The New Jersey association said it implemented the rules on the recommendation of the New Jersey Football Coaches Association and Practice Like Pros, an organization that advocates the exact limits on practices that have now been adopted by New Jersey. “I think there are better ways of playing team sports and getting exercise than repeatedly hitting your head,” Mez said. But participation is falling, and particularly in New Jersey, a state long known for being rich in high school football talent. In 2017, 1,700 fewer players were reported playing high school football in New Jersey than the year before, a 6.8 percent decrease. Only three states — Colorado, Montana and Oklahoma — lost players at a higher rate over the same period.

Source: New York Times February 14, 2019 01:07 UTC