Rule changes have been made throughout the history of the NFL to improve the game, make it more exciting and reduce the risk of injury. Safety rules are one of the most important and effective ways in which the NFL and its owners can help protect the
health of players. By helping to identify, promote and enforce safe on-field conduct (in concert with off-the-field education and
policies), the league seeks to preserve both the health of players and the integrity of the game.

The NFL has established a strong set of rules through the years focused on player safety, designed to promote fair competition
while attempting to minimize risk of harm to the player. While many of these rules have focused on reducing contact to the head and neck of players, other changes have protected players from orthopedic and other injuries.

The development of a thoughtful and comprehensive set of appropriately protective rules and policies has always been, and
continues to be, an evolving process. The NFL continually evaluates how rules can best be integrated into the game to address
safety and health issues.

Each year the NFL Competition Committee conducts a complete review of player injuries and discusses means by which the NFL
can reduce them through the implementation of new rules, or by clarifying or strengthening enforcement of existing rules.

Rules the league has established or changed for the protection of players have not only had a positive impact in the NFL, but have subsequently been incorporated at other levels of play, including collegiate, high school and youth programs. Through the NFL’s ongoing partnerships and educational initiatives, the awareness of the importance of rules related to on-field conduct and returnto- play, at all levels and ages, is broadened.

To view an interactive timeline of the evolution of rules of the sport, visit www.NFL.com/Evolution.

The following provides a brief overview of NFL rule changes focused on protecting player health and safety over the past 30
years:

1982
Hip pads must be covered by the outer uniform.
It is illegal for any player to use the crown or top of his helmet against a passer, a receiver in the act of catching a pass, or a
runner who is in the grasp of a tackler.

1983
All mandatory player equipment must be designed and made by a professional manufacturer and cannot be altered, except by
direction of the team physician.
A player who uses a helmet he is not wearing as a weapon shall be ejected.
The chop block rule applies to blocks at “thigh or lower.”

1985
During the last two minutes of a half, the play ends when a quarterback kneels or simulates kneeling on the ground.
The ball is dead when any runner slides to the ground feet first, thereby declaring himself down.

1986
Blocking below the waist on punts is prohibited during the entire down.
The “lure” technique is prohibited. When a tackle shows pass set, a teammate lined up outside him cannot chop a defender who is lined up over the tackle, even if the tackle and defender are not engaged (a “lure”).

1987
An offensive lineman may not clip a defender who, at the snap, is aligned on the line of scrimmage opposite another offensive
lineman who is more than one position away, when the defender is responding to the flow of the ball away from the blocker.
Example: A tackle cannot clip the nose tackle on a sweep to the opposite side.
It is illegal for the kicking team to block below the waist after a free kick or punt has been made. (Low blocks by the receiving team became illegal in 1979).
Both teams are prohibited from blocking below the waist after a change of possession.

1989
A defender (approaching from any direction) who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback is prohibited from flagrantly hitting him in the area of the knee(s).

1990
A player who butts, spears, or rams an opponent may be disqualified if the action is flagrant or vicious.

1991
Officials will whistle the play dead whenever a defensive lineman clearly penetrates beyond the neutral zone before the ball is
snapped and continues unabated toward the quarterback.

1992
For the first time, the chop block is illegal on some running plays: It is illegal on a running play for an offensive player who is lined up in the backfield at the snap to deliberately block a defensive player in the thigh or lower (chop) if the defensive player is
engaged by an offensive player who was on the line of scrimmage at the snap. This action is prohibited whether on or behind the line of scrimmage in an area that extends laterally to the position originally occupied by the tight end on either side.
When a defensive player runs forward and leaps in an attempt to block an extra point or field goal, it is a foul only if the leaping
player lands on other players.

1993
It is not intentional grounding when a passer, while out of the pocket and facing an imminent loss of yardage, throws a pass that lands beyond the line of scrimmage, even if no offensive player has a realistic chance to catch the ball (including if the ball lands out of bounds over the sideline or end line).

1994
Defensive players are prohibited from blocking low during a punt, field goal, or extra point attempt (kick), except those defensive players at the snap that are lined up on or inside the normal tight end position. Previously, all players on the defensive team could block low during the field goal or extra point attempt.

1995
Protection for defenseless players is clarified and expanded. Since 1982, a defensive player was prohibited from using the crown or top of his helmet against a passer, a receiver in the act of catching a pass, or a runner who is in the grasp of a tackler.

The clarification provided that:
• Defenseless players included a kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air, and a player on the ground at the end of a play.

• Defensive players are prohibited from lowering their heads to make forcible contact with the facemask, or with the “hairline” or forehead part of the helmet, against an opponent, instead of only with the top/crown.

• Defensive players are prohibited from forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or
facemask.

• Defensive players are prohibited from launching into a defenseless player in a way that causes the defensive player’s helmet or facemask to forcibly strike the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face, even if the initial contact of the defender’s helmet or facemask is lower than the defenseless player’s neck.

