Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday pledged not to oppose a bill that would ban youth tackle football in California and said in a statement to the Times that he would veto such a bill. .
Assembly Bill 734 was introduced last year by state Rep. Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), and a week ago the Legislative Committee voted 5-2 along party lines to send the bill to the 80-member Legislature for consideration. , cleared the first hurdle.
The bill was originally written to ban the playing of tackle football by children under the age of 12, but was amended in committee to ban the sport for children under the age of 5 starting next year in 2025. The bill would raise the ban age to nine in 2027 and 11 in 2029.
But California's Democratic governor doesn't want it included in a bill that would dictate to parents how old their children can participate in sports.
“I will not sign any bill that bans youth tackle football,” Newsom said in a statement. “While I am deeply concerned about the health and safety of our young athletes, a complete suspension is not the answer.
“My administration will work with Congress and the authors of this bill to strengthen the safety of youth soccer while ensuring parents have the freedom to decide which sport is best for their children.”
Research on the effects of hits to the head from playing tackle football is mixed. 2016 survey A paper published by the Radiological Society of North America found that one season of tackle football can affect the brains of players as young as 8 years old. The researchers concluded that even hits that were not diagnosed as concussions had negative effects.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease, is associated with concussions and brain trauma, but cannot be diagnosed until a person dies and their brain is studied. Boston University researchers Researchers found that among 211 football players posthumously diagnosed with CTE, those who started playing tackle football before age 12 had an average of 13 years earlier onset of cognitive, behavioral, and mood symptoms. discovered.
The researchers predicted that for every year younger a person started playing tackle football, the onset of cognitive problems was 2.4 years earlier and the onset of behavioral and mood problems was 2.4 years earlier.
“Repeated head impacts from tackle football in young people may reduce their resilience to brain diseases, including but not limited to CTE, later in life,” said Anne McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center. said. “It's common sense that children, whose brains are developing rapidly, shouldn't bump their heads hundreds of times each season.”
However, a 2019 study found that Journal of the American Medical Association. A study that followed tackle football players aged 9 to 12 over four seasons found that repeated hits to the head were not associated with cognitive or behavioral problems. Rather, neurocognitive abilities are associated with medical diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Although no state has banned tackle football for children, there have been some attempts to do so. A similar bill was previously introduced in California. new york, illinoisMassachusetts and Maryland could not be passed.
McCarty's proposed bill would require tackle football coaches to complete education on concussions and head injuries and provide similar information to parents of young participants, part of the California Youth Football Act of 2021. (CYFA). The law also requires youth tackle football leagues to assist in tracking youth sports injuries.
Opponents of the bill argue that it is premature and that time is needed to implement and review the effectiveness of CYFA. Newsom seemed to support that point of view in his statement.
“California remains committed to establishing high safety standards for youth football, building on the California Youth Football Act that I signed into law in 2019,” he said. “This legislation provides a comprehensive safety framework for young athletes, including equipment standards and limits on exposure to full-contact tackle.”
Supporters of tackle football have vocally opposed the bill, along with groups advocating less government intervention. The California Youth Football Alliance posted on Facebook, “Unite California,” calling on members to “defend parental rights, stand up to big government, and separate fact from fiction.”
in 2023 Washington Post Poll Among 1,006 adults, 75% of self-identified conservatives said they would encourage their children to play youth or high school football, compared to just 44% of liberals. This is a change from the 2012 Post poll, when the difference between conservatives and liberals was just 70% to 63%.
McCarty said it's just common sense to not let kids play tackle football until they reach adolescence.
“There are other options for younger kids, other sports, other football activities like flag football. The NFL is investing heavily in that,” he said. “There are ways to protect kids who love football. We realized there is no truly safe way to play youth tackle football. A safe head for kids 6, 7, 8 years old. There are no club contusions and no one should be subject to hundreds of sub-concussive impacts to the head on an annual basis when there are alternatives.”
Still, Newsom has made clear that even if the bill passes the full House and Senate, he will still have a veto.
“We will consult with health and sports medicine experts, coaches, parents, and community members to ensure California maintains the highest standards in the nation for youth soccer safety,” he said in a statement. “We owe a lot to California’s many families who embrace youth sports.”
