The safety of our athletes is our number one priority. The Pop Warner Football program emphasizes safety through the strict implementation of weight restrictions, coaching certification requirements, and rules regarding contact. Datalys Institute’s research data show that Pop Warner Rules and Heads-Up Football Training result in injury rate that has 87% fewer injuries than non-Heads Up/non-Pop Warner programs. To further bolster safety within DSYSA PW programs, we promote limited contact during practice, utilizing pad work as the primary component of our tackling drills.
Heads Up Certification
Pop Warner Little Scholars has partnered with USA Football’s Heads Up program with the goal of teaching proper blocking and tackling techniques in a better and safer way. As such, all Dripping Springs Pop Warner coaches are required to complete the USA Football Coach Certification Course annually.
Red Cross CPR and First Aid Certification
Pop Warner rules require that “All practices must be attended by one person holding a Red Cross Community CPR and a First Aid certification OR National Center for Sports Safety PREPARE Certificate of Completion, or equivalent, if not by an EMT or volunteer physician.”
Contact Regulations
- No full speed head-on blocking or tackling drills in which the players line up more than 3 yards apart are permitted. (Having two linemen in stances immediately across the line of scrimmage from each other and having full-speed drills where the players approach each other at an angle, but not straight ahead in to each other are both permitted.) However, there should be no intentional head-to-head contact!
- The amount of contact at each practice will be reduced to a maximum of 1/3 of practice time (either 40 minutes total of each practice or 1/3 of total weekly practice time). In this context, “contact” means any drill or scrimmage in which drills; down line vs. down line full-speed drills; and scrimmages.
Questions?
For more information regarding Pop Warner's safety initiatives, please visit https://www.popwarner.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1476161. We also welcome you to contact us directly with any of your questions. Our coaches and board members are always happy to discuss our programs and safety measures.