When tackling a passer during or just after throwing a pass, a defensive player is prohibited from unnecessarily and violently
throwing him down and landing on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight.

1996
On running plays, a chop block is prohibited by an offensive player who is aligned more than one position away from the engaged defender when the block occurs away from the flow of the play.
A defender cannot be chopped even after he has disengaged from an offensive opponent, if he is still confronting the offensive
player.
Prohibition of the “lure” technique is applicable all along the offensive line, instead of only to a player outside a tackle.

1998
All face shields must be transparent.

1999
Blocking from behind, at, or below the knees in the clipping zone is prohibited.
After a blocking attempt in close line play, a blocker is prohibited from rolling up on the back of a defender’s legs (Unnecessary
Roughness).

2002
The chop block technique is illegal on all kicking plays.
It is illegal to hit a quarterback helmet-to-helmet any time after a change of possession.

2005
It is illegal to grab the inside collar of the shoulder pads to tackle a runner (“horse-collar tackle”).
Unnecessarily running, diving into, or throwing the body against a player who should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent is unnecessary roughness. Previously, the rule only protected a player who is out of the play.
A kicker/punter must not be unnecessarily contacted by the receiving team through the end of the play or until he assumes a
distinctly defensive position. An opponent may not unnecessarily initiate helmet-to-helmet contact to the kicker/punter during the kick or during the return.
An offensive player who is aligned in the tackle box at the snap and moves to a position outside the box is prohibited from
initiating contact on the side or below the waist of an opponent if the blocker is moving toward his own end line and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side (“peel back block”). The near shoulder of the blocker must be in front of his opponent’s body.

2006
Low hits on the quarterback are prohibited when a rushing defender has an opportunity to avoid such contact.
Blocks in the back above the waist by the kicking team while the ball is in flight during a scrimmage kick are illegal.
The definition of a “horse collar tackle” is expanded to include grabbing the inside collar of the jersey.
During a field-goal attempt or a try, a defensive player who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap must have his helmet outside the snapper’s shoulder pad.
Personal or unsportsmanlike conduct fouls that occur during halftime or during intermission between the fourth period and an
overtime period will be penalized on the ensuing kickoff.
During a free kick, at least four kicking team players must be on each side of the kicker when the ball is kicked.

2007
A block below the waist against an eligible receiver while the quarterback is in the pocket is a 15-yard penalty instead of a 5-yard penalty (an illegal cut block).

2009
Teams are not permitted to intentionally form a wedge of more than two players on a kickoff return in an attempt to block for the runner.
The “bunch” formation on kickoffs is eliminated. The kickoff team must have at least three players outside each hash mark, one of whom must be outside the yard-line number.
It is an illegal “blindside” block if the blocker is moving toward his own endline and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side, and the initial force of the contact by the blocker’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder is to the head or neck area of an
opponent.
It is an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver if the initial force of the contact by the defender’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder is to the head or neck area of the receiver.

Clarified rule regarding low hits on passers:

• A defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being
contacted by another player.

• It is not a foul if the defender swipes, wraps, or grabs a passer in the knee area or below in an attempt to tackle him.

2010
During a field-goal attempt, punt, or try-kick, a defensive team player, who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap, must have his entire body outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.
After a half has expired, dead ball personal fouls by either team will be enforced on the succeeding kickoff.
A player who has just completed a catch is protected from blows to the head or neck by an opponent who launches.
All “defenseless players” are protected from blows to the head delivered by an opponent’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder.
Kickers and punters during the kick and return, and quarterbacks after a change of possession, are protected from blows to the
head delivered by an opponent’s helmet, forearm, or shoulder, instead of just helmet-to-helmet contact.
The ball is declared dead at the spot if a runner’s helmet comes completely off.

2011
The restraining line for the kicking team is moved from the 30- to the 35-yard line in an effort to increase touchbacks.
All kicking team players other than the kicker must be lined up no more than five yards behind their restraining line, eliminating the 15-20 yard running “head start” that had become customary for many players.
The list of “defenseless players” is expanded to include a kicker/punter during the kick or during the return, a quarterback at any time after a change of possession, and a player who receives a “blindside” block when the blocker is moving toward his own
endline and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side. Previously, these players were protected against blows to the head, but not against blows delivered by an opponent with the top/crown or forehead/”hairline” parts of the helmet against other parts of the body.
A receiver who has completed a catch is a “defenseless player” until he has had time to protect himself or has clearly become a
runner. A receiver/runner is no longer defenseless if he is able to avoid or ward off the impending contact of an opponent.
Previously, the receiver who had completed a catch was protected against an opponent who launched and delivered a blow to the receiver’s head.

2012
The list of “defenseless players” is expanded to include defensive players on crackback blocks, making it illegal to hit them in the head or neck area.

Players are required to wear protective knee and thigh pads beginning with the 2013 season.

