A bill to ban tackle football for children under 12 in California will be debated by lawmakers in the state on Wednesday. The move, which is being pushed by advocates seeking to prevent children from experiencing brain damage, is opposed by coaches who warn it would cut off youths from a valuable source of physical activity. The proposed legislation is sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. The bill is scheduled to have its first public hearing before a legislative committee.
The bill would not take effect until 2026 if it were to pass. Proposed amendments would gradually phase in the implementation through 2029. Although flag football, a non-contact version of the game, has been gaining popularity nationwide, particularly among girls, the proposed ban would nevertheless affect many young players and their families.
Research has shown that tackle football causes brain damage, and the risk increases the longer people play the sport. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which causes the death of nerve cells in the brain, is a specific type of brain damage that has been linked to the sport. According to Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and a former Harvard football player and WWE professional wrestler, there is a significant risk for children playing tackle football. He maintains it’s a risk the children don’t fully understand and that it would be unreasonable to expect them to do so.
Although no state has banned tackle football for children, similar bills have been introduced in California, New York, and Illinois and failed to pass. To have a chance of becoming law this year, the proposed California bill must clear the state Assembly by the end of January.
While California law already prohibits full-contact practices for high school and youth football teams during the offseason and limits them to two practices per week during the preseason and regular season, the new legislation aims to go further and prevent children from playing tackle football altogether.
However, opponents argue that physical activity in childhood is essential, and other sports such as soccer and rugby carry a risk of injury, so the focus should be on taking steps to make the sport as safe as possible rather than banning it altogether. The debate looks set to be contentious, with competing interests pointing to both the potential damage to young players’ health and the benefits of playing a sport that provides exercise and opportunities to build teamwork and resilience.