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Change in Size and Impact Performance of Football Helmets from the 1970s to 2010

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Abstract

Linear impactor tests were conducted on football helmets from the 1970s–1980s to complement recently reported tests on 1990s and 2010s helmets. Helmets were placed on the Hybrid III head with an array of accelerometers to determine translational and rotational acceleration. Impacts were at four sites on the helmet shell at 3.6–11.2 m/s. The four generations of helmets show a continuous improvement in response from bare head impacts in terms of Head Injury Criterion (HIC), peak head acceleration and peak rotational acceleration. Helmets of 2010s weigh 1.95 ± 0.2 kg and are 2.7 times heavier than 1970s designs. They are also 4.3 cm longer, 7.6 cm higher, and 4.9 cm wider. The extra size and weight allow the use of energy absorbing padding that lowers forces in helmet impacts. For frontal impacts at 7.4 m/s, the four best performing 2010s helmets have HIC of 148 ± 23 compared to 179 ± 42 for the 1990s baseline, 231 ± 27 for the 1980s, 253 ± 22 for the 1970s helmets, and 354 ± 3 for the bare head. The additional size and padding of the best 2010s helmets provide superior attenuation of impact forces in normal play and in conditions associated with concussion than helmets of the 1970s–1990s.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this research was provided by the National Football League. SIRC has previous and ongoing relationships with some of the helmet manufacturers, NOCSAE and others. These were acknowledged at the onset. The testing reported here was completed while the lead author was a member of the NFL’s MTBI Committee and oversaw the evaluations. The views presented here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the sponsor or any helmet manufacturer. The impact testing and data were collected by Ms. Elizabeth McCalley at SIRC; her assistance is greatly appreciated. The data was analyzed by ProBiomechanics LLC without the involvement of SIRC. Dr. Chantal Parenteau merged, tabulated and analyzed the data at ProBiomechanics LLC; her assistance is also greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ProBiomechanics LLC, 265 Warrington Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48304, USA

    David C. Viano

  2. College of Engineering, Sports Biomechanics Impact Research Lab, University of Tennessee, 416 East Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    David Halstead

  3. Southern Impact Research Center, LLC, 304 Dunavant Drive, Rockford, TN, 37853, USA

    David Halstead

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  1. David C. Viano
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  2. David Halstead
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Correspondence to David C. Viano.

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Associate Editor Stefan M. Duma oversaw the review of this article.

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Viano, D.C., Halstead, D. Change in Size and Impact Performance of Football Helmets from the 1970s to 2010. Ann Biomed Eng 40, 175–184 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-011-0395-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-011-0395-1

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