A study by The New York Times finds both football helmet
safety standards and helmet safety oversight are not regulated and
largely ineffective, and the standards by which helmets are judged have
not changed despite a drastic increase in the knowledge surrounding
concussions and head injuries.
The newspaper indicated that recent concern over football head injuries prompted officials at the National Organizing Committee for Standards of Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) to meet to analyze possible changes in its helmet testing standards.
NOCSAE's single testing standard, used by all levels of football from pee-wees to professionals, has not been changed meaningfully since it was first published in 1973.
A meeting held Saturday included experts in the biomechanics of concussion, representatives of helmet manufacturers and an official from the Centers for Disease Control, according to the Times. The presentations focused on how concussions occur in football and how helmets might be asked to handle various conditions.
Presenters pushed NOCSAEto pursue an updated standard or at least
tell leagues, players and parents why one cannot be put in place.
An estimated 100,000 concussions are reported each season among high
school players, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus,
Ohio. The article said several times that figure are believed to go unreported or
unrecognized, and given that most tackle football players are under the
age of 14, the annual count of football concussions could approach one
million.
