February 12, 2025
A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has revealed that soft-shell helmet covers do not reduce concussions for Wisconsin high school football players.
What You Need to Know
- Soft-shell helmet covers do not reduce concussions for Wisconsin high school football players, according to a new study
- Over 2,600 Wisconsin high school football players were included in the study, which was conducted during the 2023 football season
- A total of 64 concussions were sustained during practices in the study. Of these, 33 were from players wearing the caps and 31 were from those not wearing them
- The results contradict earlier studies that suggested the extra padding in the caps could reduce the force of an impact to the head
Over 2,600 Wisconsin high school football players were included in the study, which published last week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
During the 2023 football season, researchers followed players on 41 Wisconsin high school teams. Some were given the soft-shell helmet covers, known as the Football Guardian Cap XT, to wear during practice, while others were not. The caps were not worn during games for the study.
Researchers said when they compared the concussion rates for those who wore them and those who didn’t, there were no statistical differences. A total of 64 concussions were sustained during practices in the study. Of these, 33 were from players wearing the caps and 31 were from those not wearing them.
“Unfortunately, we found that using these devices may provide false reassurance to players and their parents who are hoping to reduce their kids’ risk of concussion,” said Dr. Erin Hammer, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in a release.
The results contradict earlier studies that suggested the extra padding in the caps could reduce the force of an impact to the head, researchers said. The study is also only one of very few real-world studies on the topic.
“Given the size of our study, it seems that if Guardian Caps did protect against sports-related concussions in high school players, we would have seen that result,” Hammer said.
However, Hammer cautioned applying the findings to college or professional players because those players wear a different, thicker model of the device.
Athletic trainers for the teams in the study were the ones assessing head injuries and keeping track of other factors. That included keeping track of helmet models, cap use and the number of times a player practiced or played in a football game.
Brand of the helmet, experience in tackle football and playing surface also had no impact on a players’ concussion rate, the study found.
Given the results of the study, researchers offered several data-backed suggestions to reduce head injury rates.
They said hiring athletic trainers and supporting rule changes that will limit contact during practices are two interventions that may be beneficial, as studies have shown this reduces concussions by 64%. Researchers also recommended football safety training for coaches, which has been proven to halve rates. Adding extra jaw padding for helmets was another recommendation.