El mariscal de campo es una de las posiciones en la NFL con más presión y más responsabilidad. Los equipos invierten mucho dinero y tiempo en un mariscal esperando cosechar sus frutos. A veces se da, otras no, mientras que en otras el mariscal responde pero igual es criticado.

En 2012 habrá varios de estos casos, en donde ciertos mariscales de campo estarán bajo la atenta mirada de los fans y tendrán que demostrar que valen. Repito, en algunos casos es justo, otros no tanto.

Blaine Gabbert - Jacksonville Jaguars
De Gabbert se esperaba mucho, pero terminó siendo el peor mariscal de campo de la NFL. Entiendo que el cuerpo de receptores que poseía era precario y sin mucho talento, pero tampoco Gabbert ayudó mucho. Sus números no fueron tampoco buenos, tan solo 12 pases de touchdowns y 11 intercepciones. Lo más criticable es que tuvo el apoyo constante de Maurice Jones Drew, quien el corredor con más yardas en toda la liga, ni así con esa doble arma lo pudo hacer valer. Por eso este año será importante para Gabbert, ya que no está Jack Del Rio, quien lo escogió en la selección colegial y ahora tendrá a Justin Blackmon, un novato receptor que promete. En fin ciertas cosas ponen presión en Gabbert quien tendrá que demostrar de una vez si es o no otro fiasco de Draft.

Matt Flynn - Seattle Seahawks
No a la altura de Gabbert ni de otros, pero Flynn tendrá de entrada cierta presión. Luego del gran partido que hizo ante Detroit, todos esperan que tenga un nivel más o menos acorde a eso. Por eso los Seahawks lo contrataron y quieren que lleve las riendas del equipo. La cuestión vital es que el equipo es Seattle, el cual no posee la calidad y cantidad de receptores que tenía en Green Bay. Por eso quizá la adaptación al sistema y a un nuevo y distinto cuerpo de receptores puede tardar. Igualmente la presión aumentó un poco las últimas semanas cuando se empezó a ver un gran desempeño del novato Russell Wilson. Veremos si Flynn puede ser algo más que el suplente de Aaron Rodgers.

Matt Cassell - Kansas City Chiefs
Nadie lo tenía muy cuenta, pero Cassel tendrá cierta presión este en Kansas. Recordemos que los Chiefs intentaron ir a la carga por Peyton Manning y de última terminaron contratando a Brady Quinn para que le haga fuerza al ex QB de los Pats. Veremos que sucede, pero considero que si Chiefs fracasan de nuevo, hay muchas chances de que haya un cambio de mando para el 2013. Cabe recordar que ahora el equipo esta bajo el mando de Romeo Crenell y que el quizá no le de el apoyo necesario tras la caída. A pesar de todo considero que los Chiefs tienen buenas chances para volver a pisar fuerte en el oeste, pero dependerán de la salud y poder que muestre Cassel.

Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens
Jugador controversial y que amerita mucho debate. Haber el problema de Flacco es un problema que en el fondo no es tan así. La deuda de él y los Ravens es ganar otro Super Bowl. Año a año son los grandes candidatos y terminan quedándose en la puerta. Muchos creen que con otro mariscal hubieran llegado al SB, pero tampoco le han dado las mejores armas y quizá él tampoco fue figura cuando la defensa no podía. Encima este año no tendrán en gran parte del año a Terrell Suggs y han hecho una mala agencia libre a mi criterio. Considero que Flacco estará bajo presión, pero tampoco hay que cargarle todas las culpas.

Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys
Quizá sea injusto poner a Romo aquí, pero es cierto, año a año está bajo la peor presión de toda la NFL. Entiendo que ser el mariscal de los Cowboys no es nada fácil, pero él no lo ha hecho tan mal. El gran problema de Dallas no es siempre de Romo. Si Jerry Jones no interfiere negativamente, la secundaria es floja y frágil o la linea ofensiva no lo protege. Año a año viene en progreso y la temporada pasada hizo números valiosos. Eso sí, se ha equivocado en partidos claves y ahí es donde reside la máxima critica, pero por eso no se lo puede matar. Es muy talentoso, le falta demostrar que es un verdadero ganador, cuando lo haga cerrará bocas y dejará de estar bajo presión.

Kevin Kolb - Arizona
Contra las cuerdas está Kevin Kolb. Su primera campaña con los Cardinals fue decepcionante, luego de todo lo que se esperaba de él, quizá demasiado. Pongo a su favor que el sistema en donde juega no lo ayuda, ya que es distinto al de Phily y no puede mostrar todo. Pero tampoco aprovechó a un receptor de la talla de Larry Fitzgerald. Hoy en día compite la titularidad con John Skelton, un jugador desconocido que creció tras las derrotas de Kolb. Le agregaron a Michael Floyd para que tenga más poder la ofensiva, veremos si puede encender la llama en Kolb que es el que más esta en la cuerda floja.

