
The league insists it wants to be a leader in bucking a trend of dangerous posture and technique at all levels of football. The new rule is part of the NFL's "Way to Play" initiative, an educational series about proper use of the helmet to protect players from unnecessary risk.
Why do NFL teams only have one helmet?
When will the NFL allow helmets?
What is alternate color helmet?
When will alternate helmets be available in 2022?
Can you use a second helmet with a color rush uniform?
Is there a helmet rule in the NFL?
Will the Patriots bring back Pat Patriot?
See 4 more
About this website

Why did they change football helmets?
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.
Why are there different NFL helmets?
That's the NFL's new safety measure and they're called Guardian Caps. The premise is simple. Put extra padding around players' heads to lessen the impact of blows to the helmet, in hopes of further reducing concussions and other negative impacts of on-field collisions.
Is the NFL getting new helmets 2022?
Eight teams created new alternate helmets to pair with their existing color schemes. This includes the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Washinton Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans.
What are the new helmets in the NFL?
The new Riddell Axiom helmet allows players to take another step toward improving the prevention of common football-related brain injuries like CTE. It starts with 3D scans to customize the helmet's shape, and the removal of the top bar on the facemask allows players to have a broader view of the field.
Do NFL players get new helmets every week?
NFL helmets are replaced “as needed”. Every week, every helmet is sent out for X-Ray's. They are checked for cracks and imperfections that could lead to failure. Each helmet is polished and paint touched up if needed as well.
How much does a real NFL helmet cost?
Each helmet costs $950.
Is every NFL team getting an alternate helmet?
2022 will mark the return of alternate helmets after almost a decade, and 13 teams are taking advantage: the Bears, Bengals, Cardinals, Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, Saints and Texans.
When did the NFL get rid of leather helmets?
1949In the mid-1940s, leather helmets were required in the NFL. It wasn't until 1949 that the NFL officially adopted the plastic helmet, ending the leather helmet era. By the mid-50's, single face bars were added to the helmets, and the first appearance of the radio helmet was introduced.
Do NFL players choose their own helmets?
Yes they do! And not only do they have their own helmets, they have the helmet model they like best, it's bought new for them when they join the team, and the manufacturer fits it to their head.
Why is Ezekiel Elliott helmet different?
Often head injuries are not easily predicted, but with this innovation, players can easily avoid serious injuries that can cost them their NFL careers. Elliott has become the first player to wear the Riddell Axiom, which will help combat traumatic brain injuries like CTE.
What NFL team has the coolest helmet?
So let's dive in to these 14 different helmets and rank them.No. 1: New England Patriots throwback “Pat Patriot” ... No. 2: Philadelphia Eagles black alternate. ... No. 3: Cincinnati Bengals “White Bengal” ... No. 4: Carolina Panthers “Dark Side” ... No. 7: Houston Texans “Red Chrome” ... No. 8: New York Giants throwback. ... No. ... No.More items...•
What is the most used helmet in the NFL?
Rovell points out that today's NFL players can wear whichever helmet brand they choose so long as it complies with league standards. According to Rovell, roughly two-thirds of the league currently wears Riddell helmets.
Why do NFL centers have weird helmets?
By Arnie Stapleton. Part of the NFL's safety experiments to reduce head injuries is the expanded use of the padded helmet caps football players have been seen wearing during training camps this summer.
How do NFL players choose their helmets?
The League and the NFL Players Association have set standards for helmet performance and tested every helmet on the market. The ones that passed their tests are available to the players. In the last couple of years, the NFL has been working to get all players to wear the highest-performing helmets. Players, in ge...
Why can't NFL teams have different helmets?
In 2021, the NFL approved rule changes allowing alternate helmets with throwback uniforms. The use of a second helmet was dropped in 2013 over concerns that wearing more than one helmet might not be safe for players.
Can the NFL use different helmets?
The NFL revised its previous one-shell policy on helmets last June, allowing teams to use one alternate helmet look starting with the 2022 season. Fans have been asking for alternate looks for years, and with this policy the league appeases them.
15 Possible Alternate NFL Helmets | Uni Watch
Philadelphia Eagles. There you have it. 15 possible alternate NFL helmets that we may see next year. If interested, here is an interactive link to click around yourself.
Source: Only 15 NFL Teams Adding New Helmets in 2022 - Uni Watch
Also: As you may recall, everyone who collected all 12 of last year’s pins received a bonus “2020 All-Star” pin. We’ll be doing a “collect ’em all” bonus pin this year as well, but we need to know how many of them to make. So if you’ve collected ’em all, please email me with (a) your name and address, and (b) proof that you’ve collected all of this year’s pins.
NFL updates approved helmets list for players to wear in 2021
The saying goes that one must look good to play good. But in the NFL, where safety standards are being challenged and much of the uniform each week is regulated, trusting your protective equipment likely goes just as far in ensuring you play well week in and week out.
When did the NFL start requiring helmets?
However, during all this time, wearing helmets in games was optional. It wasn’t until 1943 that the NFL instituted a rule requiring all players to protect their heads.
When did NFL players wear helmets?
After WWII ended, plastic became more readily available, and in 1949 the NFL mandated that all players wear helmets made of this more durable material. The days of leather helmets were over.
Why did Riddell redesign their helmet?
