Con 1: Tackle football is too violent for youth, whose bodies are vulnerable and still in development.

We have ample evidence that football has been unsafe since its inception. In the 1890s the Chicago Tribune opined that impacts in football would “strain [players’] hips, break their noses, and concuss their brains” and would “physically ruin thousands of young men.” [28]

Fast forward to the 21st century, and not only young men but kids and teens, are enduring fractures, broken bones, and much worse. “In youth who are still growing, an injury to the growth plate may also occur and may be serious.…[S]ome fractures involving the growth plate also require surgery,” explains the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. [60]

Furthermore, when teens transition to high-school football, “the chances of serious ligament injuries—such as ACL tears—rise. Injuries to the shoulder—such as an acromioclavicular sprain (the joint where the shoulder blade meets the collarbone) or shoulder dislocation—are also more common in tackle football.” [60]

While modern-day football has rules and advanced protective gear, safety is still being debated and refined. For example, in 2025 the NFL declined to ban the “tush push”—a play in which the quarterback who receives the snapped ball is forcibly pushed forward by teammates to gain yardage—despite the insistence by some that the play is unsafe. The tactic is also legal in college football. While the play is illegal in high school, that does not stop kids and teens from trying it and potentially being injured. [61] [88] [89]

Furthermore, high-school players are particularly at risk for exertional heat stroke, with football players estimated to be 11 times more likely to suffer heat-related illnesses than in all other sports combined. Between 1992 and 2024 at least 58 high-school players died from exertional heat stroke. Teen players are being pushed by coaches to continue to play—“to show some grit”—even with symptoms of heat stroke: dizziness, disorientation, and nausea. And many schools are not well prepared to detect or deal with player injuries, including heat stroke. [62]

Con 2: Tackle football puts players at risk for concussion and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).

“I’ve seen kids with concussions so bad that they can’t look directly at light for weeks. They feel depressed, foggy and they’re plagued by headaches. Even worse is the fact that no one knows for certain what the long-term effects are from the repetitive contact in football,” says physician Steven Schlozman. Plus, “successive concussions are cumulative. That means that the second concussion suffered in a game will be more severe than the one before it, even if the hit occurred with the same intensity.” [63]

Five percent of kids aged 5–14 playing football suffer at least one concussion each season, according to a 2018 study, the most recent available. Two-thirds of the concussions occurred during game play, and about half of those were head-to-head injuries. Half of the concussed kids took 13 days or more to return to play and over three weeks to get back to their baseline normal. [64]

Concussions put players at risk for CTE, and the risk of CTE increases 30 percent for every year playing tackle football. The Concussion Legacy Foundation concludes, “any future high school, college, or NFL player who starts tackle football at age five may have 10 times the odds of developing CTE than if he had started at 14. In fact, the statistical link between tackle football and CTE may be as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer.” [65]

In many ways CTE mimics dementia. The brain trauma is marked by mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts, personality changes, aggression, memory loss, and confusion. The disease is brutal for the patient, their family, and their communities. [66]

While the rate of CTE in young people has not been established, a study of 152 brains of deceased contact sport players who died before age 30 found that more than 40 percent had CTE. Of those with CTE, 70 percent had never played pro sports, meaning their injuries were the result of youth, school, or amateur play, mostly football, which three-quarters had played. [67]

Con 3: Tackle football routinely distracts students from school and studies that will better prepare them for life than football.

Put simply: “sports take up a lot of time.” [68]

“There are only 24 hours in a day, and sports often consume an inordinate amount of a student’s time. Student-athletes invariably go directly from school to practice or a game, and they frequently don’t get home till after 6 pm. On game days, it can be much later. Serious athletes often travel great distances to tournaments or competitions on weekends. This obviously affects how much time a student has to complete homework and study, and it also impacts one’s ability to participate in other extracurricular activities,” explains an IvyWise college admissions counselor. [68]

Sports also take time away from a student’s school day. The obvious examples are college football players who have to schedule classes around travel for out-of-state games. But in fact, there is increasing anecdotal evidence that high-school students are missing classes for sports. This may be overlooked for those students truly gifted in their sport, and who have a good chance of gaining college scholarships and licensing deals if not a career in professional football, but the percentage of these students is miniscule compared to the millions of kids playing the sport. [69]

On a Reddit forum teachers bemoaned students missing a significant percentage of class time (one teacher said a student missed 21 percent of the term). Teachers say student athletes are frequently dismissed from school early in order to travel to games or prepare for home games, which means they miss afternoon classes, including critical subjects like math and English. [70]

Plus, there is an inverse effect between a school having a winning football team and non-athletes’ academic performance. While many studies show that high-school athletics in general are associated with favorable academic outcomes, college sports paint a different picture. A years-long study by the University of Oregon found that a higher winning percentage of the football team in the fall correlated to lower fall semester grades for all students, though particularly among male students, who also consumed more alcohol in addition to studying less at schools with winning programs. A similar study of Clemson University found female students were just as likely to have falling grades if the football team was winning. So, not only are football players missing class, their classmates are also not studying. [71] [93]

Con 4: Flag football is more inclusive, with all of the social benefits of tackle football but without the risk to our youth of serious injury.

Everything mentioned in the pro arguments of this debate can be said of flag football, but in this version, players are not slamming each other to the ground.

Flag football instills teamwork, sportsmanship, resilience, and discipline, plus it provides socialization and a lifetime of social opportunities. Flag football “teaches kids how to effectively communicate and work well with others. After all, one player can’t do everything. They rely on each other—what a better way to make long-lasting friendships? Layer this with learning to respect and receive direction from authority (aka coaches) and you have a range of socialization skills,” says NFL Flag. [34]

Flag football promotes fitness and a healthy lifestyle, too. Flag football “is a fast moving game with a lot of variety. Players run, jump, quickly change direction, and stop and start, which improves cardiovascular health. Practice drills, complex running routes and defensive techniques all encourage speed, strength, and stamina. And these activities also engage motor skills, specifically hand and eye coordination,” according to NFL Flag. [34]

Flag also offers an outlet for assertive, rambunctious energy—maybe even better than tackle football, because play is not stopped after tackles so players are constantly on the move. [94]

Plus, flag football is more inclusive than tackle football. The sport encourages girls and women to play, and the most recent numbers show the game is popular and growing, with about half a million American female players between the ages of 6 and 17. Flag football is also more economically accessible because the only gear needed (besides a uniform and cleats) is a belt, flags, and a mouth guard. [72] [73] [74]

“The future of football is flag,” says Troy Vincent, executive vice president of NFL football operations and former pro cornerback. “This right here, frankly, is good for America, good for American communities. We need our kids active.” [72]