Major changes for Youth Football

[huskypantz]

Off the top, I like the elimination of special teams. That's not so different from the NFL moving the kickoff position up 5 yards to encourage touchbacks. 7 on 7 seems a little weird to me, not sure how that really helps things.

Excerpt from article:
Here's a breakdown of what players and parents can expect from the modified game, as told to NPR by USA Football Communications Manager Tom Yelich:

• A smaller playing field, which dramatically shrinks the 100-yard field to a length of 40 yards. The smaller size allows a typical field to be split in half, so that two separate games can be played on the same surface at once.
• Fewer players on each side. In a typical game, 11 players for each team would be on the field at once; in the modified version USA Football plans to audition, that number will be reduced to seven — though it hasn't ruled out the possibility of anywhere from six to nine.
• There will be no special teams. In other words, that means no special teams in a bid to cut down on the punishing open-field hits those plays often involve.
• Players at the line of scrimmage cannot use a "three-point stance" — a body position that allows for great leverage and more power off the line.
• Players must rotate positions, rather than specialize in just one.
• Coaches must ensure players of equal size are matched up against each other.

Rule Changes

 

[whaler11]

Where these rules when I was officiating. Nothing worse than Special Teams. It takes 5 minutes for kids to get lined up to kick off.

 

[shizzle787]

Football is screwed if this is the future.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I was holding my nose, until the last two. My god what a travesty.

 

[Adios]

This would emphasize the development of skill positions.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I feel like the last one is leaving its self open for body shaming.

 

[Afroabe224]

Football is screwed if this is the future.

We better all enjoy football for the next decade or so. This game won't be remotely the same if it's even around in 20-25 years.

 

[sportsart]

I also heard that not only does everyone get a participation trophy, they also get a ribbon.

That is one bizzare list.

 

[Doggie Style]

Albeit difficult to accept, shrinking the field for youth players makes a lot of sense especially for the little guys. USA hockey is the most progressive of ANY sport with its approach to its developmental curriculum and ADM style approach which focuses on small area skillset development. There is massive amounts of data to support this approach. In fact, players don't begin to play full ice games until they get to the "Squirt level" which is around 9-11 years old this year would be birth years of 07'/06'. Hockey purists will take their kids to play Tier 1 hockey so that they cal play full ice at younger ages but again, that approach goes against what the data states from a developmental perspective. My point is that the game of FB will definitely change moving forward, we just need to be ready for that. I'm surprised the size of the field was not altered sooner quite frankly.

 

[Waquoit]

This would emphasize the development of skill positions.

How much do skill positions need developing, really? Youth football is an embarrassing waste of time.

 

[uconndogs]

We better all enjoy football for the next decade or so. This game won't be remotely the same if it's even around in 20-25 years.

Agree with this entirely.

 

[champs99and04]

We better all enjoy football for the next decade or so. This game won't be remotely the same if it's even around in 20-25 years.

This has been obvious for a while now. It's one of the reasons I don't get all of the hand-wringing over what the conference landscape will look like 25 years from now. There is the chance for football to go the way of boxing, and when that happens who knows how the valuations will change?

College and professional football cannot exist as sports that attract world class athletes if they do not exist at the youth level - I think that much is clear, and we're getting to a place where it seems like a matter of when not if high school football is abolished. Certain regions will drag their feet on that one for as long as there's a drop of blood in them, but evolution isn't stopping for anyone.

 

[shizzle787]

This has been obvious for a while now. It's one of the reasons I don't get all of the hand-wringing over what the conference landscape will look like 25 years from now. There is the chance for football to go the way of boxing, and when that happens who knows how the valuations will change?

College and professional football cannot exist as sports that attract world class athletes if they do not exist at the youth level - I think that much is clear, and we're getting to a place where it seems like a matter of when not if high school football is abolished. Certain regions will drag their feet on that one for as long as there's a drop of blood in them, but evolution isn't stopping for anyone.

High school participation is down 12% in RI in the last decade, and it's down as well in ME. VT only has 30 or so high schools that even play football anymore. New England and California will be the first areas to forgo the sport.

 

[upstater]

A decent % of future NFL guys start playing in high school. Not sure this is such a big deal.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Off the top, I like the elimination of special teams. That's not so different from the NFL moving the kickoff position up 5 yards to encourage touchbacks. 7 on 7 seems a little weird to me, not sure how that really helps things.

