Safety!

Football is a contact sport - there is no denying it. 

With contact, comes risk. According to the Journal of Pediatrics and the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study,  the three sports with the highest concussion rates were:

1. Boys’ football, with 10.4 concussions per 10,000 athlete exposures.

2. Girls’ soccer, with 8.19 per 10,000 athlete exposures.

3. Boys’ ice hockey, with 7.69 per 10,000 athlete exposures. 

Put another way, for every 10,000 athletes exposed to contact, 2 more football players experience head trauma (known as a concussion) than girls soccer players. We put in every precaution to reduce this number as low as possible. 

How does BHS Football mitigate risk of head injury?

1. BHS Coaches teach "Heads Up" and "Hawk Tackling" techniques: new guidance and training from USA Football removes violent hitting from the game and emphasizes keeping your head up and using your shoulder pads. The Hawk tackling technique forces tacklers to put their "eyes on the thighs," wrap and roll or "drive for five."

2. Limit contact throughout the week. Most people are surprised to find out that there is very little live hitting in a high school football practice. In fact, the law itself imposes these limits. According to CIF bylaws, "State statute mandates that football teams are limited to two days per week of full contact practice, with no more than 45 minutes of full contact on each of those days during the season of sport."

   1. As an alternative to regular live hitting, we utilize bags, tackling wheels, and other training devices to help prepare kids for games

   2. Even when we do hit in practice, we are normally use THUD or CONTROL tempo (drills are run at an assigned speed through the moment of contact and then with a quick whistle - player is not taken to the ground)

3. Strict adherence to CIF Concussion "Return to Play" Protocol - we do not hesitate to pull kids off the field at the first hint of head trauma. Our athletic trainer assesses the player on site and initiates the protocol - the kid goes to the doctor and has to complete a full protocol which, upon official diagnosis of a concussion, includes a minimum 7-day rest period, a doctor's note clearing the athlete for full participation, and a final meeting with our athletic trainer.

Also worth noting:

1. All our helmets and shoulder pads are reconditioned every year and certified under standards set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). BHS football has raised significant funds over the last two years and has purchased nearly 40 brand new helmets

2. Officials are trained to utilize quick whistles and have zero tolerance for dangerous plays known as "targeting" or "spearing," "hitting a defenseless player," "roughing an opponent," or making "illegal helmet contact." Each of these comes with a minimum of a 15-yard penalty and the potential for immediate ejection depending on the severity of the foul. Depending on the severity, an ejection comes with a minimum of a 1 game suspension and up to a 3 game suspension.