A California bill that aims to reduce the risk of brain injury by banning tackle football for children under 12 cleared its first hurdle Wednesday after a legislative committee voted for the measure to be considered by the state Assembly.
The bill is supported by advocates seeking to protect kids from brain damage but opposed by coaches who warn it would cut off youths from an important source of physical activity.
A legislative committee voted 5 to 2 during a public hearing to advance the bill authored by Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. But the measure is still a long way from passing. It must clear the state Assembly by the end of January to have a chance of becoming law this year.
"Football and organizational sports in general are clearly proven ways to keep kids out of trouble," said Assemblymember Mike Gipson, chair of the state assembly's committee in charge of regulating sports in the state. "This bill is not taking away that ability, it is simply saying that we're going to move from tackle football to flag football and we can still have the same learning experiences."
If passed, the bill would not take effect until 2026. Proposed amendments would gradually phase in implementation through 2029. The bill comes as flag football has been gaining popularity nationwide, especially for girls.
Research has shown tackle football causes brain damage, and the risk increases the longer people play football, said Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and former Harvard football player and WWE professional wrestler. It can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which causes the death of nerve cells in the brain.
"I don't have a problem with NFL players, who are adults and understand the risk and are compensated, risking CTE," Nowinski said. "I can't imagine a world in which we have children, who don't understand the risk, doing this for fun (and) taking the same risk with their brain."
No state has banned tackle football for kids, but there have been attempts to do so. Similar bills that were introduced previously in California, New York and Illinois failed to pass.
California law already bans 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. A law that took effect in 2021 also requires youth football officials complete concussion and head injury education in addition to other safeguards.
Steve Famiano, a former youth football coach who leads the Save Youth Football California coalition, said youth football leagues need more time to implement the 2021 law to see how effective it is. He said kids under 12 shouldn't be forced to play only flag football, which he said is a completely different sport from tackle football.
"Flag football is oriented toward leaner, faster kids, and some of the kids we see in tackle football may not have developed yet physically, they may be a little bit overweight or are larger in stature, maybe not the fastest kid on the team," he said. "They fit so perfect on a youth football team. They get to play offensive line and defensive line. You take that away from those kids, where do they go?"
Tackle football at the high school level has been declining in California. Participation dropped more than 18% from 2015 to 2022, falling from a high of 103,725 players to 84,626 players, according to the California Interscholastic Federation's participation survey. Football participation increased by 5% in 2023, up to 89,178 players.
In the second part of a five-part series, W5's Avery Haines follows the journeys of migrants who risk life and limb to ride atop Mexican freight trains, desperate to avoid narco territory as they make their way towards the U.S. border.
As October begins, several provinces are bracing for frosty conditions and some are facing a snowy start, according to local forecasts.
The minimum wage in four provinces is going up today.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has controversially broken royal protocol and claimed in his upcoming memoir that Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from bone cancer before her death.
The Israeli military on Tuesday warned people to evacuate nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities hours after announcing the start of ground operations against Hezbollah. The militant group denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is asking members of the United Nations to counter growing political polarization abroad while taking shots at Conservative rhetoric at home.
A B.C. condo owner who was blamed for a cockroach infestation in her building and charged thousands of dollars for the cost of eradicating the bugs must be refunded, the civil resolution tribunal ruled.
Pete Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader who was banned from baseball for gambling on the game, has died at 83.
A Scottish woman accused of stalking 'Baby Reindeer' creator and star Richard Gadd can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against Netflix, after a federal judge in California refused to dismiss all of the claims.
Ontario Provincial Police laid charges against an Ottawa driver after a child was found to not be wearing a seatbelt inside a vehicle early Sunday morning.
A B.C. condo owner who was blamed for a cockroach infestation in her building and charged thousands of dollars for the cost of eradicating the bugs must be refunded, the civil resolution tribunal ruled.
Ottawa must do more to help Canadian citizens leave Lebanon, says the son of a Canadian couple killed last week when an Israeli bomb hit their car in the country's south.
Ontario politicians are set to make their annual pilgrimage to the International Plowing Match today.
Residential school survivors say the federal government is keeping the truth about those institutions in the dark by cutting back on funding for records and ground searches looking for unmarked graves of children who died at the schools.
Seas of orange shirts have come to represent a growing awareness of Canada's history of oppressing Indigenous Peoples – but that awareness must translate into more "substantive changes" from the government, according to a B.C. chief.
Tim Walz and JD Vance will meet for their first and possibly only vice-presidential debate Tuesday, in what could be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before the U.S. election.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has controversially broken royal protocol and claimed in his upcoming memoir that Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from bone cancer before her death.