Michael Vick - Philadelphia Eagles
Generalmente los mariscales de Phialdelphia despiertan altas expectativas, al igual que el equipo que sigue siendo un equipazo con obligación de ganar. Lo importante en este jugador es ver si se logra mantener sano. Esto es vital para que los Eagles tomen vuelo en serio, aunque necesitará protección y utilizar más la cabeza y menos las piernas. La temporada pasada le cayeron duro a Vick y esta temporada no será la excepción, a menos que los Eagles estén en el lugar que yo creo que sus nombres dicen estar. Igualmente Vick es un jugador que despierta noticias siempre.

Mark Sánchez - New York Jets
Cuando New York sale campeón, jugar de la vereda opuesta es muy complicado. Y este año con la llegada de Tim Tebow, es Mark Sánchez quien estará bajo escrutinio constantemente. En los años anteriores el talento que quizá le faltaba o despertaba, lo resolvía con temporadas ganadores y victorias de playoffs. Pero después de una mala campaña las dudas crecen y la llegada de Tebow fue gasolina al fuego. Entiendo que no ha tenido receptores confiables, un vestuario difícil y un backfield veterano. Pero a pesar de todo, Sánchez recibió mucha responsabilidad el año pasado y no respondió como ese mariscal ganador. La realidad es que esta será un temporada clave en su carrera y que podría definir varias cosas. El 2011 no fue bueno, pero si quiere apagar el incendio, el 2012 tiene que ser muy superior.

Por Germán Martínez

A number of playing-rules changes were approved by NFL clubs for the 2012 season. The primary focus of those changes was enhancing player safety.

“We want to make the game safer both for the player being tackled and the player making the tackle,” says NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations RAY ANDERSON (left). “We have no higher priority than player safety.”

Overtime procedures for the preseason and regular season were also adjusted (see page 71) to be in line with the modified sudden-death system that has been in use for the playoffs the past two seasons.

The 2012 rules changes and points of emphasis:

• UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS:
Two adjustments were made to the unnecessary roughness rule:
o Existing unnecessary roughness rules have been adjusted to expand protections for defensive players with regard to rackback blocks. All players who are protected from crackback blocks will now be considered defenseless players.

In addition to contact below the waist, it will be illegal to forcibly block these players in the head or neck area or make forcible contact with the crown or forehead hairline part of the helmet to any part of body. All unnecessary roughness violations will result in a 15-yard penalty.

o Protections for the recipients of blindside blocks have also been clarified. Prior to 2012, a blindside block occurred when the blocker was moving towards his own end line and approached his opponent from behind or from the side. Beginning this season, the definition has been expanded to include situations in which a blocker is moving parallel with his own end line.

• INSTANT REPLAY:
Only a replay official can initiate a review of certain turnovers, providing more flexibility to coaches in the use of their challenges while maintaining a healthy game pace. This applies if a play results in an interception, if a fumble or backward pass is recovered by an opponent or goes out of bounds through the end zone, or if a muffed scrimmage kick is recovered by the kicking team (successful onside kick).

“We actually think this change may end up being something that could save time,” says NFL Competition Committee Chairman and Atlanta Falcons President/CEO RICH MC KAY. “More turnovers could potentially be reviewed by the referee, but we will never have a situation in which we have a turnover, go to timeout, come back, the teams come to the line of scrimmage and then a coach challenges.”

• TOO MANY MEN IN THE FORMATION:
In the interest of competitive fairness, penalties for too many men in the formation have been changed to dead-ball fouls from live-ball infractions that did not prevent the snap. If a 12th player is not in the formation, game officials will permit the snap and the penalty will be enforced after the play. Violations of this rule result in five-yard penalties.

There will also be points of emphasis on several existing rules this season (although the rules themselves have not changed):

• All rules that encourage player safety will continue to be strictly enforced, including unnecessary roughness fouls resulting from blows to the head by offensive and defensive linemen during close line play, horse-collar tackles, roughing the passer and hits on defenseless receivers. The goal is to eliminate these tactics from the game.

Officials will also be instructed to pay close attention to situations in which a runner declares himself down by falling to the
ground or kneeling and making no effort to advance the ball, thereby ending the play. A runner who goes to the ground untouched will be considered to have declared himself down if he does not make an immediate attempt to advance. If a runner makes an immediate effort to advance the ball, play will be allowed to continue.

As part of its focus on player health and safety, the NFL has made more rules changes, introduced enhanced sideline concussion
protocols and is continuing its commitment to education and advocacy on concussion prevention and treatment.

During the 2011 season, the league introduced two additional elements to NFL sideline concussion protocol.

Beginning in December, the NFL arranged for a certified athletic trainer to be present in the press box at each game to monitor
play of both teams and provide medical staffs with any relevant information that could assist them in determining the most
appropriate evaluation and treatment. In addition, club medical staffs are permitted to use their cell phones during games for
purposes of obtaining information relating to the care of an injured player.

