Maybe, just maybe if umpires rewarded good tackles then players might stop trying to hurt guys instead.
I have thought for a long time that if the ball comes loose in a tackle in any way that is not a legal disposal it should be a free kick. Prior opportunity or not.
If this was the case maybe players would spend more time attacking the football when tackling and less time attacking the player.
And then maybe there would be less concussions.
As it stands players deliberately choose if they will let it slip out or not depending on who is running past. And because the tackler is not going to get rewarded they don’t have a whole lot of interest in the football - they are more concerned with pinning the arms so it cannot come out and inflicting a bit of hurt if they can.
Maybe players would be much better protected if the tacklers goal was the football instead of the player.
I have thought for a long time that if the ball comes loose in a tackle in any way that is not a legal disposal it should be a free kick. Prior opportunity or not.
If this was the case maybe players would spend more time attacking the football when tackling and less time attacking the player.
And then maybe there would be less concussions.
As it stands players deliberately choose if they will let it slip out or not depending on who is running past. And because the tackler is not going to get rewarded they don’t have a whole lot of interest in the football - they are more concerned with pinning the arms so it cannot come out and inflicting a bit of hurt if they can.
Maybe players would be much better protected if the tacklers goal was the football instead of the player.