Targeting Foul: A Necessary Evil?

The rule

For the safety of football players on both sides of the ball a rule has been put into effect at all levels of football that is believed by league officials to be a crucial step towards reducing serious injuries, namely in the head and neck area. This is known as the targeting rule. Any player caught leading with the head ('crown' of the helmet) or aiming for the head/neck of another player, especially a defenseless (no way for the person to protect themselves because of being unaware or occupied) one, is to be ejected from the game and may miss part of the next game. The National Football League (NFL), gives a hefty fine to players as well.

Goal of the rule

The leagues hope with a rule like this put into play it will discourage players from making dangerous hits. The overall goal is to provide the players more protection. Players that lead with the crown of the helmet are more likely to gain head trauma and more likely, serious neck injuries. Even if these players lead with the shoulder, if it is at an opponent's head/neck area it also can cause serious injury to that player. The impact is severe and dangerous. The league wants to get players back to proper form and safe technique. This means hits with the shoulder at the opponent's chest and below. This is considered a proper form tackle or hit.


Issues and Complaints

The biggest concern with this rule, which is also my biggest concern, is how the implementation of this rule will work. Obviously the season is well under way and the rule has reared its head many a time. Each ref will have a different view point and perspective on what they deem an illegal hit. The other problem as many have noticed is that it is proving to be an extreme restriction on players. Of course all refs are leaning towards the safe side, meaning they are more willing to call the penalty. Players are not able to make good, hard, clean hits either anymore.

Let me explain, whether a good hit or an illegal hit, the majority of the time the instant effect or repercussion of the hit a massive hit that everyone and their grandmother sees, hears and winces at it. The player being hit is blasted backwards and falls to the ground hard. Let's just say he does not get up with any urgency. The ref instantly wants to reach for his flag since they look the same and the result looks gruesome. The difference is the clean hit is perfectly legal and does not cause the serious injuries the negative hit does. Many a time they cannot tell the difference and throw the flag on a good hit. I have seen countless examples of players making great hits and being reprimanded for them.

Correcting Mistakes

The best adpatation since the implementation of the rule is that not only can the penalty be reviewed during the game by the referees, it is also looked at the following week by a group whose sole purpose is to analyze these hits. Fines, and suspensions can end up being overturned thanks to this. But the issue is still seen time and time again when a player comes in and makes a crucial big hit and is penalized costing him potentially the rest the game.


Follow up post:
Baseball: More than meets the eye    

Treatment: A choice or a Must

Benefits

Not all injuries require surgery and extreme medical techniques in order to recover. After any injury has occurred, the athlete usually goes to some form of sports related physical therapist, i.e., a trainer. The benefits of going are not only the access to free treatment, but having a person specialized in this criteria there to help you. The biggest benefit: Identifying injuries, knowing how to prevent injuries and enhance recovery and most all information on your injury. The treatment options range from ice or heat, to stem (explained later) and laser therapy. The wide range of options can work towards any injury.

What They Do and What Works

The reality is some of these techniques are still skeptical. Ice and heat (in heat packs) are the oldest forms of treatment and of course help in reducing swelling, loosening muscles as well as all around recovery. These are the most basic and often used materials.

Stem is another often used technique. It basically massages deeply in patterns the injured area. This is also a more reliable technique.
The laser therapy is one of the more skeptical methods. It is suppose to be a laser that shoots through your skin and speeds up the cells that assist in recovery of an injury. The facts say it works, but no definite proof is shown. I personally do not think it does much at all. The method is still questionable although used  nearly everywhere. In the end it just depends on the injury and a question of just how much the treatment can help.

Laser therapy

When to go

Obviously after suffering a rather serious injury, immediately following days you will be going, but how long after? You can either go until your trainer says otherwise or until you feel completely healed. It is necessary to make sure not to stop before it is healed. I would recommend always stopping by after the first couple workouts on the injury as a caution. Even the smaller injuries should not be ignored. If anything this is where the treatment may help most, eliminating the small ones and keeping them from escalating, while simply managing the more serious ones. I do not go for every bump and bruise, but I am a frequent visitor when anything remotely painful occurs. I usually stick to ice and some stem. I would rather play it safe. 

Go or No

So all that seems to be decided now is whether or not you should go to the trainers and when. When you ask yourself "Should I skip it today", you have to think if it will slow your recovery and just how helpful you think it is. Sometimes I would go two times a day or more for a serious injury, while others I would go just after practice. The fact is that some options are available there that can seriously help, but sometimes it really just may be a waste of time. You have to decide which it is in your own case.

Personal Experience

Although it is not one of the injuries that I have previously discussed (mainly because it is not one of the more common and it happens in all sports, not just contact ones) , I want you to understand that I have been through a similar situation so that it might better assist you if it happens to you. I have gotten concussions, a broken bone and your average sprains, but nothing compares to what happened my senior year.

