injuries, football is at the top of the list when it comes to the number of injuries in young athletes, especially when it comes down to concussions. Based on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics, in one year, about 1 million young athletes sustained injuries related to football.
Common injuries that are frequently experienced by all football players are sprains, strains, dislocations, concussions, and fractures. Concussion injuries have become a major health concern among players as of late.
2. The long-term effects of concussions
Concussions have become a significant concern because of their correlation with mental illnesses like chronic traumatic encephalopathy and dementia. The long-term effects of concussions can be rather impactful for the players who sustain them, as they can lead to depression, as well as other psychological problems. In severe cases, it can also lead to neurodegenerative diseases.
This type of brain injury can also coincide with sensitivity to light and noise, psychological problems with depression, sleep disturbances, concentration difficulty, and disorders of taste and smell.
Neurological damages can not only reduce the player’s career span but also cause nagging ailments in their post-professional years. Sometimes these injuries can be a major cause of their death as well. It can not only affect the player themselves but also family, friends, and people with and around them.
3. The possibility of catastrophic injuries
Catastrophic injuries are injuries that are considered third-grade injuries (extreme injuries). These injuries mainly impact the spinal cord, spine, or brain. Although catastrophic injuries have become less common since the ’70s, every year a number of them still occur.
Both catastrophic injuries and concussions are mainly caused by helmet-to-helmet collisions between players. They can also be caused by a player hitting their head hard down on the field or when hit by another player’s knee. Despite the decrease in the cases of catastrophic injuries, several football players have still suffered significant injuries; there are even cases where players have become paraplegic or paralyzed.
4. It can lead to drug and substance abuse
An issue that has been present at both professional and high school levels is the consumption of performance-enhancing drugs. Steroid use among players is both illegal and not scientifically proven to better their performance. It has been associated with risks for musculoskeletal injuries as well.
Also, some players take Human Growth Hormone medications to recover from injuries and improve game performances, lose weight, as well as decrease aging. There is currently no scientific evidence to validate these benefits. Furthermore, HGH medications can have adverse side effects that speed up the onset of diabetes and unhealthy influence on joints and the heart.
That being said, the NFL does take require drug tests for the players.
5. Not suitable for young kids.
Many experts suggest that young kids not play tackle football. Studies show that most of the child’s early brain development will occur before the age of 12; hence, it wouldn’t be advisable to let your kid train and play tackle football before that age.
When an organ, such as the brain, is being developed, it is best left undisturbed, a circumstance that is not supported by playing American Football.
Nevertheless, an excellent alternative for young kids is to play flag football. This game is very similar to tackle football, but without the high risk of injuries.
The Risks that Come with Each Football Position.
Quarterback – As a member of the offensive team, the quarterback (QB) has a major role. The QB must be quick, and if he is not conscious of his surroundings, he might not notice an impending tackle. His role will have a considerable impact on the team’s victory or loss. Hence, it is not a stretch to believe several risks come along with being the quarterback as he will become one of the main targets.
One of the significant disadvantages is the fact that the blow or impact might be unseen; therefore, the player must be completely aware and conscious of his surroundings. There are times when the quarterbacks can completely avoid injury, however, if he receives a blindside tackle, chances are high that it could be severe.
Wide Receiver – Unlike quarterbacks, the players in the wide receiver position can foresee where the attacks are coming from. This, however, doesn’t mean that they are less likely to be injured.
They are actually more likely to receive an impactful tackle, causing instant concussions, and on certain occasions, loss of consciousness. The damages caused, however, are not recurrent; therefore, it is possible to say that players in the wide receiver position can go on playing for entire seasons without severe injuries.
Linemen (offensive and defensive) – Lineman, both on the offensive and defensive teams, are quite similar to the military infantry and are considered as the first line of defense or first line of attack. So, from this observation, we can assume that linemen are likely to get injured more frequently than most.
Unlike the quarterback and wide receivers, the linemen will definitely be subject to recurring blows and numerous minor injuries. Their injuries, however, are typically not as severe due to the proximity of the player making contact. A lineman is rarely prone to getting a concussion, but this doesn’t erase the fact that the injuries are repetitive and can cause problems in the long run for players.
Lineback – The linebackers, being on the defensive team, line up behind the linemen. The risks they take are quite similar to that of the linemen. The linebackers are subject to continuous injuries of a small scale, hence making it difficult for them to completely recover before the next game.
Considered the vital defense position, the linebackers’ role is to tackle and stop runs and also be swift enough to catch receivers. Therefore, it is extremely important that a linebacker is versatile.
Running back position – Being on the offensive side, the running back also plays a major. These players will most likely have a hand in almost every play.
As the name of the position suggests, the player must be quick in turning paths and exceptionally swift in straight lines as they make narrow escapes from the thundering defenders. If the player is overthrown by the defenders, then he is sure to receive heavy blows. The damage caused will also be of considerable impact when the player is attacked at full speed.
Most running back suffer a torn ACL and other muscular injuries. Such injuries greatly affect performance and can result in the player sitting out for the rest of the season.
Center position – Unlike the other positions, the center is not subject to huge risks. The center, presumably clever, studies the position of the opposing team’s defense allowing him to devise a plan of action.
Apart from hiking the football to the quarterback or in some cases, the running back, the position involves blocking the defensive linebackers. Therefore, apart from muscle issues and a few blows, the center position player doesn’t typically attain heavy injury.
Final Notes
American football is a rough game, there’s no doubt about it. It is no wonder that several measures have been adopted to minimize its severity. However, certain risks still linger, notably the long-term effects of playing the game, especially for professionals.