I think the technique stuff can be taught with the combo of the mechanical tackling dummies that Dartmouth (I think) is using to great affect and the Seattle Seahawks rugby style tackling.
1 game a week at 100-160 plays vs 5 practices at how many live reps (100 per? + drills)...
Quick and dirty math - 4 times more likely to be concussed in practice vs a game?
Plus - if the game is in real danger - probably need a "all hands on deck" response
This is so stupid, and is just further proof of the wussification of America... is what I would say if I was an insufferable meathead. Hats off to the Ivy League, smart people doing a smart thing.
Coastal Carolina coach says it is more important to avoid injuries during practice that to have tackling. He says he knows which of his players need technique instruction and practice and which don't.
You are in full pads at most twice per week. If you do full contact for more than 20 minutes of those 2 days, you're the outlier in college football today.
40 minutes of full contact vs. 60 minutes in a game, 4:1 doesn't really compute to my calculator, quick and dirty or not. Furthermore, full contact in practice is given a quick whistle to avoid huge hits.
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Nobodies talking about wussification. People are talking about being properly prepared to take on the rigors of full contact football.
I'll tell you what, I'll buy a warehouse and teach my workers to drive a fork lift by just reading the manual. That, which will decrease the amount of time on the forklift, should therefore decrease the amount of accidents as well.
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Less than 5% of incoming FR are ready to play tackle football at the collegiate level. Take away the only time they have to learn how to compete at that level and you're putting them at risk. It takes time to learn how to adjust to the speed of the game. A subtle movement in a split second, that's a natural reaction, can mean putting yourself at tremendous risk. It takes time and muscle memory. Some of it can only be learned at full speed.
Now incoming players are at an even further disadvantage and even more at risk.
There are ways to make the game much safer without taking away full contact. It starts at the youth levels. Which is where the VAST majority of head and neck injuries occur.
