The good ole Ivy League is considering crossing a threshold few of us could have imagined possible just a few short years ago.
According to Reuters (h/t Yahoo Sports), the academic-centric collegiate sports league is looking into the possibility of banning tackling in football practice.
Yes, you read that right.
Despite that pretty shocking admission, the conference’s spokesman, Scottie Rodgers, did indicate that it’s “something that has only been discussed and is not approved in any way.”
Discussions leading to the potential of tackling being outlawed in practice is something we have not seen around the college football world.
If enacted, it could also set a rather dangerous precedent. What’s to stop other leagues from drawing the same conclusion? What about high schools around the nation?
The other major issue here is the narrow-minded view that banning tackling in practice would somehow make players safer.
One of the biggest issues pertaining to the safety at all levels is an inability of defensive players to form tackle. That leads to dangerous technique when hitting — something that won’t be improved without an ability to actually practice tackling itself.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the conference’s coaches agreed to go through with a vote on the potential outlaw next week. If it were to pass, we can expect a great deal of pushback.
There are steps that can be taken to help football overcome the increasing issue of brain trauma.
Unfortunately, this appears to be a reactionary measure that wouldn’t necessarily lead to more safety on the football field.