Excerpt from article:
Here's a breakdown of what players and parents can expect from the modified game, as told to NPR by USA Football Communications Manager Tom Yelich:

• A smaller playing field, which dramatically shrinks the 100-yard field to a length of 40 yards. The smaller size allows a typical field to be split in half, so that two separate games can be played on the same surface at once.
• Fewer players on each side. In a typical game, 11 players for each team would be on the field at once; in the modified version USA Football plans to audition, that number will be reduced to seven — though it hasn't ruled out the possibility of anywhere from six to nine.
• There will be no special teams. In other words, that means no special teams in a bid to cut down on the punishing open-field hits those plays often involve.
• Players at the line of scrimmage cannot use a "three-point stance" — a body position that allows for great leverage and more power off the line.
• Players must rotate positions, rather than specialize in just one.
• Coaches must ensure players of equal size are matched up against each other.

Rule Changes

How long can a sport last when it's governing body is acknowledging it is too dangerous as currently constituted for youth to play?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

A decent % of future NFL guys start playing in high school. Not sure this is such a big deal.

Maybe kids will just start playing at the NFL level and skip youth and high school football altogether.

How can you argue that it is not a big deal that youth football is not-so-slowly disappearing?

 

[upstater]

Maybe kids will just start playing at the NFL level and skip youth and high school football altogether.

How can you argue that it is not a big deal that youth football is not-so-slowly disappearing?

Because enough kids will keep playing and still feed the pro game. That's why.

They already play modified football in much of the country at the high school level.

Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and the Mountain West states.

Other sports do this all the time. Soccer for instance ramps up and doesn't have full sides until kids are 14.

Rugby is played with 7 and 9 and 11 and 15 at all levels.

This should be no big deal.

 

[huskypantz]

How long can a sport last when it's governing body is acknowledging it is too dangerous as currently constituted for youth to play?

The Dartmouth college football practice commercial ran during the sb, right? They have robotic practice dummies that are advertised to make practice safer. Exactly to your point, people are admitting that the best way to make the game safe is essentially to not play it.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I Never was a huge Pop Warner fan .
The idea of weight limits which leads to cutting weights is ridicules for 10 year olds.
Flag Football is huge out here and I recalled Dan Orlavsky played flag
He never played tackle until high school
You can acquire all the skill sets minus contact playing flag.
I played sandlot tag & tackle until high school as did most kids of that era ,contact is not the same minus pads.
Youth tackle leagues were an outgrowth of the popularity of football not the other way around . If Youth tackle football disappears which is doubtful itseffect on the game is very minor.

 

[shizzle787]

I'm going to make a big prediction (I've tended to be right in the past): 20 years from now most colleges outside of the deep South and Texas won't be playing football (it will be regional like college hockey), and...wait for it...UConn, Syracuse, Pitt, and BC will have rejoined the Big East after canning football.

 

[buckley503]

I have 2 boys, 9 and 11, who currently play flag football here in Massachusetts with our town's flag program coordinated with the very strong high school program in terms of coach involvement, plays, formations, etc. Thinking is they will be prepared and ready come freshman year. Skills associated with tackle at that age can be learned quickly.

I would never not let my boys play high school football for it is an experience that I, old teammates, and friends still reflect on with great pleasure (Kenny Chesney's "Boys of Fall" brings a tear to my I). That being said, I am waiting for the 30 page liability waiver that I will be signing in a few years to allow them to play because every school district will be living with the fear of litigation (ie see players suing the Big 12 and NCAA) with many dropping it all together, but, as with everything in life, they will know that there are risks involved yet to to see it as a great part of their lives.

 

[shizzle787]

How long can a sport last when it's governing body is acknowledging it is too dangerous as currently constituted for youth to play?

Not long. We need to go NBE for everything for football, which would go independent.

 

[auggie22]

I have 2 boys, 9 and 11, who currently play flag football here in Massachusetts with our town's flag program coordinated with the very strong high school program in terms of coach involvement, plays, formations, etc. Thinking is they will be prepared and ready come freshman year. Skills associated with tackle at that age can be learned quickly.

I would never not let my boys play high school football for it is an experience that I, old teammates, and friends still reflect on with great pleasure (Kenny Chesney's "Boys of Fall" brings a tear to my I). That being said, I am waiting for the 30 page liability waiver that I will be signing in a few years to allow them to play because every school district will be living with the fear of litigation (ie see players suing the Big 12 and NCAA) with many dropping it all together, but, as with everything in life, they will know that there are risks involved yet to to see it as a great part of their lives.

No doubt there are experiences and bonds forged in the weight room, in practice, and on the field. But there are also plenty of foootball substitutes in high school that won't be quite as likely to kill your brain. I view contact football as a senseless risk, and that has not always been the case. I know that I am not alone, there is a tipping point somewhere on the horizon.