Posts Tagged ‘Football Equipment – Football Helmets’
September 15th, 2009 | 
Author: Jonquil Sporting Goods’ Craig Brooks shows us how to ensure a proper fit for a youth football helmet.
Transcript is included above the video. I’ve put the transcript in a scrollable box so that you can still watch while reading.
Craig: Thanks Adam.
Adam: Alright, so we’re talking about football helmets. Now, when it gets into any kind of sports equipment, football gear can get kind of complicated, especially for parents who’ve never played but maybe even for dad’s who played football all their lives that don’t really understand how to make sure their kids safe and fitted properly. Most youth league football players have their gear provided for them by the department they play for so, when your kid comes home with a helmet, how do you make sure they’re in the right helmet?
Craig: Well, the biggest thing on helmets of any type of football gear whatsoever is tight. You want everything to fit as tight as it can possibly fit. Um, you know any kind of play in the helmet whatsoever is what’s going to cause concussions. If you’ve got shake in the helmet and you make contact with another player, the helmet is what’s actually hurting your son as opposed to protecting him.
Adam: So when a kid takes his helmet off and you see like, red dots on his head where it was squeezing, that’s a good thing?
Craig: That’s probably a good thing. You know, if he’s coming back with headaches from it just being ya know, so so tight than you know, it can definitely be too tight, but you know, if there are some marks in the hair or something like that, it’s not a bad thing at all.
Adam: Alright, well, why don’t you show us what it is you can do to check. When a kid comes home and puts his helmet on, how can you, as a parent, help check it.
Craig: Well, the first thing I would do is actually make sure the helmet fits properly without jaw-pads. The jaw-pads or often times called ear-pads, are gonna keep the helmet from rocking side to side. I would probably take the jaw-pads out of the helmet, put the helmet on the child and than I’d look for any shake forwards and backwards. Basically what you would wanna do is as soon as your child puts the helmet on, is I would probably, I would look, to make sure that the helmet wrinkles up in his forehead as he does his head up. I would hold the facemask like this. As his head comes up I would make sure that you see some sort of wrinkles as, as like the helmets almost sticking to his head. And then, as he comes up, slowly release. The same going the other direction. I would probably put the helmet on his head. As his face comes downward, you probably wanna see his eyebrows kinda pull up and then release. Now, if he puts it on and he goes up and all it does is wrinkle and never release or the other way around, it never, it can never go down and release out of the helmet, than it’s too tight in the forehead. Most helmets are going to have some kind of sizing mechanisms, take Schutt for instance. This is the helmet we carry. Obviously there’s a ton of brands of helmets to buy out there. But we’re very satisfied with this brand. They have a front sizer. This helmet, where you have a small, medium, and a large and an extra large helmet, you actually have three sizes of front sizers. So this can be changed. The helmet comes standard with a 7/8’s, so basically like a medium, so you can make it tight, bigger, or skinnier depending on the fit of the helmet.
Adam: Alright, what about the fit of the air portion there. The air tube lookin’ thing.
Craig: The air bladder in this particular helmet is called the youth advantage. This helmet you would want to have absolutely zero air in the helmet whatsoever. Fit the helmet to the child. Once it fits his head properly, then you would put air into the helmet only to fill the negative space. You would basically, if this helmet, if this helmets fit right, you could basically knife through or razorblade through this bladder and he would still be safe. The air bladder, again, is just a precautionary more safety and you know, again it’s just filling the empty space, the negative space inside of the helmet.
Adam: Alright, so once you got that fit front to back, then how do you do it side to side?
Craig: Front. Once the front to backs right, then you wanna put the jaw-pads in the helmet. Most jaw pads are universal jaw pads, by that I mean theirs no left and rights. They should snap into the helmet pretty easily, normally three snaps like so and so once you get these on, this is actually what’s going to make the helmet difficult to take on and off for a young child. The bad news is the older people; the adults, the college kids, the high school kids, they’ve hit puberty, their jaws have formed, they’ve got these big fat jaws, so they could put really really skinny jaw pads in their helmet and it still fits good. The bad news is; little guys are skinny in the face, so their heads are actually bigger than their jaws are. So, the jaw pads tend to be very, very thick. Putting it on, you’re going to see tears lots of times, you’re gonna see, I mean, it’s really gonna be a struggle putting on and taking off the helmet. But, once you got the helmet on with the jaw pads, basically wanna look (and I don’t even know if this is gonna fit me). Alright, you basically wanna look, you wanna hold the face mask in the front, let them turn their helmets side to side. If he turns his head to the right, back to the left and you don’t get any space between the jaw and the jaw pad, than it fits fine.
