Use of the Helmet | NFL Football Operations (2024)

FAQs

What is the new NFL helmet rule in 2024? ›

The NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Caps — soft-shell covers used on helmets — in games this upcoming season, the league announced. “There is the option for a player to wear it in a game if he so chooses,” Dawn Aponte, the NFL's chief football administration officer, said in a health and safety webinar Tuesday.

The hard shell spreads or dissipates the impact force over a larger area. Meanwhile the foam inner section also reduces the peak impact by extending the distance of head deceleration – meaning that it takes longer for the head to slow down, which makes the movement less abrupt.

The performance of a football helmet is based on its ability to decrease the force to the head from an impact. A helmet reduces the peak force transferred to the head by temporarily storing or dissipating impact energy.

Rule Summary View Official Rule

It is a foul if a player: lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent; or. uses any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent's head or neck.

It's one of the various forms of unsportsmanlike conduct. The rule includes this language: “Removal of his helmet by a player in the field of play or the end zone during a celebration or demonstration, or during a confrontation with a game official or any other player.” It is not a judgment call.

The Zero2-R Matrix ID Trench helmet from equipment maker Vicis features customized 3D-printed padding instead of foam that the NFL's own testing lab has rated as the best player head protection available in 2023.

There is greater attention to head-related injuries and concussions in American football. The helmet's structural safety and the way that football players use their helmets are important in preventing head injuries.

With a helmet on, the duration of the collision is spread out, meaning less damaging force at a given instant. You can thank the foam inside the helmet for this dispersion of force. BURKS: These foams are made out of chemicals, like vinyl nitrile or ethylene vinyl acetate.

Your friend is right: No helmet can prevent concussions. There's no way to keep the brain from moving inside the skull. If you hit your head hard enough, your brain can bang into the hard bone and cause a concussion. Some "special" sports helmets and other new products claim that they can protect you from concussions.

As Mahomes scrambled toward the goal line midway through the third quarter Saturday night, Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott collided with him head-to-head. The front of Mahomes's helmet cracked, and a fragment of the red outer covering broke off and floated to the ground.

Why did the NFL change the helmet rule? ›

The NFL has adjusted its rules to allow players the option of using Guardian Caps in regular-season games to enhance their protection against head injuries, the league confirmed Friday. The padded headgear was mandated for players at certain positions during training camp in 2022 and 2023.

What's the one-helmet rule? The NFL has always established strict rules on the league. The one-helmet rule was set in 2013, requiring players to wear the same helmet for practice and play. This rule was created, concerning the endangerment of players suffering from concussions and other play-related injuries.

Yes, NFL players can request specific helmet models that suit their preferences and needs. However, the league has safety standards and certification requirements that all helmets must meet before they can be used on the field.

Twelve new helmet models are eligible for players to wear for the 2024 season. There will also be more position-specific helmets available to players, with eight new position-specific models introduced this season. These helmets are designed to mitigate impacts more likely to be sustained by individual positions.

The new models are Riddell's SpeedFlex Precision QB and the Axiom 3D QB. The Vicis Zero2-R Trench for offensive and defensive linemen was the first position-specific helmet introduced in 2022. Overall, a record 12 new helmet models were approved by the NFL and the players' union for the 2024 season.