As a response to the growing body of knowledge speaking to the dangers playing professional football poses to the brain, in 2002, Riddell completely redesigned its helmet to try and make it as effective as possible in reducing concussions. This helmet, the Riddell Revolution, remains one of the most popular helmets in the game, though it has been upgraded several times since it was first invented.
Why do you need to add technology to your helmet?
Many of these upgrades include adding technology to the helmet to track the number of impacts a player receives so that they can better monitor their own health.
When did the NFL ban face masks?
Single bar face masks remained in use until the 1990s, with the NFL officially banning them in 2004.
When did the NFL start making plastic helmets?
It wouldn’t be until 1939 that the John Riddell company would invent and patent the first plastic helmet. 1940s.
When was the NFL helmet made?
Let’s take a closer look at the history of the NFL helmet and how it has evolved over the years. 1920s. This iteration of the NFL helmet was the soft leather style. It was definitely the leanest edition before the league saw the importance of protecting the player’s heads. 1930s.
What was the NFL's headgear made of in the 80s?
The 80s saw the onset of molded polycarbonate shells into NFL headgear. This substance is also included in bike helmets. Why polycarbonate? The website Creative Mechanisms explains:
When did the NFL ban the facemask?
The ’90s saw the continuation of polycarbonate helmets and the addition of the facemask grill, popularized by defensive players. A 1998 rule also required all facemasks to be transparent. 2000s. While it had been a while since anyone outside a punter wore one, in 2004 the NFL formally banned the single bar helmet.
Why did Riddell develop the Revolution helmet?
As concern grew around an increase in concussions, Riddell developed a model known as the “Revolution helmet” designed to reduce the number of concussions players were exposed to. Today. In the modern era, player safety and head injuries are a big topic of conversation.
Why is the chin strap on a football player?
In 2011, the league added an “impact indicator” to the chin strap meant to identify the type and severity of a player’s head injury.
When did facemasks become mandatory?
1960s. By 1962, facemasks became a requirement for every NFL player as the NFL adopted the double bar facemask. This would help decrease the chances of approaching players getting a hand or finger stuck in a player’s mouth or eye. 1970s.
What is the evolution of NFL helmets?
The Evolution Of NFL Helmets, From Leather To Polycarbonate. The protection given by football helmets is serious business, with some companies making just the padding and protection inside, and others designing the perfect protective facemask. Four major brands helm the market, according to the Associated Press : stalwarts Riddell and Schutt, ...
Why is the NFL collecting data on helmets?
Four years ago, the NFL made it a priority to collect data on helmets and head injuries to better track how and when injury-causing incidents occurred, and then shared the data with manufacturers. The NFL in partnership with the NFL Players Association also tests any new helmets to ensure their safety.
What are helmets made of?
Helmets, once made of hardened leather, now are hard polycarbonate shells. Inside, the head is nestled by layers of padding and secured by a chinstrap. Metal bars line the face mask, ensuring even more protection. This is a far cry from the first time that headgear was used in the game.
When was the first plastic helmet invented?
The Riddell Company created the first plastic helmet in 1939, which had a face mask and included extra padding for more protection. The plastic retained its shape during collisions. The NFL began requiring helmets in 1943, according to Sports Rec , and began using the plastic ones 10 years after their invention.
Who invented the helmet?
Whether or not this was the first helmet is under some debate — Joseph M. Reeves, a U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman, wore a moleskin headgear for an 1893 Army-Navy game, and some credit him as the originator. Whoever came up with it, the original will be a far cry from what will be worn during this year's Super Bowl.
When was headgear first used in football?
This is a far cry from the first time that headgear was used in the game. That was 1869 , when halfback George "Rose" Barclay from Lafayette College donned a gadget with straps to cover his ears, reported 2ndSkull.
Why do NFL teams only have one helmet?
The thought processes followed that it was safer for a player to be fitted with one helm et properly than to be shifting in-and-out of different headgear that it couldn't be certain was as safe.
When will the NFL allow helmets?
The NFL sent a memo to clubs Thursday announcing that it will allow teams to wear two different helmets beginning in the 2022 season, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Pro Football Talk first reported the news. The NFL previously permitted teams only one set of helmets for safety reasons.
What is alternate color helmet?
Alternate color helmets must be the same make, model and size as the applicable player's primary helmet. Alternate color helmets must be made available to all players at the start of training camp and should be fit at the same time as the primary helmet.
When will alternate helmets be available in 2022?
Teams must inform the league office of their intent to use an alternate helmet in 2022 by no later than July 31, 2021. So, we'll know this year which teams plan to utilize throwback/alternate helmets in 2022.
Can you use a second helmet with a color rush uniform?
The revised policy allows teams to utilize a second (alternate color) approved helmet to pair with their Alternate, Classic and/or Color Rush uniforms. All uses of alternate helmets must follow the set forth parameters:
Is there a helmet rule in the NFL?
In 2018, the NFL expanded the uniform policy to allow for more jersey options per club but kept the one helmet rule in place, which restricted some clubs' options.
Will the Patriots bring back Pat Patriot?
The Patriots could bring back Pat Patriot on their helmets. And so on. Expect most teams to take advantage of the new rule on some level. That merchandise isn't going to sell itself, after all. Fans have been clamoring for the NFL to allow teams to wear at least one alternate helmet. The new rule will do so.