Craig: Now do you wanna hold the face mask while they’re turning their head?
Adam: Hold the face mask and let ‘em turn their head. Kinda turn into that pad and as space shows, you probably wanna go thicker in a jaw pad. Again, most helmets come with one inch jaw pads, ten to at least say the ten and under child usually needs a thicker jaw pad than that. I tend to put the inch and a quarter size pad and that’s gonna make it fit a lot better.
Craig: Alright, talk to me about the differences in chin straps. You have two different types of chin straps here.
Adam: Alright, most helmets are gonna standard with a cloth or leather chin strap. This is a leather chin strap. Offers basically the minimal protection. It’s gonna hold the helmet from going up and down, back and forth anything like that. But again, you’re fairly exposed to any damage, any hand or elbow or anything like… Then there is the hard cup style chin straps, which basically the same fit and functionality as far as holding the helmet onto the child’s head, but what it does offer is just a little bit of padding. And it keeps any fist that comes in here or any elbow or even knee for that matter that comes flying up. Keeps his chin protected.
Adam: Alright, is there a difference in using the high snap or the low snap?
Craig: Their is a difference in that. A lot of times, especially (for) the older guys, it becomes a matter of personal preference. A lot of quarterbacks, a lot of guys that are constantly messing with their chin strap, often times it’s easier for them to take it off on the two lower snaps. However, for the young guys, I do recommend to use the high snap chin strap. Both of these happen to be high. The proper way to fit this is…the chin strap actually goes on the inside of the face mask. Lots of times you’ll see people coming out through the eye-hole here and snapping it. It should go through the inside, and the upper snap will stay snapped. Once it’s properly adjusted the upper snap will stay snapped all the time and the lower back snap will be the only one the child takes off. So, he’ll take this on and off and let the chin strap hang in front of his face when he takes the helmet on and or off. Basically, the reason why I like this for the younger guys is again going back to the puberty conversation. The child’s chin hasn’t really formed yet so often times their chin doesn’t even stick out past the bottom of the helmet. The high chin strap tends to go up into the helmet better than the low chin strap goes, often times the low chin strap pulls tight at the very edge of the helmet and doesn’t get up in there and so often times he has space in between his chin and the chin strap.
Adam: Cause it has to go over the lip…
Craig: Right. Because it has to go over this lip where this is coming in here and around the backside.
Adam: That makes a lot of sense. I never thought about that. You stump me on football, you’ve done something Mr. Brooks.
Alright, well, that’s a lot of great information, any questions…leave ‘em for Craig and we’ll do everything that we can do to get them answered. Thank so much.
Craig: Thank you, sir.
Adam: That’s gonna do it for us today. We look forward to seeing you right back here next time for another great addition of ClubHouseGAS
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Finally on our list of ways to prevent burners on the football field is the mini side roll restrictor.
Don’t let the mini name fool you. For as small as these things are they offer a mountain of protection from neck burners and stingers.
They snap easily to the butterfly restrictor and the shoulder pads and together you have the ultimate in helmet stability.
As always, they offer maximum support without sacrificing mobility.
Be prepared to pay close to $50 for these and $50 for the butterfly restrictor.
Maximum protection is never cheap, but neither is the alternative, that being a trip to the ER or a specialist as well as a dent in your insurance premiums.
Kinda funny video by the museum of the obvious. Experiment #5 The obvious invention of the football helmet.
Kind of funny I guess.
But seriously, as I outlined in a previous posting about the origins of the football helmet, the first “football helmet” was designed by a shoemaker for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves. Turns out the Admiral was knock, knock, knocking on heavens door if he sustained one more serious head injury.
