All Topics  
Association football headgear

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Association football headgear
 
 
  Topics Association football headgear Topic Home

Association football headgear is worn by association football (soccer) players to protect the head from injury
Injury

Injury or bodily injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or Purpose of the body caused by an outside wiktionary:agent or force, which may be physical or chemical....
. The headgear is designed to absorb the impact of blows to the head by external physical forces in order to reduce the chance of a concussion. These collisions can occur from head to head, head to ground, head to goal post, or head to body extremity contact. It is flexible, not a rigid helmet
Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries, a variation of the hat. The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows....
.

e "soccer is one of a few sports in which the head is intentionally and frequently used to strike the ball", a uniquely designed form headgear was created.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Association football headgear'
Start a new discussion about 'Association football headgear'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Association football headgear is worn by association football (soccer) players to protect the head from injury
Injury

Injury or bodily injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or Purpose of the body caused by an outside wiktionary:agent or force, which may be physical or chemical....
. The headgear is designed to absorb the impact of blows to the head by external physical forces in order to reduce the chance of a concussion. These collisions can occur from head to head, head to ground, head to goal post, or head to body extremity contact. It is flexible, not a rigid helmet
Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries, a variation of the hat. The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows....
.

Function and structure

Since "soccer is one of a few sports in which the head is intentionally and frequently used to strike the ball", a uniquely designed form headgear was created. A plastic helmet
Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries, a variation of the hat. The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows....
 as in other sports would not suffice since they are bulky and may consist of uneven surfaces; this would make ball control off a header nearly impossible. Most soccer headgear is made from foam
Foam

The most general definition of foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gas bubbles in a liquid or solid. It can also refer to anything that is analogous to such a phenomenon, such as quantum foam....
 that will cushion the head from the full force of the impact. The softness of the foam will increase the time of impact and lessen the blow without altering the direction and distance of the ball as it rebounds off the head.

Types of headgear

ASTM International
ASTM International

ASTM International , originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services....
 (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) set a product performance standard for headgear in soccer in 2006. This standard does not address head to ball contact, solely head to hard surface contact. There are currently two headguards that meet the ASTM soccer headgear standard, the DonJoy Hat Trick and the Full90 Sports Premier-A. Both comply with FIFA
FIFA

The F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by its acronym, FIFA , is the international sport governing body of association football....
, the U.S. Soccer Federation, and the National Federation of State High School Associations
National Federation of State High School Associations

The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States....
 (NFSH).

DonJoy Hat Trick

The DonJoy Hat Trick is composed of a Lycra outer fabric layer to conform to the head as well as an inner liner Coolmax
Coolmax

Coolmax is the brand name of a series of technical fabrics designed to capillary action moisture away from the skin. The fabrics employ specially-engineered polyester fibres to improve "breathability" compared to natural fibres like cotton....
 fabric to increase moisture evaporation, keeping the head cool. Impact-absorbing foam covers the forehead and temple areas. It has four adjustable straps around the occipital lobe
Occipital lobe

The occipital lobe is the Visual perception of the mammalian brain containing most of the anatomical region of the visual cortex. The primary visual cortex is Brodmann area, commonly called V1 ....
 region of the head. ()

Full90 Sports Premier

The Full90 Sports Premier uses ForceBloc foam to cover the forehead and occipital regions. It utilizes the Coolmax system to reduce moisture build-up. An X-band design is used with cross-straps to fasten the headguard through lightweight technology. ()

Head Blast Soccer Band

The Head Blast tm Soccer Band is a layered band comprised of moisture wicking first layer followed by force attenuating foam, plastic, more force attenuating foam, your team logo layer, and very clear plastic outer layer. It is very comfortable and well liked by the players. ()

Other brands

Other available headgear products include Kangaroo Soccer Headgear, Headers, and Protector.

Headgear studies

Injury to the head can occur from repeatedly making contact with the ball through headers or from a single blow. The danger of this trauma is especially significant to children because their bodies are not fully developed and may not be able to counteract a blow to the head. Minor trauma similar to pugilistic dementia may occur from repetitively heading the ball. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that headgear does not help reduce the impact on the head from ball contact. This is because a human head is stiffer than the soccer ball. On impact, the ball will deform more than the head. However, studies in 2006 by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the University of Pennsylvania found no link between brain injuries and routinely heading the ball. Because of this, the aim of wearing headgear turned to preventing accidental head on head collisions between players on the pitch
Football pitch

A football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play"....
. It was found that there is an overall 33% reduction of impact force on the head from head to head impacts when headgear is used. The U.S. Soccer Federation sees that protective headgear in soccer can provide measurable benefit in head to head contact, and permits players to wear headgear at their own discretion until more conclusive evidence is obtained.

See also (other equipment)

  • Kit (association football)
  • Shin guard
    Shin guard

    A shin guard, shin pad or sport greave is a piece of equipment commonly used in ice hockey, roller hockey, Football , baseball and other sports where it is deemed necessary....
    s
  • Soccer cleats on football boot
    Football boot

    Football Boots are an item of footwear worn when playing association football. Those designed for grass Football pitch have cleat on the bottom to aid traction....
    s