The danger of increased head contact also came with the
2003 rule that the area considered ‘head’ increased (WTF,
2014). Previously, the head was considered the top and sides of
the head which were safely covered by head gear. In the rule
change, the ‘head’ was considered any place on the body from
the collarbones up, including neck, face, and back of the head
(ibid). This not only makes scoring to the head easier for
athletes, but increases their chances of injury by allowing full
contact to vulnerable areas above the neck.
The possibility of injury that is brought about by these new
head contact rules has people concerned and worried for the
wellbeing of their children. An article from ABC News (n.d.)
cites the Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who himself is a black
belt in Taekwondo, on the dangers that the new rules present,
“It’s one thing to score a point, it’s another thing where the
goal is to disable a young person from participating in the
sport, and quite possibly disable them from participating in
any other activity for the rest of their life” (ABC News, para.
4). They go on to explain how these new rules increase the
chances of concussions, which can be dangerous to the
developing brains of children (ibid.). The American Academy of
Pediatrics explains how these rules for increased head contact