The enhanced protocol was welcomed by team trainers.

“It’s all about player safety,” says Pittsburgh Steelers trainer JOHN NORWIG. “To have a trainer who is used to taking care of
players providing another set of eyes upstairs, I don’t have any problem with it.”

The move was also praised by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) for its impact on youth sports.

“Education and awareness is the key to creating change,” says MARJORIE ALBOHM, president of NATA. “The NFL’s concussion
policies have put a spotlight on this and other injuries. That has created tremendous awareness of the importance of proper injury care for athletes and the important role that athletic trainers play in that.”

Last January, teams were permitted to begin using sideline video monitors to assist team medical personnel in diagnosing and
treating injuries. The monitors are made available to team physicians and head athletic trainers to review footage of plays during which a player is injured or appears to be injured. There will be sideline monitors on all sidelines in 2012 for use by team medical staffs.

The video monitors were useful immediately to the New York Giants in last year’s playoffs. Vice President of Medical Services
RONNIE BARNES indicated that they helped diagnose two players who sustained concussions.

“The video replay provided us with evidence that a concussive event had occurred,” says Barnes. “The system worked as it
should have.”

The focus on player safety continued with rules changes proposed by the NFL Competition Committee and ratified by the 32 NFL teams this offseason. In May, owners voted to make thigh and knee pads mandatory for players beginning in the 2013 season.

“There’s no downside, they have to add some sort of protection,” says Atlanta Falcons President/CEO and Chairman of the NFL
Competition Committee RICH MC KAY. “In our football system, everyone wears them up to our game. Common sense tells you it
has to be safer for [protection against] thigh injuries and knee bruises. If players have worn it in Pop Warner, high school and
college, from a safety standpoint, it is time to put it back in.”

The impact of rule changes has been evident on the playing field. Data showed that moving the kickoff up five yards last season
helped reduce the number of concussions players sustained on kickoffs.

“The kickoff rule had an effect on the game,” says McKay. “There was a 40 percent reduction in concussions on that play.”

To ensure that young athletes are protected from head injury and treated appropriately when they are suspected of injury, NFL
representatives, including former players, have advocated for passage of the LYSTEDT LAW. The law is named for ZACKERY
LYSTEDT who, in 2006, suffered a brain injury following his return to a middle school football game after sustaining a concussion.

Zackery, his family and a broad range of medical, business and community partners lobbied the Washington state legislature for a law to protect young athletes in all sports from returning to play too soon after head injuries.

The Lystedt Law contains three essential elements:

• Athletes, parents and coaches must be educated about the dangers of concussions each year.

• If a young athlete is suspected of having a concussion, he/she must be removed from a game or practice and not be
permitted to return to play. When in doubt, sit them out.

• A licensed health care professional must clear the young athlete to return to play in the subsequent days or weeks.

As of July, 35 states and Washington, D.C. have adopted youth concussion laws while two states have passed legislation and are
awaiting respective governor’s signatures.

In June 2011, the NCAA announced that it was supporting the NFL in its advocacy efforts. In January 2012, NCAA Commissioner
MARK EMMERT and NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL joined together to write letters to the governors of states without a
youth sports concussion law. The NFL will continue its advocacy efforts in this matter until each state has passed a Lystedt Law.

“Once people know the potential consequences, it becomes an easy decision,” says VICTOR LYSTEDT, Zackery’s father, about
opting to remove players from the field after a hit to the head. “Most every parent and coach is going to make the right decision
because it can become a catastrophic event thereafter. That awareness became our job after Zack got injured.”

Reaching players at the youth level is a priority for the NFL when it comes to player health and safety. Working with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USA Football, the sport’s governing body on youth and amateur levels, NFL teams
help youth and high school coaches learn the signs of head injury and understand the best methods of treatment and prevention.

Coaches are also educated on the subject during the NFL-USA Football Youth Football Summit, which takes place in Canton,
Ohio each year.

Teams are working to educate local youth league coaches, parents and athletes through health and safety forums. In the last
year, the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts have hosted forums in their communities,
bringing together medical experts from the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and CDC with team trainers, physicians,
executives and players to discuss concussion prevention and treatment, helmet fit and NFL concussion protocol with interested
community members.

At the Chicago Bears health and safety forum, held in February, team chairman GEORGE H. MC CASKEY spoke with a group of
youth football coaches and players.

“There’s a warrior mentality, and this is exactly the reason we are here today,” said McCaskey, addressing the importance of
changing mindsets amongst professional and youth players.

“We, as players and coaches, need to change the culture of concussions,” added Bears long snapper PATRICK MANNELLY.
“This isn’t something where you play hurt. This is your life.”

In addition, this spring, the NFL joined a group of sports organizations, safety equipment manufacturers and a federal agency to
create a youth safety and helmet replacement program for underserved communities (see page 60). The program, which is
supported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), will replace youth league helmets that are 10 years or
older with updated equipment at no cost, and provide coaches with the latest educational health and safety materials.

