Whether watching or playing it, football has thrived on speed, intensity and a hint of danger that surrounds the game. But while football has historically been a violent sport, the head-on collisions of the game as it's played today, has spotlighted head injuries and sparked questions about helmet safety. Parents of young football players are particularly concerned. Here's what you need to know:
Inside football helmets there should be a label that reads, "MEETS NOCSAE STANDARD." The testing standard involves mounting a football helmet on a synthetic head model and dropping it from a height of 5ft onto a firm rubber pad which measures impact forces. The current standard was written by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), which was formed in the 1960's after more than 100 high school and college football players were killed by skull fractures.
- While helmets focus on preventing fractures, they do little to protect against concussions. Unfortunately, many players today use their helmets as a weapon when tackling and have a false sense of security when striking another player helmet first. At higher levels of play, opponents are bigger and players feel they have to hit as hard as possible even if it means using their helmets. Intentionally leading with your helmet has always been forbidden at all levels of play and recent rule changes in the National Football League (NFL) have made any helmet hits penalties which could lead to suspensions.
- Helmet manufacturers are working with the NFL as well as independent testing laboratories to develop test methods that take into consideration the way the game is being played today. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 20% of high school football players and 40% of college football players will get a head injury at some point in their career.
- This year, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) strengthened their concussion rules in high school football by removing any player from the game who shows signs, symptoms or behaviors associated with a concussion until cleared by an appropriate health-care professional. Make sure you child's coach follows a gradual return to play schedule which involves light exercise, running without equipment, non-contact drills, and full contact practice before returning them to game play.
- The most important thing to remember as a parent and player is that no one piece of equipment can be 100% effective in preventing all types of head and neck injuries. Practicing proper techniques in blocking and tackling and never lowering your head during a hit will help reduce your risk.