Donald Trump repeatedly spread falsehoods Monday about the federal response to Hurricane Helene despite claiming not to be politicizing the disaster as he toured hard-hit areas in south Georgia.
A bus carrying young students with their teachers caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, with more than 20 of those on board feared dead, officials and rescuers said.
World leaders headed home from the United Nations with the prospect of a broader Middle East war intensifying and global divisions front and centre.
A strike by U.S. dockworkers at 36 ports from Maine to Texas, the first in decades, could snarl supply chains and lead to shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks.
The Bloc Quebecois will try to put the squeeze on the Liberals today by calling for a debate in the House of Commons about increasing old age pension payments for all seniors.
Canadian members of Parliament are working with their colleagues in Australia and New Zealand to try and convince their respective governments to jointly recognize Palestinian statehood.
Canada's foreign ministry expressed alarm about its shrinking ability to counter foreign disinformation online due to limited access to data and the evolving tactics of adversaries, a newly released memo shows.
For the first time in Rwanda’s history, its health ministry is dealing with an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare but deadly hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola – but unlike Ebola, there is no treatment or vaccines for Marburg, and it has a fatality rate of 88 per cent.
Health Canada issued a recall last week for various sexual enhancement products for containing prescribed drugs like tadalafil and sildenafil.
The fertility rate in Canada reached an all-time low in 2023, and the lowest rate was recorded in British Columbia, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
Restaurant company SIR Corp. is investigating a cybersecurity incident that has impacted part of its information technology infrastructure.
The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June welcomed their new ride home with Sunday's arrival of a SpaceX capsule.
The space rock — 2024 PT5 — was first spotted in August by astronomers at Complutense University of Madrid using a powerful telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial is set to resume in a northeastern Ontario court today, with the defence expected to lay out its case.
A Scottish woman accused of stalking 'Baby Reindeer' creator and star Richard Gadd can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against Netflix, after a federal judge in California refused to dismiss all of the claims.
The 50th season of “Saturday Night Live†is off to a strong ratings start and is a record-breaker for the streaming service Peacock.
Restaurant company SIR Corp. is investigating a cybersecurity incident that has impacted part of its information technology infrastructure.
A strike by U.S. dockworkers at 36 ports from Maine to Texas, the first in decades, could snarl supply chains and lead to shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks.
The minimum wage in four provinces is going up today.
Have you been caught in a bind, far from home, that could have been avoided with the timely purchase of an insurance package? We want to hear from you.
Kim Ruether lifted her son's eyelid and saw his still, dilated pupil staring at the ceiling as he lay on a stretcher in a northwestern Alberta hospital hallway a decade ago. She says she didn't need a doctor to tell her the boy was dead.
If something looks too good to be true, it might be. That's the message from Saskatchewan horticulturists after customers have come into their stores hoping to buy purple apple trees this month.
Ryan Hunter's athleticism has been on full display since his arrival in the CFL, but the Canadian's versatility is now shining through.
Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri tried to lay to rest rumours that he has friction with Edward Rogers, the executive chair of Rogers Communications, Inc.
Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday after a battle with brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58.
General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division will pay a US$1.5 million penalty after the unit failed to fully report a crash involving a pedestrian, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
A fire in South Vancouver Monday completely destroyed one home and caused damage to two others, according to officials, who said no one was injured in the blaze.
The Department of National Defence is warning boaters to avoid a small island southwest of Victoria this week as the military conducts routine, but potentially dangerous, demolition training.
The New Democrats are campaigning for another term in British Columbia's provincial election but without many of the familiar faces that have graced lawn signs of elections past.
One male is dead following a shooting in North York, Toronto police say. The incident occurred near Marlee Avenue and Lawrence Avenue West, near Allen Road, shortly before midnight.
Peel police say one person is dead and two others are in hospital following an incident in Mississauga early Tuesday morning.
After a mostly sunny and dry September, Toronto’s weather forecast for the first week of October is calling for clouds and showers
Police are investigating a suspicious death in Cityscape, Calgary's third such death over the long weekend.
Calgary Flames rookie Samuel Honzek continued his scoring tear on Monday with a brilliant short-handed effort.
Five people were rushed to hospital after a gas well fire northwest of Calgary Monday afternoon.
The city has implemented a new three item garbage limit on all households that receive curbside collection as part of a plan to reduce the amount of waste heading to the landfill and to help extend the life of the Trail Road Waste Facility until 2049.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is delaying possible changes to elementary school programs until September 2026, to provide more time for consultations with advisory committees and the public.
