Rules restricting tackling in football becoming ridiculous

When 49er linebacker Ahmad Brooks sacked opposing quarterback Drew Brees in a game between the 49ers and Saints last season and forced a fumble, the 49ers thought that they had secured a win after recovering the ball. Joy soon turned to anger after Brooks was penalized for “unnecessary roughness” because he made forcible contact to Brees’ neck. This penalty changed the course of the game and essentially gave the Saints the win.

When I watched this play live, I was infuriated when the referee threw the yellow flag up because, in my opinion, that was a clean hit and it basically guaranteed a 49er loss. Brooks made an incredibly athletic play by twisting his body and wrapping his arms around any part of Brees he could find in order to tackle Brees. Unfortunately, Brooks hit Brees’s neck and therefore broke a NFL rule.

In the past few years, the NFL has introduced several rules to improve player safety. Many of these rules have banned defensive players from tackling offensive players in the head and neck.

Although these rules have undoubtedly increased the safety of the game, they have also made the game less fun to watch. Much of the excitement in football comes from stadium silencing big hits, but now anything that looks “bad” is almost certain to be penalized and cost teams a whole 15 yards out of the 100-yard field. 

For example, even if a defensive player’s initial trajectory when tackling is toward the chest, if the offensive player changes his position and the defensive player hits the offensive player’s head or neck area, the defensive player will get penalized. What’s a defensive player supposed to do? Freeze in mid-air to avoid getting a penalty? 

Instead, last season, defensive players aimed for the legs to avoid the head or neck penalty. The result: Several star players received lower-body injuries — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb broke his leg and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski tore his ACL and MCL (key ligaments in the knee).

Additionally, all of these rules have made offenses nearly unstoppable. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning recently broke several significant passing records last season, and, in general, offenses seem to be breaking records every year. Ferocious and offense-shutting defenses like the 1985 Bears or the 2000 Ravens are a rare sight now because of all the restrictions placed on defensive players. 

Although numerous studies have shown that football, especially tackling, causes both short-term and long-term injuries, football players should be aware of the risks before they sign an NFL contract. If an athlete wants to play a risk-free sport, then he should not play football. Football isn’t a pretty sport — it’s a sport for only tough men willing to get physical and endure pain, and that’s why the best professional football players get paid millions of dollars.

Despite all of this, the NFL will most likely continue to restrict defensive players to further increase safety, which really just marks the demise of great defense — and players like Brooks will be goats rather than heroes.