Why were rules against spearing introduced in American football?

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Jalen Hurts, wearing number 1 for the Philadelphia Eagles, winds up to throw a football during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs. — American football Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during Super Bowl LVII, 2023; the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rules against "spearing"—defined as using the head to initiate contact—were introduced in American football to address the increased danger posed by the plastic helmet. While improved equipment was intended to provide safeguards, the introduction of the plastic helmet in 1939 inadvertently turned the head into a potentially lethal weapon, necessitating specific regulations to curb this dangerous practice and protect player safety.1