In his battle to dodge death and some tacklers, Reeves commissioned said shoemaker to fashion him up a total piece of crap made out of moleskin.
However, the real breakthrough in helmet history wasn’t until 1917 when a man named Bob Zuppke, a coach from Illinois, came up with the idea of ’suspension’. He put together a helmet that cradled the skull away from its leather shell, and in effect, away from the detriment of football’s battery. Here, he used straps of fabric to form a pattern inside the helmet while absorbing and distributing impact. Even better, ventilation was created, allowing the head to breathe while amplifying its protection. It was at this point that Rawlings and Spalding, football entrepreneurs of the millennium entered the picture.
After much thought and design, Vern McMillan introduced a face mask, the final stage of the leather helmet’s production. Fastened in the 1930s, it was a simple rubber-covered wire mask attached to the face of the leather helmet. Meant to put an end to the horrendous amount of broken noses and teeth resulting from the game, it produced another problem. Men soon grabbed at each others masks, forcing penalties because of their intimidation attempts.
Hey everyone. I just wanted to expound a little more on my review of the Riddell Revolution Helmet.
Found a great video over on youtube and I think you all should watch it. Once again, I have included the transcript as well.
The helmet design was based on extensive research funded by NFL charities. Since the launch of the Revolution, over 3/4 of a million football players have made the switch.
Now the best just got better.
Introducing the Riddell Revolution IQ helmet which combines advanced fitting and a quick-release face guard attachment.
The ideal fit liner system provides unsurpassed comfort and stability by a specially engineered inflation system that when inflated, pivots the true curve back-pad and cradling the rear of the head.
Combined with true curve front padding technology, ideal fit delivers the comfort and security that players demand.
In addition, the Revolution IQ offers a patented quick-release face-guard attachment system. This allows for rapid and easy player access by simply releasing 2 pins.
The combination of these 2 new technologies is the latest offering in state of the art football head protection pioneered by Riddell.
In 2005, Riddell introduced the head impact telemetry system, or H.I.T.S. as part of the revolutionary sideline response system.
The HITS equipped helmet uses on-board sensors and computing power to capture, record, and measure head impact acceleration.
Using wireless technology and special software, data is then transmitted real-time to a sideline computer, giving certified athletic trainers and team doctors extra eyes on the field.
Leading universities, including Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Dartmouth, and many more are using the side line response system for the 2007 college football season.
Now Riddell is offering the same technology previously available as part of the integrated side line response system in an individual helmet.
Introducing, the Revolution IQ HITS. The first individual helmet that has all of the benefits of the Riddell Revolution IQ, plus it monitors and records every significant incident of head impact sustained during a football game or practice.
The system measures the location, magnitude, duration, and direction of head acceleration.
The Revolution IQ HITS brings the field to the training room or home.
Impact data, stored by the helmet, is easy to upload to your P.C.
A simple, interactive web-based application analyzes the data, identifies suspect impacts and then provides a clear call-to action.
Since 1929, Riddells proud history has been built on our passionate quest to improve athlete protection and out drive to advance state of the art technologies in athletic equipment.
This tradition continues with the new Revolution IQ.”
What do you guys think? Sounds like it’s still a winner even today. Many comments over at youtube by people who say they love the Revolution.
I did a little comparison between the Riddell Revolution and the Schutt ION 4D. Tell me what you think.
Football helmets are an essential accessory for playing football, that’s a given and we all know that…right?
Ok, so…how do you buy a football helmet? I don’t mean this simplistically. We all know HOW to buy stuff. I mean, how do we choose the right helmet sizing and what not for the helmet we’re going to purchase?
The sizing charts of helmets should be the very first thing you look at. More often than not, the seller of the helmet will discuss the dimensions you’re looking for and should they should test the helmet for the perfect fit and comfort. Facial and head injuries cannot and will not be avoided if you do not purchase the correctly fitted football equipment. Try to avoid “package deals” on football equipment because most of the time these come one size fits (whatever) and you generally can’t customize your set-up. I personally think it’s best to purchase each piece of equipment seperately so that each piece is fitted specifically to size. If you’re buying your gear from the same seller, ask for a discount on multiple pieces, but like I said…avoid package deals as your customization options will be limited.