The NFL, NFL Players Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Operating Committee on Standards for
Athletic Equipment have committed approximately $1 million to the program for its first year. USA Football will lead the execution of the initiative. The CDC, National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, Rawlings, Riddell, Schutt and Xenith have also joined the partnership.

“I am pleased to see the NFL, USA Football and manufacturers working together to make sure our young football players are not
wearing 10-year-old helmets that no longer meet industry safety standards,” says Senator TOM UDALL (D-NM). “Increasing
awareness of equipment safety and sports concussion will help protect young players from injury.”

Recognizing their similar cultures and unique challenges, the NFL and the military are working together to share ideas on
concussion education for their respective populations.

“We have the same ethos,” says U.S. Army Chief of Staff GENERAL RAY ODIERNO. “Soldiers sometimes don’t want to admit
that they have brain injuries. It’s an invisible injury. And the NFL players are sometimes the same way, so we want to come up
with ways to communicate to them that it’s important that if they are having a problem that they come forward because it has longterm impacts.”

As such, current and former NFL players and coaches have joined with members of the military for a series of discussions on
changing attitudes on head injuries in the locker room and on the battlefield.

“It has to start with the kids,” says former running back BRIAN WESTBROOK. “Then they’ll get older and they’ll realize, ‘Hey, this
isn’t just part of the sport. It’s way more serious than that and it has to be treated the right way.’”

For more information, visit http://nflhealthandsafety.com.

First Google+ Hangout Integration Into Fantasy Game Only on NFL.com
NFL.com Fantasy Football Presented by Verizon Introduces First-Ever Tablet Version of Draft Client

Fantasy Football just got a lot more social. In a first for any fantasy league, NFL.com Fantasy Football will be integrated with Google+ Hangouts, it was announced today. NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon will be the only fantasy game to integrate Google+ Hangouts for the 2012 season, making it the first fantasy game to incorporate multi-party video chat.

Google+ Hangouts allow friends to connect face-to-face-to-face via group video chat. NFL.com Fantasy leagues now may host their drafts “face-to-face-to-face,” even if participants are half a world apart. League rules changes can now be settled through live video chat, replacing lengthy e-mail chains. During the season, NFL.com Fantasy players may hang out while watching games.

A Google+ Hangouts button will appear throughout NFL.com Fantasy Football leagues. Users who click the Hangouts button will launch their fantasy league’s unique Google+ Hangouts page. Live notifications and other features will be added to the experience throughout the season.

Other new features on NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon include:

· The first draft client for tablets. NFL.com Fantasy users now may begin their drafts at their computers and then take their draft with them into another room or on the go. NFL.com is the only fantasy site to have draft client for tablets.

· Roster Options, which give fans a chance to allocate backups on their roster in the event they are unsure if their starter will have a good game. Each league must decide rules and regulations for using Roster Options. When using Roster Options, NFL.com will assign a fantasy team the higher number of points scored between the team’s starter and backup. NFL.com is the only fantasy site to offer Roster Options.

· Auction Draft option gives fans an even deeper GM experience than before allowing leagues to set fake salary cap numbers and draft players through an auction style assigning values to them.

Also new this year, fans may play Perfect Challenge Fantasy Game presented by Castrol® featuring a $1 million prize for picking the “perfect” fantasy lineup in any week of the 2012 NFL regular season. Fans may register for the free game now at www.nfl.com/fantasyfootball. The new offering puts experts and beginners both in the game with a shot at the ultimate fantasy prize. The Perfect Challenge Fantasy Game presented by Castrol® features an eight-player roster each week – with one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker, and one defense/special teams unit. To qualify for the $1 million prize, fantasy team owners must pick that week’s highest-scoring player at each position (top two players at running back and wide receiver). Scoring is based on the standard fantasy scoring in NFL.com’s Fantasy Football game. Each week is scored separately and fans may join at any point during the season. The Perfect Challenge Fantasy Game presented by Castrol® also offers weekly prizes.

For fans on-the-go, NFL Mobile only from Verizon enables fans to track their NFL.com Fantasy Football teams and leagues. NFL Mobile delivers live scoring on game day, plus up-to-the-minute player news, injury updates and official inactive reports. Plus with live NFL games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights, NFL RedZone, and live NFL Network coverage, fans will stay up-to-the minute on the latest game action and player news.

NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon continues to be the only site that has NFL highlights, including instant in-game highlights. Once a big play happens involving a player on a certain fantasy team, the video highlight will appear on the screen in as quickly as 30 seconds.

NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon makes available two free platforms. NFL Custom League provides fans the opportunity to customize a league for their friends. Fans who sign up for NFL-Managed League (NFL.com Fantasy 2012) will be in a league run by NFL.com and be eligible for a chance to win official NFL prizes including a trip to Super Bowl XLVII.

