Would Football Be Safer Without Pads? Risk compensation meets
helmets.  Illustration by Slug Signorino  A rugby player friend
of mine says one reason for the serious injuries in American
football is pads and helmets. He says players can hit harder
because of protective equipment and do so knowing they will
suffer less injury than those on the receiving end. Also, he
claims that if players went back to one-platoon football,
meaning they played both offense and defense, the size of the
players on offense and defense would be smaller and more equal
and there would be less chance of a big, fast linebacker laying
flat a receiver or quarterback. Any truth to either of these
lines of thought, or is it just rugby snobbery? —Sam Johnson
It’s partly rugby snobbery, but never mind. Is it true? Probably
yes.  The concept here is called risk homeostasis or risk
compensation. It holds that everyone engaged in a dangerous
activity has a personal risk-vs.-reward level they’ll stick to
no matter what—if you force someone pla