How do I measure for the proper sized football helmet?
The standard measurement of a football helmet is to have it measured one inch above the eyebrows. The jaw should also be measured for the chin strap to fit perfectly. Cushion pads are also included in football helmets designed to protect the jaw, nose, and the face. The pads which can be half to an inch thick depending on the player’s preferred firmness of the pads. These helmets also undergo certain standards, so buyers should look for seals like the NOCSAE seal (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) just to be sure that you’re buying the right helmet.
There are also very important factors when selecting the perfect football helmet. Even the smallest details like the haircut of the player should be taken note of, because having a wad of hair as compared to shaving all the hair off can make a great deal of difference to the player’s safety. The dampness of hair should also be considered, because players sweat it out during a football game, and you’ll never know when the football helmet can come off. The perfect fit should not be tight and not too loose. If you start out in your helmet with longer hair and then decide to get your head shaved, you will probably need to get a new helmet because you have just made your helmet too big for your head.
Generally, there are two types of helmets: those with face masks known as closed cage masks, and open cage masks. Different players use different types of masks. Closed cage masks usually have four vertical lines that cover the nose up to the chin. For example, a quarterback would use a different type of face mask than an interior lineman. Some helmets have also upgraded to air systems, which provide more comfort for the player’s head. Each football player needs a different type of helmet.
During the early days, most helmets are made of leather. At present, helmets for sale are made up of molded polycarbonate alloy, which is also the material used for making protective gear for astronauts. This allows better protection to avoid head trauma during intense games. This type of material also has outstanding shock absorbing qualities so players are protected while playing on the field.
The price range varies depending on the brand and type of football helmet. Football helmets are very wise investments and a football player cannot go out the field without this protective gear. This is why football players should splurge on these helmets and make sure they are safe while playing their sport.
How are football helmets made?
This morning after class, I found a pretty cool video on YouTube. The original is from the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made” series.
Here is the direct link to the video over at the Discovery Channel.
How Football Helmets Are Made
Or just watch it below. Enjoy 
I’ve also included the full transcript for the video for you to read along:
To make one, plastic pellets are suctioned into a machine that melts and molds them into a dome shape.
This fist-like device shapes the inside of the shell which hardens in just a matter of seconds.
A robot then collects it and tranfers it to a conveyor.
It’s quite a line-up.
The shells move into position for a trimming and the extra plastic from the molding is clipped off.
Next, a robot drills up to nine holes in the shell.
The holes will be used to attach a liner, face-guard, and various pieces of hardware.
This robot works far more quickly than a human can…performing all the drilling in just 30 seconds!
This is the ultimate in computerized precision.
A worker collects the drilled shell and moves a new one into position for the robot.
The outside of the helmet shell is roughed up with an orbital sander.
This preps it for priming and painting.
This factory uses a high grade brand of automotive paint and it takes three coats to make sure this paint job is rugged enough to survive a go on the gridiron.
The helmets cure in the open-air for up to eighteen hours.
During this time, a chemical reaction hardens the paint to a glossy finish.
Not every helmet is painted. Some teams prefer tinted plastic.
It all depends on the look the team is going for.
Labels are attached, including safety information, trademark logos, and the date of production.
This padding is made of vinyl and foam. Workers snap it in place in the crown of the helmet.
The padding for the side and back is made from the same material.
The back is reinforced with a plastic bumper.
A helmet from each production run undergoes an impact test.
It’s fitted on a head shaped form equipped with sensors which are carefully calibrated.
The technician presses a button and the helmeted head falls.
This mimics the effects of a players head hitting the ground during a tackle.
The computer then measures the force of the impact on the head.
Once the production run gets the okay, the face-guard is attached.
It’s made of plastic coated steel and has been custom produced at a different factory.
There are dozens of face-guard styles for the player to choose from.
This helmet is now looking pretty fierce, but it’s not ready for action yet.
It needs a chin strap and cup.
