Association football headgear

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Association football headgear is worn by association football players to protect the head from injury. The headgear is designed to absorb the impact of blows to the head by external physical forces in order to reduce the chance of a concussion,[1] a noteworthy example in international football being Czech goalkeeper Petr Čech from Chelsea. These collisions can occur from head to head, head to ground, head to goal post, or head to body extremity contact. It is flexible, not a rigid helmet.

Function and structure

Since "soccer is one of a few sports in which the head is intentionally and frequently used to strike the ball",[2] a uniquely designed form of headgear was created. A plastic helmet as in other sports would not suffice since they are bulky and may consist of uneven surfaces; this would make ball control off a header nearly impossible. Most soccer headgear is made from foam that will cushion the head from the full force of the impact. The softness of the foam will increase the time of impact and lessen the blow without altering the direction and distance of the ball as it rebounds off the head.[2][3]

Types of headgear

U.S. Soccer Federation, and the National Federation of State High School Associations
(NFHS).

Headgear studies

Injury to the head can occur from repeatedly making contact with the ball through headers or from a single blow. The danger of this trauma is especially significant to children because their bodies are not fully developed and may not be able to counteract a blow to the head.

pitch. It was found[by whom?] that there was an overall 33% reduction of impact force on the head from head to head impacts when headgear was used.[5] The U.S. Soccer Federation sees that protective headgear in soccer can provide measurable benefit in head to head contact, and permits players to wear headgear at their own discretion until more conclusive evidence is obtained.[6]

See also (other equipment)

References

  1. ^ "ACTIVE STANDARD: ASTM F2439-06 Standard Specification for Headgear Used in Soccer"[permanent dead link]. ASTM International. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  2. ^ a b c d (May 2002). "Soccer Headgear - US Patent 6389608"[permanent dead link]. Patent Storm. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  3. ^ "Soccer Headgear Fails Impact Tests" Archived October 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Centre for Neuro Skills. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  4. ^ "NFHS Acknowledges Headgear Standard"[non-primary source needed]. Full90 Press Releases. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  5. ^ a b Withnall, Shewchenko, Wonnacott, Dvorak (2005). "Effectiveness of Headgear in Football". British Journal of Sports Medicine 39(1), i40-i48.
  6. ^ a b Martin, Hugo. "Should your soccer player be wearing headgear?", "The Providence Journal", August 20, 2006. Accessed February 20, 2008.

External links

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