in rugby, we get penalized for hitting too high. a high hit is more likely to cause a head or neck injury. it’s also much less effective.

in rugby, we see fewer serious injuries than in football. one theory is that we’re not wearing pads, which means that when we hit, we feel it, so the hits are somewhat moderated.

and, there is a policy in USA rugby that someone who appears to be concussed:

“A mild/ first degree concussion causes the athlete to be confused dazed and experience slight amnesia. Asking the athlete questions such as time of day and how he/she got to the field can help detect the injury. Hesitation in answering is a good indication of concussion. If a player experiences unconsciousness for a few seconds or several minutes the athlete has a moderate/second degree concussion. A severe/third degree concussion means any lapse of consciousness for more than five minutes. The degree of concussion is determined by the force of impact.”

is not allowed to return to play for three weeks. which sucks when it’s you, or it’s one of your best players who’s out for a critical game. but it’s the rule.

i’m wondering why the NFL doesn’t treat their players with the same respect.

i’m an avid football fan. in fact, i’m a little crabby today because Baltimore has a bye. and i love to watch a good hard hit. but, the NFL needs to be more aggressive in preventing and treating brain injuries. and they need to start to do something to take care of the folks who have already been disabled by their cavalier policies.