Tackle football can be dangerous, especially with regard to traumatic brain injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 1.1 million traumatic brain injuries are diagnosed and treated at hospitals each year, with 235,000 of those patients remaining hospitalized because of the injury. Unfortunately, many of these injuries occur from football. The football helmet helps reduce the occurrences and severity of these injuries.
Early Helmets
Helmets didn't always provide the protection that modern models provide. In fact, the first models in 1896 did relatively little to protect the internal parts of the head and focused more on abrasions with some light padding. These helmets typically were made from leather until around 1939 with the introduction of plastic helmets for high school play. The Riddell Company continues to be one of the primary innovators and sellers of football helmets, providing the majority of helmets for the National Football League.
Regulation and Requirement
Helmets were not initially required for the game of football. However, as tackle football became more common and head injury rates increased, helmets became mandatory, with regulation organizations such as the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment creating regulations for how football helmets should be designed before being sold on the market.
Purpose and Benefits
Football helmets play two main roles in football. First, they protect the head from abrasions that can occur from players hitting each other, or a player hitting the ground. This protection is provided by the hard exterior of the helmet. The second role is protecting the brain from problems such as concussion. This is achieved both through the protective outer shell, as well as specially designed padding on the interior of the helmet that absorbs shock and protects the head from being knocked around.
Technology and Improvement
Over the years, football helmets have undergone many changes for both safety improvements and technical improvements. For example, coaches wanted a way to communicate with players on the field, so the first radio helmets were developed. Today, some helmets contain sophisticated communication equipment. Sensors that record impacts during the game also are being utilized in helmets thanks to Riddell's "Hits" technology. The information recorded in the sensors can be played back later for both diagnosis of players who sustained hard impacts and for research to develop better helmets.
References
- "Popular Mechanics"; 10 Steps in the High-Tech Evolution of Pro Football Helmets; Andrew Gaffney; Dec. 18, 2009
- "Neurosurgery"; Birth and evolution of the football helmet; ML Levy, et al; September 2004
- Riddell: Hits Technology
- USA Today: Evolution of Football Helmets.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nonfatal Traumatic Brain Injuries from Sports and Recreation Activities --- United States, 2001--2005
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