NOCSAE Advances First Chest Protector Standard to Address Sudden Cardiac Death

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Feb. 2, 2016) – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) discussed a number of topics to advance athletic equipment safety at its standards meeting in Phoenix on January 29, including introducing the world’s first chest protector performance standard for commotio cordis, and advancing football helmet standards to address concussion risks and youth provisions.

World’s First Chest Protector Performance Standard for Commotio Cordis

NOCSAE introduced the world’s first performance standard for chest protectors for commotio cordis and moved it to proposed status at NOCSAE’s standards meeting on January 29.

Commotio cordis, a heart rhythm disruption caused by a blow to the chest, is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in athletes. In conjunction with research efforts by the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation, NOCSAE has funded more than $1.1 million in research to help identify the specific cause of commotio cordis and to develop a chest protector standard designed to significantly reduce the likelihood of occurrence. The new NOCSAE standard applies to baseball and lacrosse, where catchers and goalies are typically the most vulnerable to commotio cordis. Approximately five to 15 athletes die every year from this syndrome. Most of these deaths are males under the age of 14 who are often wearing chest protection.

“This is an unprecedented breakthrough in sports protection,” said Mike Oliver, NOCSAE Executive Director. “Scientists have pinpointed the exact cause of commotio cordis, including the critical moment of occurrence in the cardiac cycle and the required threshold to prevent the injury. These findings have allowed us to create a chest protector standard that will significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of commotio cordis.”

The NOCSAE board of directors voted to advance the chest protector standard for commotio cordis to proposed status, meaning the standard will remain open for public comment until January 2017, at which time it will be eligible to be voted on as a final standard unless modifications are recommended.

Football Helmets: Pneumatic Ram Test Standard and Youth Provisions

During the January 2016 meeting, the NOCSAE Standards Committee Consensus Body voted to move its proposed pneumatic ram test standard to final status. This standard includes new tests that create and measure rotational accelerations, a crucial first step in improving the ability of helmets to address the risk of concussion.

NOCSAE is working to revise its football helmet standard to incorporate the pneumatic ram test for rotational accelerations. NOCSAE received significant public comment on the existing proposed changes to the football helmet standard. In response, a new proposed football helmet standard was approved at the January 2016 meeting. The new proposed football helmet standard incorporates rotational accelerations in the pass/fail specifications, and includes provisions for adjusted pneumatic ram impact velocities for helmets that manufacturers label as youth helmets.

Implementation of Third-Party Certification

In January 2015, NOCSAE began requiring ISO/IEC 17065 accredited third-party certification for athletic equipment to meet NOCSAE standards. Under this requirement, a manufacturer contracts with an independent certifying body, Safety Equipment Institute (“SEI”), to audit their procedures and quality programs, and test, validate and certify their athletic equipment to meet NOCSAE standards. Over the course of 2015, the transition to third-party certification was staggered based on manufacturers’ sport-specific production seasons for equipment. As of February 1, 2016, all third-party certification for athletic equipment has been implemented.

“Implementing the third-party certification process in a year is a testament to the integrity of NOCSAE’s standards,” said Oliver. “Now, all manufacturers are using an independent body to ensure they’re meeting the highest safety standards for their athletic equipment.”

Other Standard Developments

NOCSAE voted to move several proposed standards to final status, including standards for field hockey headgear and balls, and revisions to NOCSAE’s corrosion testing standard. Additionally, a proposed lacrosse headgear standard is now available for review at www.nocsae.org.

NOCSAE Begins Third-Party Certification Requirement for Athletic Equipment

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Jan. 17, 2015) – This month the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) will begin requiring third-party certification for athletic equipment to meet NOCSAE standards, in accordance with ANSI/ISO national and international guidelines.

Under the new requirement, manufacturers will contract with Safety Equipment Institute (SEI), an independent ANSI/ISO 17065 accredited certifying body, to certify their equipment as compliant with NOCSAE standards. As part of the process, SEI will conduct onsite quality audits, evaluate testing procedures and randomly select products to test for compliance. The NOCSAE board of directors made the decision to transition to third-party certification in October 2013 following almost two years of discussion, evaluation, and planning. Previously, manufacturers were responsible for testing and self-certifying their athletic equipment to NOCSAE standards.

“Transitioning to third-party certification will enhance the integrity of all NOCSAE standards,” said Mike Oliver, NOCSAE executive director. “This gives athletes and manufacturers alike confidence their athletic equipment has been tested by a neutral, independent body to meet the highest safety standards. This is the most stringent and unbiased way to determine standards compliance, as the third-party cannot have any connection to manufacturers or products they certify.”

