[simple simon]

Coach Mike Nolan forced his offensive linemen to wear knee braces last year when injuries began to mount.

Nolan continued the practice this season, and against Arizona, it could have prevented a major injury. Guard Larry Allen's sprained medial collateral ligament might have snapped without the brace.

The injury occurred when running back Frank Gore slammed into Allen's leg on the 49ers' sixth offensive play.

"It probably could have been a lot worse," said Allen, who has worn braces the last few years because his former coach, the Cowboys' Bill Parcells, enforced the brace rule.

49ERS NOTEBOOK / Nolan has his linemen braced for the worst

sounds like a great idea to where these braces

ya know, i watch the games on Fox sometimes and i see that little animated robot football player mascot thingy they have ...... and i wonder when we will see such a thing like that on the field for real........seems we are getting closer and closer

i wonder if, or actually when, people will be accused of wearing such a thing as a weapon

not a knee brace, but how about an elbow or wrist brace ?

crack someone in the ribs with an elbow brace on and i bet it would hurt

[EmpireWF]

Some coaches have rules where players have to wear certain items for health reasons. I know when Tom Coughlin took over the Giants, he enforced a rule that players had to wear the pads inside their pants (forget the name)...but I don't recall if he still enforces it.

Whatever they can do to keep players healthy, they'll try it.

[candlejack]

I'm with the idea of wearing whatever the coach deems necessary to keep his players healthy and playing throughout the season and possibly into the playoffs.