It's interesting that this is framed in the context of 'foul play' - I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that even in regular play there's often enough head impact to be concerning. I'm actually surprised this would get approved given that it could put the league in an awkward position of trying to argue why you should ignore the very devices it approved. Usually sports organisations like to put a thumb on the scale in these cases [0]
It talked about how the new mouthguard lights up "if the impact is severe enough to potentially cause a concussion". So, not just regular head impact it seems.
Then mentions that it's an update to the current "smart mouthguard" which uses Bluetooth, because with "the current system the alerts can take several seconds to reach the match day doctor.". So, it's not just about flagging something illegal but actually goes to match day doctors when the impact is severe. This new one let's people/ref know to wave a doctor over quicker/send them off
At the bottom they added that "the technology could also help identify instances of foul play."
CaliforniaKarl · 3h ago
I’m curious, what’s your awareness level of Rugby (Union or League), compared to sports in the US, or soccer worldwide?
I only have cursory knowledge, but seeing a number of videos of player/ref interactions make me think that the authorities are interested in having a game that is both physical and cognizant of the possibility of long-term injury. The players are not wearing helmets, and the refs are OK with using video review (with the videos playing out on the stadium screens) for all to see. It’s very different from US football or worldwide soccer/football.
anitil · 3h ago
> what’s your awareness level of Rugby (Union or League)
I played a little bit of union in my school team (I'm Australian). I'm out of touch with the modern game though. My impression is that league is a bit more tolerant of damage? That could be my 'old boy' bias creeping in.
jarjoura · 1h ago
League has the same zero tolerance policy as union. Though union players seem way beefier and move way slower on the field, so an impact that knocks someone down looks far more dangerous than in league. League players seem fast enough to dodge most impacts. But yea, I think in almost every game I've watched, there's almost always someone getting a headknock that they pull out for an assessment.
CaliforniaKarl · 2h ago
It could be that I’m focusing more on Union than League. I’m on the bus and searchability is limited, the example I was going to give (https://youtu.be/JjLIetqAP6U) is Union :)
maxo99 · 3h ago
Same here. And considering football already has radios in helmets, I'm sure it'd be an easy enough add that they must be avoiding doing the same
pmarreck · 2h ago
I'm glad they're at least taking this step. Being informed is the first thing you should do.
black_puppydog · 3h ago
Kudos to the image selection team. :)
SanjayMehta · 3h ago
Only women play rugby these days, you know.
ceejayoz · 3h ago
> Mouthguards that light up when a player sustains a significant head impact will be used at this year's women's Rugby World Cup, which starts next week.
There seems to be a good reason to show women here.
IncreasePosts · 3h ago
Well, only women's rugby world cup is using this tech at the moment
snitzr · 2h ago
If the brain wasn't hidden, injuries would be seen with our eyes the way cuts and bruises are seen, and nobody would play rugby or other impact sports ever again.
argentinian · 3h ago
There's a risk of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)[1] in rugby, box and other sports where your head is hit.
I believe that many people don't know about this, otherwise they would not allow their children to practice dangerous sports.
[0] I could pick many but lets go with the IWF who's largest wikipedia section is the one for corruption - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Weightlifting_Fe...
It talked about how the new mouthguard lights up "if the impact is severe enough to potentially cause a concussion". So, not just regular head impact it seems.
Then mentions that it's an update to the current "smart mouthguard" which uses Bluetooth, because with "the current system the alerts can take several seconds to reach the match day doctor.". So, it's not just about flagging something illegal but actually goes to match day doctors when the impact is severe. This new one let's people/ref know to wave a doctor over quicker/send them off
At the bottom they added that "the technology could also help identify instances of foul play."
I only have cursory knowledge, but seeing a number of videos of player/ref interactions make me think that the authorities are interested in having a game that is both physical and cognizant of the possibility of long-term injury. The players are not wearing helmets, and the refs are OK with using video review (with the videos playing out on the stadium screens) for all to see. It’s very different from US football or worldwide soccer/football.
I played a little bit of union in my school team (I'm Australian). I'm out of touch with the modern game though. My impression is that league is a bit more tolerant of damage? That could be my 'old boy' bias creeping in.
There seems to be a good reason to show women here.
I believe that many people don't know about this, otherwise they would not allow their children to practice dangerous sports.
[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17686-chronic...