A football helmet is a type of protective headgear used mainly in gridiron football, although a structural variation has occasional use in Australian rules football. 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. 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. Helmets are a requirement at all levels of organized football, except for non-tackle variations such as flag football. Although they are protective, players can and do still suffer head injuries such as concussions.
Football helmets have changed dramatically with the modernization of the sport to facilitate technological changes and to improve the safety of the game. 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. 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).[1] 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. A recent focus on improving player safety through better helmet designs has started reducing the total number of concussions.[2]