Massachusetts bill aims to ban tackling in youth football
The bill was filed last month and has bipartisan support, though its too early to tell if that support is widespread throughout the legislature. The “No Organized Head Impacts to Schoolchildren bill” is aimed at protecting children from debilitating head injuries.
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Under the law, leagues would be restricted to non-contact play, like flag football. USA Football encourages youth leagues to use a similar developmental model to teach the game before advancing to contact, but there is no mandate. With the Massachusetts bill, any organization that violates to ban could be fined up to $2,000. Subsequent violations to cost an organization $5,000, and fines could increase to $10,000 in the event of an injury.
In a poll on The Boston Herald website, 78 percent of readers say they do not agree with the bill.
Read more from The Boston Herald.