One of the overwhelming goals in heavy contact sports like football and hockey is the ability to get injured or recovering players back in the lineup quickly. Players are told they have to play with pain, but that is something easier said than done. Normally, an injury to the ribs is one that that takes significant time to heal and enduring contact is not recommended. But when a key player like a star quarterback would otherwise not be able to play, trainers knew they had to come up with a device that protected the player and would allow him to return to the lineup. As a result, American sports trainers borrowed a page from the military with the flak jacket. The device is worn around the upper body and allows players to withstand a serious blow to the midsection without feeling the impact. The overall effect of the flak jacket is to protect the injured area and provide confidence that a player can continue to do his job without doing any more harm to the injured area.
What to Look for
Simply put, a flak jacket must be light and strong in order to be effective. It fits over the shoulders and is worn like any jacket. It is made of a strong, shock-absorbing material that dissipates the force of the blow. If the material is not strong enough, the force of the shot goes through the material and causes either greater pain or additional injury to the player. If the material is too heavy, it wears a player down and keeps him from performing at his best level. Flak jackets, first used in the NFL by Houston Oiler quarterback Dan Pastorini in 1978, use a light foam material with hard shell plastic to provide the protection.
Common Pitfalls
At the top levels of competition, trainers and equipment managers have the ability to design flak jackets to fit the areas that need protection. If a player's lower rib cage has been damaged, the flak jacket protects that area. If it's the upper rib cage, the flak jacket is designed to protect that part. Players who wear an ill-fitting flak jacket or one that belongs to another player run the risk of exacerbating the injury. Flak jackets are not miraculous cures. Injuries must be given time to heal, at least to a degree, before the device will help the player. Rushing a player back into the lineup before he is ready just because a flak jacket is available is not advisable.
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