Football is one of America's most popular sports. At every level, professional, college, high school, and even Pop Warner leagues, the sport captivates both players and audiences. However, football is fundamentally a violent contact sport. Players often hit or tackle each other after gaining tremendous speed. A variety of safety equipment has been made to help lessen football-associated injuries. Many leagues require their players to wear this equipment in every game.
Football-Related Injuries
Football players often are injured during the course of the season. Most injuries occur on the practice field, but often players are injured while playing a game. Injuries can range from minor sprains or strains to torn knee ligaments and broken bones. For the sport of football more than 400,000 players were injured in 2001, according to the National Center for Sports Safety. In a 20-year period, from 1982-2002, 22 high school players died from football related injuries. To decrease these statistics, football programs are always redefining rules and, more importantly, creating new, more protective equipment.
Helmet
The football helmet is one of the most important pieces of required football equipment. The helmet should be composed of a hard plastic outer shell with a think layer of inner padding, states KidsHealth.org. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment has provided safety standards for all football helmets. The front part of the helmet should be fitted with a carbon-coated steel facemask that protects the patients face while allowing a good field of vision. The final part of the helmet is a chinstrap, which ensures that the helmets will stay in place.
Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads are bulky padded plastic shells that fit over a players shoulders and upper chest and back. The shoulder pads cushion the impact caused by getting hit by other players or the ground, reports USA Football. Players who will be hitting and blocking more often wear bigger, cantilevered type pads, whereas quarterbacks and other players less likely to get hit wear flatter pads that allow for more mobility.
Leg Pads
The padding provided for the legs are focused on preventing injuries during a football game. Pads are provided for the thighs, hips, tailbones and knees. Pads help protect the large quadriceps muscles in the thigh and the bones of the knee and hip. Kickers and punters typically wear the smallest, thinnest pads because players in these positions receive the least amount of contact, according to USA Football.
Mouthpiece
A mouthpiece is an essential part of the equipment required for football. The mouthpiece can be attached or unattached to the helmet, but KidsHealth.org recommends using a mouthpiece that has a keeper strap that keeps the mouthpiece securely fastened to the helmet. The mouthpiece helps protect the teeth, jaw, gums and tongue, and helps prevent concussions.
Additional Guidelines to Prevent Injury
Various guidelines can be used to help prevent football injuries, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Players should receive a preseason medical physical to assess their health and ability to play. Stretching and warm up exercises before each game and practice. A final technique that can help prevent injuries is for players to have regular water breaks that should prevent dehydration and overheating.
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