This machine uses heat to transfer a foil logo onto the polyester chin straps.
It also cuts them to the correct length.
Once a chin cup has been sewn to the strap; the assembly is loosely fastened to the helmet.
Later, it will be precisely fitted to the players head.
This helmet is now almost ready for kick-off.
Theirs a final inspection and then they wrap it up, complete with a manual and fitting instructions.
It’s taken less than a day to manufacture a football helmet that can withstand thousands of blows because in the game of football, protection against
head injury is a victory in itself.
Let’s start from the bottom up, shall we?
By bottom up I mean the youth helmets up to the big boys.
So your son or daughter (yea, I said it) wants to play football? Chances are, unless you’re from a broken town with a run-down athletics program, your team will provide a helmet for your child to use. Let’s say you’re not feeling to safe with the helmets they’re giving out (and rightfully so, the effectiveness of a helmet decreases after just one full contact game!)
You might wanna take a look at the things being done over at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (a town that knows football).
They recently completed a study which spanned 3 long years with over 2,000 highschool football players. Their findings show, without question, the Riddel Revolution helmet provides exceptionally better protection for football players than any other.
Players wearing the Revolution helmet were 31% less likely to suffer a concussion compared to athletes who wore traditional helmets. For young players that have yet to experience a concussion, they were 41% less likely to have a concussion while wearing the Revolution.
Watch a Riddel helmet being made.
These helmets were built around highschool ballers needs. You can rest assured these helmets will do more than their share to protect your child’s precious little dome-piece.
Football equipment, top to bottom, not just helmets, should never be compromised. If you disagree, please, fill me on why in the world you would send your child out in untested, questionable and used football gear? To save a couple bucks? Because you think your school district gives a damn? Do yourself, your family and especially your child a favor; do your research and ask questions before you send him or her out onto the field in subpar football equipment.
Learn more about the Riddell Revolution IQ.
For starters; check to make sure all hardware and the face mask is made from stainless steel. I mean ALL of it. If not, toss it and keep shopping.
Of course, you’re going to want a face-mask that is appropriate for the position your child is going to be playing.
And secondly, make sure the helmet meets NOCSAE Standards – NOCSAE stands for the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, a voluntary organization that has developed standards for a variety of sports protective equipment. Any helmet that bears the NOCSAE seal shows the manufacturer has met the standards at the time the helmet was manufactured.
Everything else outside of that such as material used for the shell and the thickness of the padding is not to be worried about because, if it meets NOCSAE standards, you will know the helmet was made properly. And last but not least, check for a warranty. Three-years on the shell means the manufacturer stands behind their product.
So what about the big boys?
If you’re an NFL or even college player and you came across this site in search of advice on a good football helmet, you probably don’t have a lot of faith in the powers that be for your league. If you genuinely are looking for some advice on the kind of helmet to purchase if you’re purchasing your own, my recommendation gets thrown to the Schutt ION 4D Adult Football Helmet. This baby is the ultimate in protection with Skydex 2 Thermoplastic Urethane Cushioning (TPU) and the exclusive Energy Wedge shock absorber. The advanced Skydex 2 cushioning system features 3-D cushioning which conforms to the shell more closely eliminating breaks, meaning better protection. As opposed to the foam padding found in older traditional helmets, TPU Cushioning performs equally well at higher temperatures, does not take a compression set, eliminates the break-in period for the helmet and, unlike, is highly resistant to mold, bacteria and mildew. The exclusive ION 4D Energy Wedge absorbs up to 15% more energy from impacts to the facemask.
The ION 4D provides unsurpassed comfort and fit with the two-piece SUREFIT inflatable air liner, making this football’s best fitting helmet. Other features include an unobstructed wide view for better field vision, large ventilation holes for maximum air flow and unique chinstrap integration for the ultimate protection. This football helmet includes a soft and hard cup chin strap and universal jaw pads but does not come with a face mask. Ideal for top high school, collegiate and pro players who need the best protection and performance from their helmet. And yea, it fully meets and exceeds NOCSAE football equipment standards.
As always, I welcome opposing views and opinions.
Until later