A study by the New York Times found that 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-Wee to the pros, has not been changed meaningfully since it was first published in 1973.


A meeting held last week included experts in the biomechanics of concussion, 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 NOCSAE to pursue an updated standard or at least to inform 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, OH. 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.