Details of the new certification process were discussed Friday at NOCSAE’s standards meeting in Phoenix. All manufacturers are required to sign agreements with SEI by January 31. NOCSAE will stagger its transition to third-party certification through early 2016, based on manufacturers’ production seasons for athletic equipment. Baseball and softball equipment will be the first, requiring compliance by the end of August. Football, polo and lacrosse equipment will require compliance by the end of October, with the exception of football gloves which will comply by the end of December. Soccer shin guards are the final standards to implement third-party certification, in January 2016.

Friday’s NOCSAE standards meeting also included the following discussion and developments:

  • The draft football helmet standard to include pneumatic ram testing for rotational forces is on-track for elevation to final status at the June 2015 board meeting, with Friday’s discussion centered on determining the pass/fail threshold. This will be the first helmet standard to test for rotational forces.
  • Research continues into a separate standard for youth helmets. Currently, small-sized helmets are required to meet the same standard as medium- and large-sized helmets. Recent research indicates that youth-sized helmets have a lower helmet-weight to head-mass ratio than adult-sized helmets. However, preliminary pneumatic ram testing indicates that small-sized helmets which have less mass don’t perform as well in rotational impact tests as medium or large helmets of the same model, which is likely due to their lighter weight. At this time, there is not enough data to suggest a helmet mass limit for youth-sized helmets.
  • The board of directors voted to move several standards to proposed status – which means they will be open for comment for one year. These include proposed standards for field hockey headgear and balls, and revisions to NOCSAE’s corrosion testing standard. These standards will be open for public comment until January 2016, at which time they will be voted on as final standard. The draft versions of these standards are available for review at www.nocsae.org. 

Rating System Cannot Predict Helmets’ Ability to Prevent Concussions; Protecting Against Injury Does Not Start or End With Helmet Purchase

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OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS (May 27, 2014) – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) applauds and encourages the growing research in the area of concussion protection for athletes, including the work released this month by Virginia Tech. Coaches, consumers and parents should be aware that while the STAR rating system suggests the purchase of specific football helmets, scientific evidence does not support the claim that a particular helmet brand or model is more effective in reducing the occurrence of concussive events.

“Helmets which meet the NOCSAE standard are extremely effective at doing what they are designed to do, limiting linear accelerations that result from impacts to the head and helmet,” said Mike Oliver, NOCSAE executive director. “The STAR ratings are not standards. They are a theoretical method of comparing one helmet against another. Unfortunately many have misunderstood the purpose and limitations of the STAR ratings. A 5 STAR rating does not mean that the helmet is great at preventing concussions. It simply means that it might be better than another helmet with a lower rating. Because of this misunderstanding, the effectiveness of helmets in protecting against concussions has become exaggerated, taking focus away from steps known to have a more immediate and much greater effect on concussion reduction.”

For concussion protection to be truly effective, actions must be taken on and off the field by student athletes, parents and coaches. According to the CDC Foundation’s Heads Up to Parents program, making sure equipment fits properly, ensuring young athletes are taught proper blocking and tackling techniques and demanding enforcement of rules that prohibit players from leading with their helmets to hit other players are important ways to reduce concussion risk.

The University of Wisconsin recently completed the first large scale, prospective study in a field-based sports setting to examine if the rate of sport-related concussion is affected by the protective equipment that is worn by high school football players. The results show no difference in the rate of concussions or severity of concussions by helmet brand. The research concluded that well maintained and fitted football helmets remain important to reduce the risk of skull fracture and intracranial hemorrhage, but there is serious doubt to whether a helmet can ever be designed to prevent concussions. In addition, the research found a similar concussion risk regardless of the age of the helmet.

Dr. Alison Brooks, assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, spearheaded the study with Dr. Tim McGuine. Dr. Brooks would prefer to see emphasis on rule enforcement and coaching education on tackling technique to limit or avoid contact to the head. She also called out the increased risk among previously injured athletes.

“Players in this study who had a history of previous concussion were at higher risk of sustaining another concussion, regardless of the helmet brand worn,” said Dr. Brooks. “Rather than focus on the belief that a specific helmet can ‘prevent’ concussions, which is not supported by the current scientific literature, our efforts may be better spent educating players, parents and coaches about the increased risk of concussion in these previously concussed young athletes.”

A concussion in football is a very complex event involving different and changing forces, linear (straight motion or direct hit) and rotational (circular motion of head or torque) accelerations, helmet fit, player position, impact duration, player concussion history and overall health.

Schutt Sports has the two highest 5 STAR helmets in 2014, yet they admit that the ratings do not support a conclusion that the helmets will limit or prevent concussions. “Schutt Sports would never represent to somebody that they’re not going to get a concussion if they wear one of our helmets,” said Robert Erb, CEO of Schutt Sports. “As a manufacturer of a helmet considered by this rating system to be the best available, I believe telling people that an athlete is less likely to get a concussion if they use a 5 STAR helmet is irresponsible. The best helmet is the one that carries NOCSAE certification, fits the player, fits the position, is configured with the proper mask and the player is comfortable in it.”