NFL.com is the first place to get the game-day inactives & regular injury reports. In addition, NFL.com Fantasy Football provides users with a drag-and-drop function to simplify roster adjustments.

NFL.com Fantasy Football presented by Verizon will provide a comprehensive ‘Activity Feed’ for each player and league. The unique feed contains breaking news, transactions, injury reports, discussions, and league-manager changes all in one place. Fans can see all league activity in one area and make comments on activity as it happens.

Verizon is the presenting sponsor of NFL.com Fantasy Football. Associate sponsors of the game include Dodge Ram, Miller Lite, Snickers and USAA.

In August 2007, NFL brought the operations of NFL.com in-house and re-launched the site. In June 2010, NFL brought operations of NFL.com Fantasy Football in-house and launched its game. NFL.com is the home for the most NFL highlights and video on the web.

Following is the training camp list of sites and rookie and veteran reporting dates:

NEW WEEKDAY MORNING SHOW KICKS OFF JULY 30 ON NFL NETWORK

“NFL AM” Starts Your Weekdays at 6:00 AM ET with Namath author Mark Kriegel, former Super Bowl-winning 49ers CB Eric Davis, Brian Webber, Nicole Zaloumis & Steve Wyche.

4-Hour Live Morning Show

Fans can now start their day with the NFL like never before – with a new, live weekday morning show on NFL Network.

Debuting Monday, July 30 just as training camps open, the new four-hour “NFL AM” kicks off at 6:00 AM ET each Monday through Friday. NFL AM will blanket the world of the NFL with seasoned and opinionated talent who will report and debate news and examine the personalities that play the game. The show’s discussion will cover a wide-range of NFL-related topics including the cultural convergence of sports, entertainment and music. Each morning, NFL AM will collaborate with NFL.com to take a look at the latest in fantasy football news and information.

NFL AM’s talent roster features Mark Kriegel from FOXSports.com, former San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl-winning cornerback Eric Davis, Brian Webber from FOX Sports Digital, Nicole Zaloumis from Comcast Sports Net-New England, and Steve Wyche from NFL Media. The show will be based at NFL Network’s Culver City, CA studios. No other sport is the sole focus of a show of this length each and every weekday morning.

“NFL AM will give fans a great reason to look forward to the morning,” said Mark Quenzel, NFL Network senior vice president of programming and production. “We know that our fans are looking for more football and we are excited to provide a personality-driven show which focuses on football and everything around it. There will be no better way to start their day.”

Mark Kriegel (@MarkKriegel), the author of two New York Times best-sellers (Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich), joins NFL Network from FOXSports.com where he spent five years as a national columnist and host of the bi-weekly “Bar Fly on FOX” chat with athletes, celebrities and media. Previously, he was a distinguished media voice on the New York sports scene for 10 years as a columnist for the New York Daily News and the New York Post. He also served as a contributing editor for Esquire magazine. Kriegel’s upcoming book on boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, titled The Good Son, will be released in September.

Eric Davis (@_ericdavis_), who played 13 NFL seasons at cornerback, comes to NFL Network after spending last year as co-host of “Tierney and Davis” weekdays on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. In addition, Davis will begin his second season as the radio analyst for 49ers games this fall. Previously, he served as an NFL analyst for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and for KPIX-TV telecasts of 49ers preseason games. A two-time Pro Bowler, Davis played six seasons (1990-95) in San Francisco, helping the team to a victory in Super Bowl XXIX. A second-round draft choice from Jacksonville State, Davis also played for Carolina (1996-2000), Denver (2001) and Detroit (2002).

Brian Webber (@bwwebber), a former anchor and reporter for Fox Sports Net and a sideline reporter for NFL games on FOX, joins NFL Network after six years as lead host of Fox Sports’ digital media programming. With Fox Sports Digital, he anchored studio coverage of the NFL, MLB and NASCAR, as well as on-location coverage of the Super Bowl, Final Four and Stanley Cup Final. For the past nine years, Webber has also served as studio host and play-by-play announcer for the Tennis Channel. A graduate of Stanford University, Webber began his broadcasting career began at Fox Sports Net-Bay Area 19 years ago and later included stints as a play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports Net, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network and NCAA Productions.

Nicole Zaloumis (@nicolezaloumis) comes to NFL Network with more than a decade of sports broadcasting experience, most recently as an anchor and reporter for Comcast SportsNet New England since January 2011. Previously, Zaloumis worked for the Big Ten Network, where she co-hosted “The Friday Night Football Report” and “The Women’s Show,” and was a sideline reporter for football games. Earlier in her career, Zaloumis worked for Fox Sports Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix and the NBC affiliate in Washington, DC.

