From the viewpoint of the Texas High School Coaches Association, any program that might reduce the number of head injuries in football, and the apprehension that they create, is worth looking at. Even if the program is inspired by a sport, rugby, that is much more prominent in other parts of the world than it is in the United States.

After all, while participation in high school football in Texas has remained relatively steady over the past decade, the game is not growing here as fast as it once was. In part, that is because of specialization, which has locked some children into other sports. But another factor is the concern by a growing number of parents that football is simply too dangerous.

That concern was clearly a part of the narrative at the seminar. Over and over, coaches who were present said the game was “under attack,” even in Texas, where football is nearly a religion. And to a man, they insisted that the benefits of the game — which they maintain teaches grittiness and teamwork — far outweighed its risks.

“The most important part of it is getting moms to realize that the game is safer than it probably ever has been because of coaches’ awareness of concussions and all the things we’re trying to teach them, and because of the tackling training that’s coming on board,” said D. W. Rutledge, who retired recently as the executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association.

Rutledge and the coaches association have tried to reassure skittish parents by adopting rules that govern when players can return to action after a concussion and also limit the number of full-contact practices. Now they have turned to the rugby-style tackling program in their latest, and perhaps most elaborate, attempt to convince skeptics that football can be made safer to play.