The NFL, in conjunction with the NFLPA, will ban and phase out 10 different helmet models for use by players. Previously if a helmet met National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, it automatically received NFL approval to use on field. The 10 models are worn by around 200 players, but league and union laboratory testing concluded they were subpar. “This is the first time we are prohibiting helmets,” NFL Exec VP/Health & Safety Jeff Miller said on a conference call. “It is an important step for player safety.”
Many of the helmets are made by Rawlings, which is no longer in the business of making helmets. Others, like those from Schutt and Riddell, are older models. Miller said those manufacturers are working with the players who wear them to transition to a newer model that won NFL/NFLPA approval. NFLPA Assistant Exec Dir of External Affairs George Atallah said the union did not want to immediately prohibit models that scored low in laboratory testing because the research was new. It also wanted to give players time to make the switch to higher-rated models. New players to the NFL cannot wear those helmets. Miller said the league anticipated phasing out the 10 models after the ‘18 season.
