California lawmakers are considering banning tackle football for children under 12, citing brain damage concerns.
According to reports, lawmakers are facing opposition from coaches who emphasize its importance in youth physical activity.
Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty’s bill is slated for its first public hearing before a legislative committee on Wednesday.
The bill must pass the state Assembly by January’s end for a chance at becoming law this year. If approved, it takes effect in 2026, with gradual implementation through 2029.
Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and former Harvard football player, emphasized that tackle football causes brain damage, with the risk escalating over prolonged play. This can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, resulting in the death of nerve cells in the brain.
“I don’t have a problem with NFL players, who are adults and understand the risk and are compensated, risking CTE,” Nowinski said. “I can’t imagine a world in which we have children, who don’t understand the risk, doing this for fun (and) taking the same risk with their brain.”
While no state has yet banned tackle football for children, there have been unsuccessful attempts in California, New York, and Illinois with similar bills introduced previously.
Currently, California law prohibits full-contact practices for high school and youth football teams in the offseason, limiting them to only two practices per week during the preseason and regular season.
As of 2021, the law mandates youth football officials to undergo concussion and head injury education, among other safety measures.
According to the California Interscholastic Federation’s survey, High school tackle football in California experienced an 18% decline from 2015 to 2022, dropping from 103,725 to 84,626 players. However, there was a 5% increase in 2023, bringing the participation back up to 89,178 players.
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