Consumers should also know that the rating applies only to size large adult helmets. According to the Virginia Tech website, “It is possible that the same helmet models of different size may produce different results; however, we do not have any data on this, and we only tested large helmets as a first step.” No adult X-Large, Medium, Small, X-Small or any youth-size helmets were tested as part of this rating. Until other sizes are tested, the only helmet that can claim any STAR rating are adult large. The rating is based on a theoretical calculation from collegiate level data. When helmets receive a higher rating, it does not mean the helmet has met a safe level of concussion protection; instead it is an attempt to compare one helmet to another based on the results. According to an independent statistical review of the Virginia Tech test data there is no significant statistical difference between 5 STAR, 4 STAR and 3 STAR helmets.

“The Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings™ system approaches the very broad and complex issue of concussion protection from a narrow vantage point of linear accelerations only and does not address other biomechanical variables such as rotational accelerations,” said Oliver. “Scientific experts agree that rotational accelerations are involved in most concussive events, but there is still no agreement on what level of rotational force can be considered safe or dangerous for athletes.”

NOCSAE joins unprecedented partnership to replace 13,000 youth football helmets in underserved communities

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OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS, May 17, 2012 – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) joins forces with sport entities and sporting goods manufacturers to launch the Youth Football Safety and Helmet Replacement Partnership, an initiative to replace 13,000 youth football helmets that are 10 years old or older and replace them with new helmets at no cost to the beneficiary leagues in underserved communities. The program, spearheaded by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), also aims to increase player safety by arming coaches with the latest educational information related to player safety, including concussion protection, assessment and management.

The Partnership’s pilot program will launch in four markets in July: the Bay Area, Gulf Coast region, Northern Ohio and New York’s tri-state area. NOCSAE, an independent and nonprofit standard-setting body with the sole mission of enhancing athlete safety through scientific research and the creation of performance standards for protective equipment, will evaluate these helmets to understand better the performance over time of youth football helmets and to inform a potential youth football helmet standard.

“NOCSAE is pleased to participate in this unprecedented partnership that provides new helmets to young athletes in underserved communities,” said Mike Oliver, NOCSAE executive director. “This program also provides NOCSAE with a unique opportunity to leverage helmets collected from the field in our ongoing research efforts. This effort further supports our mission to drive the science of sports medicine so youth and adults who choose to play sports can know their equipment is certified to standards based on the best available information, and to inform potential standards for youth football helmets.”

NOCSAE is a leading nongovernmental source for research funding in all sports medicine and science related to concussion in sports. Since 1995 NOCSAE has devoted more than $5 million toward concussion specific research by the foremost experts in sports medicine and science to develop and advance athlete safety.

The NFL, NFL Players Association (NFLPA), National College Athletic Association (NCAA) and NOCSAE have committed a combined total of approximately $1 million to the program in its first year. The program was initiated by the CPSC with the hope that it can be expanded in subsequent years.

The partnership includes a robust educational program from the Center for Disease Control and USA Football that includes materials on concussion awareness, proper helmet fitting and fundamentally-sound football instruction with USA Football’s Tackle Progression Model and Levels of Contact module. In addition, participation in the program requires league coaches complete USA Football’s Level 1 coaching course.

NOCSAE joins the NFL, USA Football, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NFLPA, National Athletic Equipment Reconditioning Association (NAERA), NCAA, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), Rawlings, Riddell, Schutt and Xenith in moving this program forward.

Football helmets certified to NOCSAE standards and properly maintained play an incredibly important role in protecting athletes, improved protective equipment is not the only solution to providing better protection against concussion. Prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management decisions about when athletes should return to play, and enforcing the rules of play to eliminate the use of the head as the first point of contact, are equally or more important and can be rapidly implemented. For the most reliable information regarding helmets and concussion and injury protection and prevention, NOCSAE encourages athletes and parents to carefully review:

• Hang tags that come with all new football helmets that address the helmet’s abilities and limitations
• Informational booklets developed by manufacturers that contain critical information about the helmet’s abilities and limitations, proper use, fitting and maintenance.
• Warning information that is prominently affixed to the exterior of every helmet and contained in the materials that accompany every new helmet.
• Free downloadable resources created by the Centers for Disease Control regarding concussion recognition, response and prevention. Those resources can be found at www.cdc.gov/concussion/sports/.
For more information, please visit www.nocsae.org. To learn more about the new partnership or apply for helmets, visit www.usafootball.com/playersafety.