You could go without helmets and shoulder pads for sure in football, but you would have to change a bunch of rules. Enough so that the game would be so different that you may as well just call it rugby instead. The forward pass changes the game a huge amount, and I don't think that the helmetless game is feasible.
What will cause less head injuries are the rule changes they have been making in the past couple years. A lot of people complain that the game is becoming more and more like flag football, but I am 100% behind any rule which stops one player from hitting another player in the head. If you can get rid of the plays like the Hines Ward block on Rivers last year, you can cut down on head injuries a ton.
Another thing that would cut down on injuries is players actually wearing their helmets fitted properly. Just like a bike helmet, a football helmet is not going to protect you if you don't wear it right. Helmets should be difficult to get off your head, yet it seems like in every second play someone's bucket is flying off.
What will cause less head injuries are the rule changes they have been making in the past couple years. A lot of people complain that the game is becoming more and more like flag football, but I am 100% behind any rule which stops one player from hitting another player in the head. If you can get rid of the plays like the Hines Ward block on Rivers last year, you can cut down on head injuries a ton.
Another thing that would cut down on injuries is players actually wearing their helmets fitted properly. Just like a bike helmet, a football helmet is not going to protect you if you don't wear it right. Helmets should be difficult to get off your head, yet it seems like in every second play someone's bucket is flying off.