WTOV 9 (Steubenville, OH)
October 31, 2024
Rule changes and equipment technology have transformed the game of football, with an emphasis on player safety, especially when it comes to keeping your head in the game.
The National Football League implemented the mandatory use of additional head protection for all players in training camps for the 2024 season called guardian caps.
According to the league, the gear can reduce the severity of impact by up to 20 percent. And it’s actually equipment that has been around for more than a decade.
Players are allowed to wear the caps in games, as the NFL hopes to create a model for improved protection.
“We’re learning to train our players differently,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Coaches are adjusting. I think the real trick for us is to share that with every level of football, and frankly every level of sports. When we develop new helmets, it ought to be available to every level of sports.”
The NFL shares health and safety data across the country, which helps local programs – like Division II Wheeling University — make decisions.
The Cardinals have a variety of safety measures, including guardian caps specific position groups are required to wear in practice, and around 20 of the new Axiom helmets from Riddell that have an improved visual field, sensors, and are custom scanned and fitted for players.
“They’re all pretty top of the lines when it comes to the safety standards,” Wheeling University Head Coach Zac Bruney said. “But of course, the safer they are, the more expensive they can get.”
Balancing the budget in smaller programs can become an obstacle to still ensure player safety is the top priority. Wheeling Park High School also has several of the $750 Axiom helmets, but its main focus is on installing impact sensors in every helmet to measure the location and force of impacts.
“Our athletic trainer has a sensor, it notifies him. He can pull that player out of the game, take a look at him and determine if he can continue to play, or if he needs to step away from the game at that moment,” Wheeling Park Head Coach Chris Daugherty said.
“Technology has changed so much, we want to use it as much as we can with our kids and keep them safe.”
When it comes to helmets and equipment, the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment creates many of the standards that various leagues follow. As long as the equipment has met these standards, it’s up to the player’s preference for their gear.
“I think the more comfortable a guy feels, the safer he probably feels, of course.” Bruney said. “Which allows him to play the game at the highest speed possible for his position.”
“I think the best helmets can be as good as helmets that they might be more comfortable in that they’ve worn for many years,” Goodell said. “But if they’re going to wear the guardian, that’s OK with us.”