California Assembly Bill 734 and the Ethics of Youth Tackle Football: A Four-Frame Legislative Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to facilitate awareness in the rehabilitation counseling profession about California’s AB 734, the Youth Tackle Football Bill. AB 734 proposed to ban tackle football participation for children less than 12 years of age. Beyond AB 734, this article addresses the profession’s ethical responsibilities to address football-related brain trauma. A review of journal articles, government documents, and websites was completed to conduct a legislative analysis through a narrative synthesis of the current status and ethical implications of AB 734. This article summarizes the state of play on AB 734 aligned to Bolman and Deal’s (2003) symbolic, human resource, structural, and political frames. Steps for needed ethical action by rehabilitation counselors are presented for each frame. The current time calls for rehabilitation counselors to advocate for the interests of children playing America’s favorite sport, tackle football. Rehabilitation counselors possess training and expertise on the nexus between brain trauma and activities of daily living. Rehabilitation counselors face an ethical responsibility to utilize their expertise to protect the future health and well-being of youth tackle football participants.