Ottawa councillors will be allowed to "solicit and/or facilitate" donations from developers for the community's benefit, under proposed new rules at Ottawa City Hall.
Marwah Rizqy, the Quebec Liberal Party's MNA for Saint-Laurent, will not be seeking re-election in the next provincial election.
A group of 23 bilingual municipalities in Quebec has asked a Superior Court judge to suspend the application of several portions of the province's 2022 language reform, known as Bill 96. Lawyer Julius Grey says the law will have "enormous consequences" for cities that have the right to serve citizens in both English and French.
The union representing law professors at McGill University has agreed to suspend its strike until the next meeting with an arbitrator.
A gas leak prompted an evacuation in central Alberta Monday evening.
It may have been a victory, but the Edmonton Oilers feel they are still very much a work in progress.
The minimum wage in four provinces is going up today.
The minimum wage on Prince Edward Island increased to $16 an hour Tuesday.
The LaHave cable ferry in Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg County will be taken out of service Tuesday for a refit.
The Fredericton Public Library is closed as police investigate a weekend break-in and vandalism inside the facility.
Truth and Reconciliation Day honours residential school survivors and the children who never made it home.
Thousands of Manitoba Hydro customers are without power Monday after strong winds barrelled through parts of the province overnight.
Minimum wage is set to increase on Tuesday in Manitoba.
Premier Scott Moe has confirmed that the writ will be dropped Tuesday morning – officially kicking off campaigning prior to the provincial election on Oct. 28.
Exclusive polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix outlines what preferences voters have, if they’re familiar with the party leaders and what issues matter most as Saskatchewan enters into the 2024 provincial election campaign.
With the writ for Saskatchewan's provincial election set to be issued on Tuesday and election day scheduled for Oct. 28, residents have approximately one month to decide which MLA to vote for.
Those earning minimum wage in Ontario will now make more money per hour. The annual wage increase is tied to inflation and jumps to $17.20 per hour on Tuesday, marking a 3.9 per cent increase from the previous rate of $16.55 per hour.
Communities across the country marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with events honouring survivors of residential schools and remembering those who never made it home.
An Etobicoke resident was taken to hospital after he told a Guelph Police officer he had been stabbed during Homecoming celebrations near the University of Guelph.
Premier Scott Moe has confirmed that the writ will be dropped Tuesday morning – officially kicking off campaigning prior to the provincial election on Oct. 28.
Exclusive polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix outlines what preferences voters have, if they’re familiar with the party leaders and what issues matter most as Saskatchewan enters into the 2024 provincial election campaign.
With the writ for Saskatchewan's provincial election set to be issued on Tuesday and election day scheduled for Oct. 28, residents have approximately one month to decide which MLA to vote for.
The minimum wage in four provinces is going up today.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial is set to resume in a northeastern Ontario court today, with the defence expected to lay out its case.
A 73-year-old man on a mobility scooter was killed Sunday night in Sudbury after being hit by a vehicle on Lasalle Boulevard and Barry Downe Road.
Police in Sarnia are investigating after a man was shot in the face and neck several times with a pellet gun. Around 2:10 p.m. on Sunday, officers responded to an apartment building in the 100 block of East Street near Wellington Street for a weapons call.
A pair of homes are destroyed on Penhale Avenue in St. Thomas, Ont. after an electrical fire set a garage ablaze Sunday night.
According to police, the driver of a vehicle collided with a parked vehicle and fled the scene. Police were able to catch up and make an arrest not far from the original scene.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
An early Sunday morning fire in Colgan that caused significant damage is under investigation.
OPP officers arrested a suspect while he was in the middle of a possible theft Sunday morning in Wasaga Beach.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $11,000 US from an inbound American citizen at the Ambassador Bridge.
According to police, the driver of a vehicle collided with a parked vehicle and fled the scene. Police were able to catch up and make an arrest not far from the original scene.
A section of Drouillard Road will close this week for an infrastructure renewal project.
The Department of National Defence is warning boaters to avoid a small island southwest of Victoria this week as the military conducts routine, but potentially dangerous, demolition training.
The New Democrats are campaigning for another term in British Columbia's provincial election but without many of the familiar faces that have graced lawn signs of elections past.
The residential “school†survivor whose story sparked Orange Shirt Day — and the “Every Child Matters†movement — says she is worried the cause is being forgotten.
Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial is set to resume in a northeastern Ontario court today, with the defence expected to lay out its case.
Overnight on Thursday as the community of Elliot Lake was resting to prepare for the upcoming Kraft Hockeyville celebrations, when vandals struck a building that has been top of mind for the northern Ontario city for more than a year.
Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that ‘a case is never closed until it is solved,’ while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
