Ivy League to limit full-contact workouts

The Ivy League announced it will adopt new guidelines for the upcoming football season designed to limit concussions and hits to the head following a report issued by a committee of the league's school presidents, administrators, football coaches and athletic trainers.

Among the recommendations that the Ivy League will use from the committee, which was formed in December of 2010 to study how to curb concussions in football, are no more than two full-contact practice days per week during the season, one fewer day of full-contact practice in the spring and full pads for only one session of preseason two-a-days.

The league's presidents also will require better education for football players on proper tackling technique, the signs and symptoms of concussions and the short- and long-term effects of hits to the head.

"The presidents formed the committee because they were deeply concerned that concussions are a significant injury in football and wanted the Ivy League to take an active leadership role in developing steps and measures to limit concussions, first in football and then in other sports as appropriate," said Ivy League executive director Robin Harris.

Harris also will have a greater role in reviewing helmet-to-helmet hits during the 2011 season, and game officials will have more leeway to flag hits to the head or hits on defenseless players.

The committee was chaired by Dartmouth president Jim Young Kim and Cornell president David Skorton, both medical doctors.

The committee also included various league football coaches, administrators, expert consultants, team physicians and athletic trainers.

The committee's recommendations were focused on football, however, the Ivy League next will conduct reviews of men's and women's hockey, men's and women's lacrosse and men's and women's soccer.

With AP