Скачать или смотреть Keeping Families Safe: New Concussion Rules Aim to Keep Kids

BELLBROOK -- The second week of high school football kicks off this week. And now new regulations are in place to help reduce the number of concussions and head injuries. But while coaches want to keep their players safe some are worried they may not be prepared on game day. Kevin Basinger says its frustrating to you as a coach. Basinger has been coaching high school football for 28 years, 19 here at Bellbrook. He says he wants to keep his players safe, but: Are the kids going to be physically ready to play a football game with the limited amount of contact, but I guess time will tell, Basinger said. The Ohio High School Athletic Association voted unanimously to limit full-contact drills during football practice. According to the Centers for Disease Control, high school football accounts for 47 percent of all sports concussions, with 33 percent occurring during practice. While the first hit can be problematic, the second or third head impact can cause permanent long-term brain damage. Bellbrooks junior lineman Chandler Brown is taking a break after suffering a concussion last week. I had a headache for about a week, Brown said. The back of my head was numb and the rest of it was throbbing, so it hurt really bad. Under new state guidelines, players are now limited to 30 minutes of full-contact each practice day with a total of 60 minutes per week during the regular season. During two-a-day preseason practice, full contact is now limited to just one session. Basinger said he is concerned about other teams having a competitive edge, depending on how coaches interpret the new regulations. But Basinger says for his team: But, Basinger said: We're going to err on side of caution just to be sure. Bellbrook wide receiver and defensive back Nick Barhorst said he hopes of playing in college and says the new rules will help keep players safe. Without the rules there could have been a lot more concussions and less playing time for a lot of the kids, Barhorst said. If you have any Keeping Families Safe stories email us at fightingback@fox 45now.com.