# Should HS students over 350 lbs be allowed to play football? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695 "2006-10-24T13:42:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/1 "2006-10-24T13:42:22Z")
Is it really advisable to have a very overweight player running around during a warm day. Seems like it would be better to have them lose weight in order to be on the team. [Football programs keeping an eye on the larger players](http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_367589.html) > [@](#): > > At the peak of his obesity, Nate Hartung visited a recycling plant in Butler County to get weighed because no other scales could accommodate his nearly quarter-ton frame. > “My high weight was 452,” he said. “The first week at Kiski, I overheated. My vision was blurred. I was throwing up. It was crazy. I pushed through it, but it was a little scary.” > > Hartung’s scare last year at Kiski Area indicates the dangers that face increasingly larger and heavier high school players in Western Pennsylvania. Hartung, who graduated from Butler Area in June and will leave for a Mormon mission next month, is regarded as the biggest football player in WPIAL history. > > “I let my weight get too high,” said the 6-foot-2 Hartung, who has trimmed down to 375. “It was bad. I wasn’t well conditioned. I dropped weight, and I feel a lot better.” ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/2 "2006-10-24T13:52:30Z")
I don’t see why they would not let someone play with high weight, the same as someone on the lower end of the scale when it comes to weight. However going by what this young man said: > [@](#): > > “The first week at Kiski, I overheated. My vision was blurred. I was throwing up. It was crazy. I pushed through it, but it was a little scary.” This might be grounds for not letting him play. If one on any sports team is unable to stand the rigors of tryouts, practices, etc. it should be grounds for dismissal from the team. But it does go on to say that this young man lost 77 lbs, which could have put him in better shape. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/3 "2006-10-24T13:57:22Z")
I’m less concerned about the 350 pounder hurting himself then I am about him hurting someone else. When I played football in 7th and 8th grade one of the players on our team topped out at nearly 300 pounds. 7th grade! I’m pretty sure there was a weight limit to protect children from injuries but I can’t recall what it was. Anyway, I weighed about 130 back then and I got tacked by this monster several times. I couldn’t push him off the line but his tackles weren’t generally easy to avoid and he was quite honestly a soft enough target that it didn’t hurt so bad when he did tackle you. On the other hand I could see where he could have done some serious damage had he landed on me properly. When I wrestled in high school the heavy weight class went all the way to 280 and anything over was disqualified from sanctioned matches. Why stop at 350? I didn’t see to many 300 pounders in high school who looked as though they were phsyically fit. Also, don’t skinny people occasionally die from heat stroke during football practice? Marc ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/4 "2006-10-24T14:05:20Z")
I have to wonder how many 350+ pound boys will make the team, unless they’re something like 6’8". On my high school team(late '80s/early '90s), our heaviest guy was about 325, and he didn’t even start (wasn’t fast enough). The majority of the offensive linemen were somewhere between about 200 and 250, and the defensive guys were about the same. Most teams put a premium on speed and agility- a 350+ pound high school player is only good for playing nose tackle or maybe defensive tackle (over guard), because they’re not mobile enough for offensive line, outside defensive tackles, or defensive ends. ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/5 "2006-10-24T14:13:40Z")
why should a person’s weight instead of his BMI (body mass index) determine the maximum limit? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/6 "2006-10-24T14:14:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Hartung, who graduated from Butler Area in June and will leave for a Mormon mission next month, is regarded as the biggest football player in WPIAL history. Not about football, but this sentence in the quoted article surprised me, as I have a nephew who was turned down for Mormon missionary service due to his overweight condition. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/7 "2006-10-24T14:20:16Z")
[QUOTE=ArchitectChore] why should a person’s weight instead of his BMI (body mass index) determine the maximum limit? [/QUOTE] Greater potential for injury to other players. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/8 "2006-10-24T15:08:00Z")
If a kid is over 350 lbs. I would think exercise is what he desparately needs. Tell him he’s too fat to play and he’ll probably go back to the cheetos and video games. Next thing you know Geraldo’s cutting him out of his house and we’re all wondering how that happened, and why he didn’t get into sports early in life. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/9 "2006-10-24T19:56:07Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Greater potential for injury to other players. [/QUOTE] Really? Maybe they should make the linebackers ask the runningback to please lay on the ground so that they won’t have to be tackled. And weight-training should be banned so that kids can’t hit hard. In fact all players should just get together and play some Madden to determine the winner. It’s freaking football. If a kid can’t do a practice without throwing up then maybe you have to sit them, but because a kid might hurt somebody on the other team in a game where 100% of all plays people try to hit each other is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/10 "2006-10-24T20:13:34Z")
Don’t kids still have to pass a physical and get the okay from their doctor to play? If his doctor says it’s okay to exert himself like that without risk of hurting himself then I’d say go for it. However, if the kid is that obese I’d think his doctor would recommend less strenuous exercise and a diet plan to get the kid healthy enough to play. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/11 "2006-10-24T20:22:24Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] Really? Maybe they should make the linebackers ask the runningback to please lay on the ground so that they won’t have to be tackled. And weight-training should be banned so that kids can’t hit hard. In fact all players should just get together and play some Madden to determine the winner. It’s freaking football. If a kid can’t do a practice without throwing up then maybe you have to sit them, but because a kid might hurt somebody on the other team in a game where 100% of all plays people try to hit each other is ridiculous. [/QUOTE] That’s why I said _greater_. These are high school teams. Most don’t get to cherry-pick players like colleges and the pros, and most don’t face teams of cherry-picked players. Outsized players raise the potential risk of injury. No one blinks an eye at 300+ pound linemen at the top college and pro-levels. On the other hand, the vast majority of 16-17 year old atheletes are not going to be big and strong enough to withstand the kind of punishment that size can cause. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/12 "2006-10-24T20:44:22Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] That’s why I said _greater_. These are high school teams. Most don’t get to cherry-pick players like colleges and the pros, and most don’t face teams of cherry-picked players. Outsized players raise the potential risk of injury. No one blinks an eye at 300+ pound linemen at the top college and pro-levels. On the other hand, the vast majority of 16-17 year old atheletes are not going to be big and strong enough to withstand the kind of punishment that size can cause. [/QUOTE] Well on the other side of the equation what the minimum size levels be to be able to play HS football? If you’re speedy, but small & light, should you be kept from playing for fear you’d get injured? Do responsible coaches keep otherwise capable players out for just this reason?? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-hs-students-over-350-lbs-be-allowed-to-play-football/377695/13 "2006-10-24T20:59:33Z")
[QUOTE=ShelliBean] If a kid is over 350 lbs. I would think exercise is what he desparately needs. [/QUOTE] This is what I was going to say. The coaches and players both need to know how to practice bigger guys safely, but that’s a problem the kid is going to have exercising in general until he loses some weight and starts to get in shape. Also, I think that sports are a much easier way for a lot of people to get regular exercise than going to the gym. An enjoyable, competitive activity which requires physical exercise/fitness can be a lot more motivating than exercise on its own.