The sport would absolutely have to change in some significant ways to adapt to that rule, but it could be done. Learn a more rugby-like style of tackling. Push from the line of scrimmage more like sumo wrestlers (a comparison I think I saw someone else in this thread bring up).
I am not what you’d call a fan of gridiron. I’m not American, and have only really been exposed to it in more than a very light “cultural osmosis” way over the last two or three years since I now know an American who refs local games here in Aus. But to be honest, I like the game. If I were American, I could easily see myself getting right into it. And I want the sport to keep the core elements that make it interesting and to be viable at a high level indefinitely. I just don’t see a future for the sport in the long run with CTE rates as high as they are and research continuing to show how bad the long-term effects even of repeated sub-concussive impacts can be. (Though on that topic, I have no idea how boxing plans to exist into the future. I can’t imagine it’ll still be a thing in 60 years unless it undergoes some pretty extreme changes.)
The sport would absolutely have to change in some significant ways to adapt to that rule, but it could be done. Learn a more rugby-like style of tackling. Push from the line of scrimmage more like sumo wrestlers (a comparison I think I saw someone else in this thread bring up).
I am not what you’d call a fan of gridiron. I’m not American, and have only really been exposed to it in more than a very light “cultural osmosis” way over the last two or three years since I now know an American who refs local games here in Aus. But to be honest, I like the game. If I were American, I could easily see myself getting right into it. And I want the sport to keep the core elements that make it interesting and to be viable at a high level indefinitely. I just don’t see a future for the sport in the long run with CTE rates as high as they are and research continuing to show how bad the long-term effects even of repeated sub-concussive impacts can be. (Though on that topic, I have no idea how boxing plans to exist into the future. I can’t imagine it’ll still be a thing in 60 years unless it undergoes some pretty extreme changes.)