I had never missed a game coming into my senior year of high school. I was feeling strong, proud and ready for a big year. The opening game of the season I was off to a great start with over 100 yards rushing and already scored twice. Near the end of the first half I broke away for another long touchdown. As I went into the end zone I let up and got hit by a helmet going directly into my ankle. The excitement from the run managed to block out some of the pain, but I still limped off the field. To this point I assumed it was simply a bruise or sprain at worst. I couldn't play the rest of the game and limped home. That night was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life. I could not sleep, and could not move. All i felt was a thrashing pain in my ankle that did not cease. I would have to take pain meds for the next 2 weeks, just to manage.

I was a stubborn player none-the-less and did not do anything but ice my ankle and limp around. When I say limp I actually mean stepping and my foot would give out. I could not practice the first couple days and when my coaches saw my limp they insisted on me going to the doctors. This was not going to happen. I got a special tape job, and practiced that last day and suited up for the game. Come game day they put me in and at first glance, I hid my limp well. The first time I needed to make a cut it was obvious. I was pulled from the game and sat out. The next week I would not play. I went to the doctors to find out I had torn ligaments in my ankle and a strained/slight tear in my Achilles. Surgery was not a necessity, but my senior year would be all but over. News like that was difficult to handle. It smashes down on you like a ton of bricks. I sat out a few more weeks before starting to practice and work the limp out, refusing to let it be over. In the end my limp was gone as long as  it was taped and I was able to play the final game of the season. It wasn't the same, as was I not the same.

An injury like that can hit you so hard mentally as well as physically. I was lucky to get back on the field at all. Those who suffer a serious injury must face not only rehab of the body, but sometimes more importantly, rehab of the mind. The emotional and mental strength that a player must build to overcome the scared mentality of re-injury is a struggle unlike any other. Getting out on to the field/court and actually not holding back on that body part is possibly the most difficult step in recovery. To this I say, go as slow as you must, but know that at some point you will have to break through that mental block.  

MCL, ACL, PCL: Painful Acronyms and a Look into Knee Injuries.

THE KNEE. If there is one thing that nearly all athletes in contact sports fear it is an injury to this body part. Sometimes out for weeks, other times for months. It all depends on which part of the knee you hurt. Luckily, I cannot explain from experience, but I have many a friend that have had to deal with these injuries. Obviously the knee has many muscles, ligaments and other fragile parts, but the three I will look at are the most common knee injuries to ATHLETES.

ACL: One slip away

The ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament and its general location is in the back of the knee. This is perhaps the most dangerous of the knee injuries. A tear to this ligament almost always means surgery if you wish to continue playing sports. If this injury occurs you are out for anywhere between 4-6 months, even longer if you are a slow healer. The rehab is brutal and the pain obscure. This can happen anytime when your leg locks and gets hit or you try to make a cut while it is locked. The injury is simply. The surgery is NOT. It can differ between all people. Generally some method of pulling together the two sides of the ligament and even taking some muscle from another part of the body to put in between is common. This allows the muscle to grow together. I have seen many players go down in pain instantly upon feeling the tear. The sad thing is you usually know right when it happens. The positive, so do medical professors. An MRI is used to confirm this always.

PCL: Short but crucial

  

The PCL stands for posterior cruciate ligament and it is found on the outside of the knee near the main vein. This injury is sustained similarly to the ACL one but more often occurs from hits to the side of the knee. The injury is just as painful and it is not so easy to identify. The injury is obscure enough in feeling that you must get an MRI. The benefits are that it rarely requires surgery and you can return to action in as little as 3 WEEKS! (generally 4). The way to treat it is therapy and simply letting it heal on its own. The muscle is able to grow and attach itself again. During this process you will limp and need to stay off of the leg but even light running is possible a couple weeks in. The trick with this injury is not to come back too soon. As long as you give enough time you will come back with no issues.

MCL: Usually more then meets the eye

The MCL stands for medial collateral ligament and is located below the femur. In other words it is just inside the front of the knee (next to the kneecap). This injury is sustained from direct blows to the knee cap especially when from the outside coming in. This injury rarely occurs from nonphysical activity (cutting and such). The SCARIEST thing about the MCL is that it very often comes in a package. What that means is that when this is injured it is usually accompanied by another part of the knee sustaining injury. The ACL, PCL, meniscus or many other parts are all possible companions. The main reason for this is because the kind of hit the knee takes and in order for the knee to open up to the extent it does (that causes the MCL tear) some other ligament must have given in also. The good news is that if the MCL is the only part to get injured it almost always means it is not serious. This means that you have a slight tear. The knee will swell slightly and, if really minor, an athlete will be out only 1-2 weeks! Even a more serious tear results in 3-4 weeks of no contact. The knee will feel like it is going to buckle. Rehabilitation is necessary to eliminate that. A severe injury (full tear) can take up to 10 weeks. Like the PCL the other good note is that it does not require surgery. Even when completely torn!

The fact is that all these injuries thanks to recent medical developments are no longer long term, permanent or career ending issues. Knee braces and "sleeves" are common to wear after these injuries and provide with the recovery and the ability to go out and play again.

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/kneeinjuries/a/mclinjury.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001074.htm