There are three factors governing the level of injuries we see in American football.  There are formal rules, the “code” of individual conduct, and the way that equipment interacts with the basic techniques of tackling and blocking.  Given the current conception of “the code,” having helmets actually makes concussions MORE likely.  Which might seem surprising.  Formal rule changes alone won’t solve the problem.

Or, so say I in this article in the New York Times…