"Smart Helmets" to Make Debut in the NFL This Season

Over the past two NFL seasons, the occurrence of concussions in players from cheap shots and other vicious hits have become the center of attention. Now that the long term effects of concussions are starting to be known and published by medical science, the NFL is responding by joining forces with scientists to study helmets and the way they protect players' heads from hits. It is widely known that the NFL influences every other stage of football down to pee wee leagues with their decisions. The NFL hopes that these Smart Helmets will provide vital data that will help create better helmets and significantly reduce concussions on all levels of play, not just in the NFL.

Don't Use Your Head

Rule changes implemented recently have aimed to reduce defenseless hits and leading with the head. So the phrase, "don't use your head" applies to any tackler on the field in order to protect the ball carriers. Technology is now capable of measuring the hits experienced by players as they happen on the field. Popular Science's September Volume 279 Number 3 reports that "1.5 million head impacts" have been registered in the study of college and high school players since 1993.

Technology - How It Works

The helmets, made by Riddell, are created with multiple accelerometers lining the cranium to monitor the impact of the tackle hit on the head. These helmets, nicknamed the HITS system run about $1,000 each, although Riddell does plan to release additional models that are less expensive for college and high school players. The HITS helmet uses the accelerometers to measure the hits experienced by players. When a hit registers "98 Gs or greater", as stated by Popular Science, an alert is sent to team doctors immediately through the monitoring system which can help them respond to players with concussions even faster. So while the player may or may not be dazed, the team doctors with the help of the technology will be able to examine players based on the hits they took.

High School Getting Similar Helmets

Riddell's high school version of the helmet has a similar system, but without the accelerometers. The high school model uses a thin film, that when compressed creates a type of charge in the helmet. A coach on the sideline, or the team doctor has a receiver that connects to the helmets and will alert the doctor when a charge is emitted from the helmet after a single hit that compresses the film.

Miss The Old Leather Heads?

In spite of the technology and the advancements of science, I still get comments about the days when football players did not wear helmets or wore the old leather helmets. These purists insist that the game was less violent, and specifically that the head was not used as a weapon. Either way, if the technology can tell us when a hit potentially causes a concussion in a player, or if helmets can be developed to limit the number of concussions, then sign my kids up any day.

Sources:
Popular Science
http://medgadget.com/2011/01/impact_sensors_to_be_placed_in_nfl_players_helmets_next_season.html