NFL ENTERS NEXT ERA OF HELMET SAFETY WITH QUARTERBACK-SPECIFIC HELMET
As part of the release of their annual helmet testing results, the NFL and NFLPA announced that a quarterback-specific helmet will be available for the first time during the 2023 season. Half of all quarterback concussions occur when their helmets hit the ground. This helmet will reduce the severity of those specific impacts. The VICIS ZERO2 MATRIX QB performed 7% better in quarterback-specific testing than the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season.
Helmets designed for the experiences of specific position groups are the latest innovation in the advancement of helmet technology. Position-specific helmet designs consider the unique locations and speeds of head impacts for each position group to offer players more customized protection. The league shares a wide range of game impact data with helmet manufacturers to inform their enhanced designs, including data from mouthguard sensors and advanced video footage. Position-specific testing will be extended to additional positions in the coming years.
The addition of a QB-specific helmet follows the introduction of an offensive and defensive linemen-specific helmet in the 2021 season. Two OL and DL-specific helmets now lead the 2023 NFL-NFLPA helmet rankings.
“Helmets customized to the unique experiences of a position group promotes player safety,” said Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President, Player Health and Safety. “This is the next evolution in a rapidly advancing market for improved helmets. We’re proud to share the data necessary to design and build better equipment.”
The NFL and NFLPA’s release of their annual helmet laboratory testing results demonstrate continued helmet safety innovation. Jointly appointed biomechanical engineers ranked 50 helmet models, including three new models. Two of the new models ranked in the “Top-Performing” group, continuing a rate of improvement in helmet performance that has increased by nine times since before the start of the helmet testing program in 2015.
Seven helmets that were in the “top-performing” group in 2020 are now “newly-prohibited” for the season ahead.
On the 2023 poster, the top-performing helmets in the laboratory testing are shown in a gradient of green, with darker green helmets performing better than lighter green helmets, and helmets in yellow performing worse than the green helmets. The red helmets are the newly prohibited group.
More than 99% of players wore “top-performing” helmets last season. As part of an NFL-NFLPA policy, “not recommended” and “newly-prohibited” helmets may only be worn by players who wore those helmets during the 2022 NFL season. No players will be permitted to wear the “newly-prohibited” models starting in the 2024 season.
Evidence of helmet innovation extends beyond the 2023 rankings recently released, as demonstrated by the three awardees of the NFL Helmet Challenge, a $3 million competition designed to accelerate helmet performance and safety for NFL players.
The awardees – Kollide, Xenith, and Impressio – submitted helmet prototypes that demonstrate it is possible to both exceed performance of existing commercially available helmets while also decreasing helmet weight. The helmets drew recognition from the NFL Head Health Tech Helmet Challenge Committee, which includes experts in biomechanics and sports equipment safety, including engineers, scientists, and researchers.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
