On Thursday, September 9, the 2021 NFL season kicked off with an exciting game between the Dallas Cowboys and the reigning champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NFL fans around the world celebrated as a new NFL season began. As people watched the action-packed game, they also got a first glance at many changes within the NFL.
Rules are altered and added every NFL season by NFL owners and were implemented this off-season, to varying degrees of public approval. Most are enacted to protect players and make games more entertaining.
One big change, which increased the regular season from 16 to 17 weeks, was a controversial topic between players. Most NFL fans were excited about the new rule change and the additional week of football that comes with it. NFL owners were of course excited as well because one more week of football means one more week of profits (and these profits are the main reason the rule was enacted). Players, on the other hand, were split over whether or not they wanted this rule change, which was evident in the players’ narrow vote to agree to the rule change (1,019 to 959). While many players agreed to the extra game and the extra money they would make as a result of it, others were concerned about the impact an extra regular-season game would have on their bodies.
Perhaps to counter the potential for injuries, the NFL started a challenge to try to reduce them. The challenge, which is sponsored by Amazon Web Services and the NFL, offers $100,000 to data scientists who create computer models that automatically identify players using the artificial intelligence which the league hopes will help reduce injuries during football games. Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President, described the importance of this challenge, saying, “This competition is foundational in helping identify each player’s risk to injury-causing events, especially when it comes to head health.” Hopefully, this competition will result in future NFL rules that address players’ health and safety.
Of all the rules that were added for this NFL season, no rule was more controversial than the league’s rules surrounding COVID-19 and vaccines. Although the league has not required players to get vaccinated, they have implemented large punishments if an outbreak occurs between unvaccinated players and then results in a game’s cancellation. Not only would the infected team have to forfeit, face financial penalties and possibly face more penalties if NFL COVID-19 protocols were violated, but players on both teams will not get paid.
The penalties have been effective in encouraging players to get vaccinated. As of August 26, the player vaccination rate was at 93%, far above the national average. However, there have been some vocal critics of the NFL’s new rules.
Perhaps no player has been a larger critic than Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley has been the largest critic. Beasley has repeatedly blasted the NFL on Twitter for the new COVID rules. Although he has said many times he is not an anti-vaxxer, he refuses to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Beasley has been actively criticizing the NFL’s policies and fines while also making incorrect statements about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite the backlash, the rules have been successful in vaccinating players and making it far more probable that all the games planned by the NFL for the 2021 season will take place.
NFL fans and players are not the only ones who hope that all scheduled games are played this season. Non-professional organizations are also eager for an uninterrupted season which has resulted in COVID-19 rules being implemented across the country, including by Fieldston and other NYC schools.
NYC public high schools have now required that all athletes are vaccinated. This is a more intense mandate than even that of the NFL. However, one must wait to see if it will work, as about half of the Public School Athletic League players were not vaccinated as of August 20.
Fieldston requires all high school athletes as well as all other students to be vaccinated. Athletes must also wear masks inside whenever possible.
In addition to COVID-19 rules, other rules were added to keep Fieldston football players safe on the football field. Gus Ornstein, Fieldston’s Director of Athletics, collaborated with members of other private schools in Fieldston’s football league on ways to prevent concussions and other injuries. Gus explained the process, saying “We spent much of the past offseason working with the concussion legacy foundation and analyzing ways to make the game safer for high school athletes. One big change that we decided to make was to eliminate kickoffs as it has been discovered that the kickoff is a particularly risky play.” Instead of kickoffs, teams will start the possession on their 35-yard line. The league also eliminated onside kicks, and instead teams have the opportunity to try a 4th and 12 from their 40-yard line during the last five minutes of each half.
Ultimately, all the rules implemented this season – in the NFL, New York City public schools and Fieldston – will keep players safe and make the game more enjoyable for fans. Sports fans at Fieldston and across the country are certainly looking forward to an exciting season of sports for the first time in a while.
