California Governor Jerry Brown just signed a law this week banning the use of full contact in middle school and high school practice sessions during the off season. The limits placed on summer practices as well as practices during the season is aimed at minimizing head injuries and concussions. Some coaches, however, believe that taking such drastic measures to prevent the head injuries could lead to an increase in other injuries, such as spinal. They think that if the kids don't learn to hit each other properly in a controlled environment then the likelihood that they will hurt themselves and each other during games is significantly higher.
According to Ken Cooley, the California politician who introduced the law, the point of limiting contact during practices is not only to reduce the risk of head injury, but also to focus on other necessary elements of the game (via Washington Post):
"'AB 2127's practice guidelines will reassure parents that their kids can learn football safely through three hours of full-contact practice ... to maximize conditioning and skill development while minimizing concussion risk,' Cooley said.
"'Everybody is going to have to educate themselves and transition within the limitations,' said John Aguirre, commissioner of the Los Angeles City Section and a former football coach."
On the other hand, many coaches believe that perhaps a middle ground should be reached, instead of sacrificing useful training (via LA Times):
"'There's really not a big uproar about this because it really is nothing new for our coaches,' Brian Seymour, a CIF senior director, said (via the San Francisco Examiner).
"That doesn't mean, though, that coaches love the idea. They've expressed concerns about that fewer contact practices mean players will not be properly prepared to play and will suffer other injuries."
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