The modernization of the helmet is reminiscent of the modernization of the automobile. In addition to getting a passenger from one place to the next, today's cars also have many luxuries such as high-end sound systems and navigating computers that virtually ensure that drivers will no longer get lost when driving to a new locale. Similarly, today's helmets do more than protect the cranium. Visors give players extra protection in and around the eye area and head sets allow coaches to communicate with players easily. Visors started to gain popularity among players in the 1980s and they couldn't have been more useful. As the game got more physical and more violent, players were not above trying to gouge opponents' eyes and ears. The visor prevents players from getting their fingers and fists inside the helmet. Head sets take much of the guess work out of signaling in plays to the quarterback. Today's quarterbacks at the major college and NFL level wear helmets with speakers, often denoted by a green dot on the back.
What to Look for
Visors protect the eyes and ears, but in the early days they would fog up and prevent accurate vision. Advancements were quickly made and more players wear visors than ever before because players see clearly and get full protection. The wireless speakers provide one-way communication from the coaching staff to the quarterback. Either the head coach on the sidelines or the offensive coordinator in the press box can talk to the quarterback, but he is not allowed to talk back to them. While they are fairly dependable, rules state that if one team's communication device fails to work due to a technological or mechanical problem, both sides must turn off their communication systems.
Common Pitfalls
The communication devices are by and large dependable, but when crowd noise is loud or a coach is communicating on a rambunctious sidelines, quarterbacks have reported that sound can be obscured. When that happens, miscommunication can result. Also, the communication devices themselves are not impervious to hard hits and can be knocked out of use with a violent hit.
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