![]() The 1920s marked the first time that helmets were widely used in the sport of football. Ear flaps also had their downfall during this period as they had little ventilation and made it difficult for players to hear. 1917 marked the first time helmets were raised above the head in an attempt to direct blows away from the top of the head. One innovation from the early 1900s period was hardened leather. Some National Football League players, notably Hall-of-Famer Bill Hewitt, played all or most of their careers without a helmet. At least in professional football, they were optional. Later, helmets were made of padded leather and resembled aviators' helmets or modern day scrum caps. Reeves had been advised by a Navy doctor that another kick to his head would result in "instant insanity" or even death, so he commissioned an Annapolis shoemaker to make him a helmet out of leather. Reeves (later to become the "Father of Carrier Aviation"), who had a protective device for his head made out of mole skin to allow him to play in the 1893 Army–Navy game. Many sources give credit for the creation of the helmet to James Naismith, while other sources credit U.S. It is not certain who invented the football helmet. ![]() One of the first instances of football headgear dates to 1896 when Lafayette College halfback George "Rose" Barclay began to use straps and earpieces to protect his ears. History įootball team, turn of the 20th century Invention A recent focus on improving player safety through better helmet designs has started reducing the total number of concussions. Football helmets present a unique design challenge because, unlike bicycle helmets, which are thrown out after a single hit, football helmets need to withstand multiple impacts. In addition to the acute concern about traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, studies have found players increase their risk for long-term problems such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Despite lower rates of some injuries, serious traumas to the head are still common, and determining the consequences of these traumas is an active area of research. Although they are protective, players can and do still suffer head injuries such as concussions.įootball helmets have changed dramatically with the modernization of the sport to facilitate technological changes and to improve the safety of the game. Helmets are a requirement at all levels of organized football, except for non-tackle variations such as flag football. Each position has a different type of face mask to balance protection and visibility, and some players add polycarbonate visors to their helmets, which are used to protect their eyes from glare and impacts. It consists of a hard plastic shell with thick padding on the inside, a face mask made of one or more plastic-coated metal bars, and a chinstrap. The football helmet is a piece of protective equipment used mainly in gridiron football, although a structural variation has occasional use in Australian rules football. The helmet used by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1997 to 2013
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