Steve Wyche (@wyche89) begins his fifth season with NFL Network and NFL.com, providing reports from team facilities and games on a variety of programs including NFL GameDay Morning and NFL Total Access. Additionally, Wyche is a regular columnist on NFL.com and is the co-host of the site’s ‘Cover Two’ podcast. Previously, he covered the Falcons for four seasons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Wyche has more than two decades of sports journalism experience including posts with the Washington Post covering the Wizards and the NBA, and the Miami Herald on the Dolphins, Heat and University of Florida beats.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 3, NFL AM will encore each weekday at 7:00 AM PT for West Coast fans.

NFL AM will be streamed live on NFL Mobile only from Verizon and will feature companion programming including fantasy info and lifestyle content on NFL.com and NFL digital platforms.

Fans continue to tune to NFL Network in growing numbers. NFLN has posted increases in year-over-year viewership in 12 of the 13 quarters since January 2009 (all quarters other than second quarter of 2011 during the work stoppage).

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the only television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football. For more information, log on to www.nfl.com/nflnetwork. NFL.com is the exclusive internet home of NFL Network.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tuesday was Day 1 for Andrew Luck in working with his veteran Indianapolis Colts teammates, but if you didn't know that beforehand, you'd probably have missed it.

Yes, he threw one up for grabs down the middle of the field during 11-on-11 drills. He had a couple balls batted down at the line, too.

Still, it wasn't hard for anyone to see what they were looking at here: a rookie in official designation only. Luck came as advertised. When I asked his Stanford-turned-Colts teammate Coby Fleener how he, who was allowed to attend organized team activities because he had already graduated from The Farm, would describe Luck to teammates, he said simply, "The best I've ever played with. The best I've ever seen in person."

The older guys now have that perspective -- having seen Luck in person themselves. The best they've seen? For those who've shared a field with guys named Brady and Rodgers, or the guy Luck happens to be replacing, the answer would be no.

But they'd all quickly add that, mere hours into his full NFL ingratiation, he already looks the part of a pro.

"Like we've said all along, he is off the charts, as far as football IQ," coach Chuck Pagano said. "There are no mental errors. The same thing we saw at rookie minicamp with what we gave him until coming back now, he hasn't missed a beat. He is a really bright kid. He is really focused and he is really driven. Obviously, the success he has had to this point, there is a reason behind all of that. It is because football is very, very important to him."

That much was always clear at Stanford. It was clear in the pre-draft process. And it's been clear in the five weeks that he's been forced to stay away from his Colts teammates, according to those who've been around him.

NFL rules forbade Luck from being at the club's facility or talking football with any of his coaches until he finished up classes last week.

It created a bind for the quarterback, sure. But it wasn't something he couldn't deal with, and Luck had two pretty valuable resources at his disposal in Fleener, who was allowed to attend OTAs and was commuting back and forth from Palo Alto while working on his master's degree, and undrafted rookie Colts receiver Griff Whalen, who was in the same boat as his quarterback.

Whalen was Luck's guy, day to day. And Fleener was their spy, keeping both up to date on what was happening in their new home.

"It was a little different without a coach there. We would go through stuff, and kinda guess -- 'It's probably something like this,' " Whalen explained. "And then we'd go with that for then, and come back here and find out we were wrong on this and this and this. But it's a million times better to have one other person talk about it with, than to just be by yourself."

Whalen and Luck would study the playbook over breakfast every day. Then, depending on class schedules, they'd try and get about 90 minutes of field work in, with normal conditioning and weight lifting. When Fleener could pick up things and bring them back to Palo Alto, all the better. The main objective was learning new terminology, which is markedly different under Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians than it was in Stanford's West Coast system.

Luck said he thinks over the five weeks, "I've managed to learn the playbook a good bit," with Whalen adding that "we did as much on the field as we could, just getting used to the terminology -- using the new terminology rather than the Stanford stuff. We'd simulate adjustments, since there was no defense out there."

And, Whalen continued, in addition to getting the new nomenclature down, the group focused on practicing hot reads -- basic blitz adjustments for quarterbacks and receivers -- because those weren't emphasized as much at Stanford.

What's scary is that, for Luck, the work really starts now. Pagano agreed on Tuesday that the success of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton as rookies last year, without the benefit of an offseason program, is heartening for the Colts. But everyone here is convinced Luck is a different animal anyway.

After his first walk-through, safety Tom Zbikowski told me he was impressed by Luck's confidence. How could the big-hitting former Raven tell in such a low-impact environment? The quarterback was already making adjustments at the line.

"I'm in awe sometimes, when he's changing the play at the line of scrimmage, given that this is his fourth official practice, or whatever it is," Fleener said. "Then again, it's not surprising."

Not to those who know him.

"He's come in and just taken over the offense," Whalen said. "He's telling guys what to do, directing things as much as he can, without stepping on anyone's toes. He's still learning a lot. But everyone else on the team is too. And he can pick things up as quickly as anyone."

That much, even mere hours into Luck's full integration as Colts quarterback, hasn't been hard for anyone to see.

This article was written by Albert Breer and appeared in NFL.com.
Image Joe Robbins/Getty Images