Head Shots

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Mike
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Re: Head Shots

Post by Mike »

I think the bigger issue won't be games, but head impacts that occur during training. They're already banning heading the ball in training for age group football, and I think anything in training that can cause head impacts will have to go. That likely includes full contact sessions.

At the end of the day, in matches, head shots are illegal and its up to the sports policy and referee enforcement as to how much punishment each contact merits. We could even have impact force meters on the players heads and have an auto red card if forces exceed a certain amount.
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pedro
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Re: Head Shots

Post by pedro »

it was all pre HIA, I believe it has started in the NRL years ago as did the NFL, it could easily start here but they sue the RFL not the clubs
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Wigan_forever1985
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Re: Head Shots

Post by Wigan_forever1985 »

I think Rugby League is harder to work with zero tolerance than union

Breaking the line in union is not the idea of players - its more strategic as if you break without support you could be turned over so the impacts are more controlled the props in particular arent looking for a big impact they are looking to find the ground and recycle the ball

in league the emphasis is on breaking the line and impact and its really difficult to control limbs at that stage - its very easy to go for a tackle and bounce off into someones head
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AndyNick
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Re: Head Shots

Post by AndyNick »

Wigan_forever1985 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 8:38 am I think Rugby League is harder to work with zero tolerance than union

Breaking the line in union is not the idea of players - its more strategic as if you break without support you could be turned over so the impacts are more controlled the props in particular arent looking for a big impact they are looking to find the ground and recycle the ball

in league the emphasis is on breaking the line and impact and its really difficult to control limbs at that stage - its very easy to go for a tackle and bounce off into someones head
If you look at the sanction framework when it comes to union the focus is on the initial impact. If the initial impact is on the chest/ball and then moves up then its treated differently to a direct shoulder to the head and rightly so. I think that the Video Ref needs to be utilised more on these. We've got the technology available so use it. Going to give 2 examples, First is Murdoch Masila against Huddersfield. Video Ref in the ear, you need to take another look at this one. Replay it on the big screen. Direct contact with the shoulder to the head, No attempt to wrap, the player hasn't dipped into the tackle, there is no mitigating factors, it's a red card.
2nd example is from a few years ago and it's Kyle Amor being sent off on Good Friday. Again, lets just have a look at this one. The replays show that the initial contact was on the ball at chest height and has risen off the ball to contact the head. You have mitigation there so would likely have been shown a yellow as opposed to the Red that Amor got that day.
So often I'll be watching a game and a tackle will go in that would be a yellow/red in Union and often its not even a penalty. Many will say thats one of the good things about League but the powers that be need to tread very carefully on this issue because this issue is not going away.

In Union now, you tend to see more red cards shown for illegal clearouts at rucks than tackles. When players are jackaling the ball you're seeing players flying in from distance and clearing out with a shoulder charge to the head. For me these are more of an issue now in Union than high tackles. I genuinely think that if it was made clear. This obviously would not be a problem in league.
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