# Women playing in the NFL: Would/should male players hit them just as hard? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 14, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139 "2018-12-14T21:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/21 "2018-12-15T23:20:56Z")
> [@Anglachel](#): > > The situation where a fake or a fumble results in a female kicker holding a live ball in the NFL facing an active defense is not one that I would want to watch. There are typically a handful of kickers in the NFL who weigh between 160 and 170 pounds each year. That’s fairly large for a female kicker but not unreasonable. The male kickers generally don’t do very well with a live ball either, but someone at 130-140 lbs would be at a significant disadvantage. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/22 "2018-12-16T01:30:02Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > There are typically a handful of kickers in the NFL who weigh between 160 and 170 pounds each year. That’s fairly large for a female kicker but not unreasonable. The male kickers generally don’t do very well with a live ball either, but someone at 130-140 lbs would be at a significant disadvantage. A quick Google search suggests that [Trindon Holliday](https://thatonesportsshow.com/shortest-players-in-the-nfl/) is the smallest NFL player in modern times (he was drafted in 2010 by the Houston Texans). He measured in at 5’5" and 162 pounds. So it is safe to say smaller/lighter than that doesn’t work well in the NFL. To be sure there are women bigger than that though (who are also physically fit). ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/23 "2018-12-16T03:00:09Z")
I could see women in CB and RB positions. A CB has to be quick and agile; a RB, with strong legs, would have an advantage with a lower profile. Some while back, I caught a bit of women’s World Cup, and those lasses were darn nasty, so I would not count women out as far as attitude, and once the guys get a taste of that, game on. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/24 "2018-12-23T05:11:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Now, from a purely physical standpoint, what might make a woman more or less vulnerable to hard impact than a man? I’ve read that women’s skulls often don’t provide the same protection against cranial injury as men’s (but the source was the not-so-scientific Reader’s Digest, so take that for what it’s worth.) But women usually have more subcutaneous fat; does that insulate internal organs better? > > What about bone density, etc.? Are women likelier to suffer fractures? Women are smaller, with smaller bones. And it’s my understanding that women are proportionately more lightly built with weaker tendon attachments. On the other hand they are more flexible, and will sometime bend where a man would break. And due to weighing less don’t hit as hard when they fall or run into something. However I agree with the person upthread who commented that NFL players shouldn’t be getting hit as hard as they are regardless of gender. Especially blows to the head. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/25 "2018-12-23T06:16:08Z")
The head/helmet should be 100% off-limits for contact. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/26 "2018-12-23T06:31:13Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > The head/helmet should be 100% off-limits for contact. In many (most?) cases the problem isn’t with someone contacting the helmet, it’s with someone leading with their own helmet. And many of the worst head injuries don’t involve contact with another player, but making contact with the ground. I don’t know if it’s ever going to be possible to really protect the head in any contact sport like football. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/27 "2018-12-23T17:13:41Z")
> [@Anglachel](#): > > Let’s add a dose of reality to this thread. The position most likely for a woman to break into the NFL is as a kicker. That has already occurred in college football. Kickers are not regularly subject to strong contact, but it does happen. The situation where a fake or a fumble results in a female kicker holding a live ball in the NFL facing an active defense is not one that I would want to watch. [Snickers commercial with Betty White](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAnLtqWDhc)? ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Erudite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ancient\_Erudite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Erudite)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/28 "2018-12-25T20:43:55Z")
> [@Anglachel](#): > > Let’s add a dose of reality to this thread. The position most likely for a woman to break into the NFL is as a kicker. That has already occurred in college football. Kickers are not regularly subject to strong contact, but it does happen. The situation where a fake or a fumble results in a female kicker holding a live ball in the NFL facing an active defense is not one that I would want to watch. You nailed it. A female kicker is possible at the lower college level programs, however to break through to the NFL level, kickers need to be able to kick off the ball at least to the goal line, and covert on longer 50+ yard field goals, which essentially prevents a woman from breaking through to the NFL level. The kicker is also the last line of defense, and is often called upon to tackle or push the return player out of bounds. Years back there was gimmick female professional player in an obscure professional football league. Her job? Field the ball for snaps. The call the position the holder. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/29 "2018-12-25T21:18:22Z")
> [@Ancient\_Erudite](#): > > The kicker is also the last line of defense, and is often called upon to tackle or push the return player out of bounds. Tell that to Sebastian Janikowski, who at best hopes the runner will accidentally bump into/trip over him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/30 "2018-12-26T21:47:42Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Tell that to Sebastian Janikowski, who at best hopes the runner will accidentally bump into/trip over him. 😃 This guy might have something to say about it as well 😃 To emphasize the point others have made, I doubt there is any woman anywhere on the planet that could compete in the NFL. I could see a very small likelihood that a woman might someday be able to compete with the best men in a sport like basketball, soccer, or baseball, maybe in positions that don't require as much brute strength (2nd base, point guard, goalie). I think this is \*\*extremely\*\* unlikely, but I won't say it could never happen. However small the likelihood is of that, however, it's likely a whole lot smaller for American football. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139/31 "2018-12-26T22:17:55Z")
[quote=“FlikTheBlue, post:30, topic:826139”] This guy might have something to say about it as well 😃 [/QUOTE] I thought about that one too, I’d seen that play earlier. That guy is awesome, he should be an unofficial defensive player. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-playing-in-the-nfl-would-should-male-players-hit-them-just-as-hard/826139.md?page=1)