NFL Helmet Laboratory Testing

With
massive bodies bumping into one another, American football is an exhilarating
contact sport. The obvious ramifications, of course, are the bloody damage
these collisions do to the players’ brains and bodies. Since the first former
NFL player was found to have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a degenerative
brain disease, back in 2000, both the medical community and the NFL industry
have come far to start accepting the impact of repeated hits to the head.

And
that’s why both the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) started to carry out
laboratory tests to ensure players are fitted with only the NFL helmets that
can reduce the severity of concussion-causing impacts.

According
to Helmet Hunt, NFL
Helmets lab tests are evaluations of NFL helmets by a team of biomedical
engineers appointed jointly by the NFL and NFLPA. Usually, various NFL helmets
brands are exposed to simulated series of trauma-causing impacts NFL players
sustain during games. Here’s what is the NFL Helmet Lab Test is all about?

To assess the relative performance of various NFL
helmet models

The
NFL/NFLPA helmets study is not the only one; the National Operating Committee
on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) already issues certification to
helmets that pass a minimum level of safety. But where the NFL/NFLPA study
excels it goes a mile further to rank the RELATIVE performance of various NFL
helmets.

The
NFL/NFLPA study uses some unique metrics to simulate concussion-causing
impacts. According to Dr Jeff Crandall, who is Chairman of the NFL Engineering
Committee, the team starts by looking at subsets of concussions NFL players
sustain in the field. They then take a look at the players involved: their
speeds, location of impact, head, and neck orientation. They then recreate
these using dummies and impactors in the lab.

The ranking does not take into account fitness
retention and durability

The
NFL/NFLPA helmet performance ranking is only for the helmets that can best
reduce the severity of the concussion, causing impacts. Issues to do with
helmet fit, retention, and durability are not factored in.

On-field performance of various helmet brands

Apart
from lab tests, the NFL still carries out an annual survey of helmets that are
in use by players. The data on concussion per play for various helmet models
helps rank the on-field performance of helmets NFL players are wearing.

So far, the data shows that NFL helmets lab test ranking positively correlates with on-field performance. Here’s what the NFL/NFLPA study has revealed so far.

Results from the NFL/NFLPA Helmet Study

In 2019,
the NFL/NFLPA tested 34 helmet models currently in use by 99 % of NFL players.
Of the 34 helmets, 11 were newer models, and the following are the findings.

· The NFL
industry shows improvement in design and engineering technology. 6 out of the
11 new helmets were ranked among the top 10 best NFL helmets models.

·
Year-to-Year statistics showed that 50 percent of NFL players had upgraded to
top-performing helmets after seeing the previous year’s NFL/NFLPA helmet model
ranking.

· 74 % of
NFL players now use top-performing helmet brands, and on-field assessment
reveals they suffered a lower rate of concussions.

· The
NFL/NFLPA has prohibited 11 helmet models. Most of these are from the Rawlings,
Schutt, and SG brand. Currently, 32 NFL players use these helmet models, and
they are encouraged to get a high-performing model.

There’s
no agenda in the NFL/NFLPA helmet study. The risk of brain-related injury due
to on-field collisions is high in the NFL. The NFL lab tests are carried out by
Biokinetics Inc, an independent helmet testing lab. Statistics assessments are
also carried out by an independent statistician. All NFL players, coaching
staff, medical team, etc. are encouraged to share the findings.

Lastly,
remember that the NFL/NFLPA study only uses a subset of concussion-causing
impacts usually sustained by NFL players; the results are therefore not to be
extrapolated for high school, youth, or college football!

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