Guidelines for properly fitting football helmets have been issued. The guidelines, believed to be the first protocol of their kind, were presented as part of a research paper presented to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine meeting in San Francisco in February 2012 which found that making sure that football helmets fit properly, and that those with air bladder linings are properly inflated, may be two of the simplest but most effective ways to minimize the risk of concussion and catastrophic brain injury in the sport.*
"As we look at preventing concussions and minimizing risk, it is important to realize that it is the responsibility of the athletic director and head football coach to have policies that: Insure that each player has a properly-fitted helmet and that a responsible adult supervises and oversees proper helmet air bladder inflation on a weekly basis," said Joseph Torg, MD, lead author of the paper and a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, who developed the guidelines with the assistance of Paul Kelly, Athletic Equipment Supervisor at Temple University and a certified member of the Athletic Equipment Manager's Association.
The guidelines recognize, as a preliminary matter, that:
Step1. Prepare Helmets
Before beginning any helmet fitting session, all the helmets should be properly prepared.
Step 2. Obtain Athlete Information
Ask if athlete has ever had any prior concussions or a broken nose. Find out what kind of helmet was worn before and if there were any issues. Ask how did it fit and how it felt? Check for any physical abnormalities on athlete's head.
Step 3. Measure Head
Using a cloth tape measure, begin at the side of the head and wrap around about 1 inch above the eyebrow and around the occipital lobe to obtain head circumference to determine
Helmet size.
Step 4. Select Helmet and Fit
This is based on product knowledge and information from the last 2 steps. There will be variance.
Step 5. Chinstrap
The chinstrap simply keeps the helmet on the head while playing. The
chinstrap is not a means to adjust the fit of the helmet. With the cup
centered on the chin, the front or high should first be adjusted and
buckled followed by the rear or low hook straps.
There should be equal tension on all the straps.
Step 6. Check Fit
Step 7. Maintenance
Final steps
When you have completed the fitting, ask whether the athlete is comfortable with the helmet, and let the athlete know that you are pleased with the fit. Record all pertinent information about the athlete's helmet and be sure it is specifically distinguished for the respective athlete.
Be sure to explain to the athlete what you are doing through each step and why. This serves 2 purposes. The athlete's trust in you is reinforced and will be confident not worrying about getting hurt when playing. More importantly it educates the athlete to quicker troubleshoot any problems that may occur with the helmet.
For more information, please visit www.AEMA1.com.
Need an expert to speak about football helmet safety? Ask Brooke de Lench the Producer/Director of THE SMARTEST TEAM: Making High School Football Safer (PBS 2013) - delench@MomsTEAM.com [2]
*Important note: Dr. Torg's research paper, while presented to a respected sports medicine organization, was never published in a peer-reviewed journal. While there are numerous reasons why a research paper is never published, it is possible that the paper could not pass the rigorous scientific scrutiny such journals demand before publication, and thus his findings should be viewed with caution, especially since MomsTEAM is not aware of anything in the medical literature replicating his findings.
Posted February 12, 2012; revised November 12, 2014
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/node/2904
[2] mailto:delench@MomsTEAM.com
[3] https://www.momsteam.com/node/6245
[4] https://www.momsteam.com/properly-fitted-football-helmet-simple-but-effective-way-to-reduce-concussion-risk-say-researchers
[5] https://www.momsteam.com/sports/new-rule-2012-high-school-football-players-must-sit-out-one-play-when-helmet-comes-off
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/basic_information_football_helmets_reconditioning_recertification_concussion
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/sports/old-football-helmets-will-no-longer-be-reconditioned
[8] https://www.momsteam.com/2014-Virginia-Tech-Star-football-helmet-ratings-helpful-but-view-with-caution
[9] https://www.momsteam.com/nocsae/equipment-group-issues-warning-athletes-parents-about-concussion-claims