Oklahoma approves limit on contact during football practices

New regulations passed by Oklahoma’s athletic association will limit the amount of contact high school football teams can have during practices.

The rules take effect in 2017 after they were approved last week by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s Board of Directors. Associate Director David Jackson told The Oklahoman that the change is an effort to address concerns over head trauma, and coaches widely supported the move.

From the article:

Teams will still be allowed 10 full-contact practices this spring. Next spring, that number changes to six and they cannot occur on consecutive days.

Also, schools will be allowed a 21-day period from the conclusion of spring activities for each school to complete spring practices. Currently, schools are allowed 10 practices and they must be completed by June 1. 

The board also approved language in the football manual that allows use of hand-held dummies and shields during non-pad practices.

Oklahoma is the latest state to place restrictions on football practices, but it’s hardly the first. California, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Illinois are just some of the others that have passed similar regulations. Research suggests that football players are more likely to suffer a concussion during practices than games.

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