High School Football Rules Could Be Changed To Prevent Concussions
New College rules were implemented in a new study to stop concussions, these rules could prevent high school football concussions too.

In high school sports, 40.5% of concussions come from high school football according to NCBI. In football, making contact and tackling the opponent is required to play the game. In this contact between players, risks for concussions are high.
These concussions are head traumas that put athletes at risk for serious brain damage and brain injuries that could last for a long time.
Finding ways to prevent these concussions could keep athletes from getting injured permanently or seriously.
According to a study by U.S National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 5.9% of concussions are caused by kick off coverage and return.
Recently, the Ivy Leagues college football league, introduced a rule to change it’s college kickoffs. From recent research, kickoffs are one of the most dangerous times in the game causing many concussions for athletes.
The new rule for kickoffs stated that kickoffs were moved from the 35 yard line to the 40 yard line and touchbacks from the 20 yard line to the 25 yard line.
The point of this new rule was to make it so kicks end up in the end zone. When kicks end up in the end zone, it is a touchback.
Touchbacks let runners not have to run the ball and runners can just kneel and the next play will be brought out to the 20 yard line.
These touchbacks let runners’ not have to collide with opponents which reduce concussions.
From this new study of new rules, concussion numbers fell 68%. Along with this number, touchbacks occured from 18% to 50%.
If High School Football changed their rules like the Ivy Leagues rule, concussions would be reduced and young athletes would have a future and not be as vulnerable to concussions.
Your donation will support the student journalists of West Linn High School. Your contribution will allow us to continue to produce quality content by purchasing equipment, software, and continuing to host our website on School Newspapers Online (SNO). Additionally, donations will go towards paying for the physical editions of our Amplifier. Donations of $20 dollars (as of Oct. 15, 2025) or more will receive a subscription to our Amplifier, which will be mailed to the donator's address (donations made with the intention of purchasing a subscription CANNOT be anonymous).

On a hot summer day, freshman Bayler Brundage is out playing golf with her friends.
In sixth grade, Brundage had to move across the country from Atlanta...







































![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-1200x800.jpg)



























































![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)









![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-600x400.jpg)



