NOCSAE Advances Integration of Redesigned Headforms and Final Steps for Proposed Youth Football Helmet Standard

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (July 31, 2024) ― The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) held its Summer Standards Meeting in Cleveland on July 26. The Standards Committee reported progress on the integration of the redesigned Nine-Array Headforms for athletic equipment testing and an update on final steps for the proposed youth football helmet standard. The Committee also advanced revisions and modifications to athletic equipment standards for baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer and softball.

Scientific Advisory Committee Report

Dr. Robert Cantu, MA, MD, FACS, FACSM, FAANS, NOCSAE vice president, chair of the NOCSAE Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and representative of the American College of Sports Medicine, shared the latest research on the challenges of diagnosing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in living patients. Dr. Cantu also discussed findings from DIAGNOSE CTE, an eight-year multicenter study that examined data from 150 former NFL and college football players. The study contributed to significant advancements in the understanding of CTE, but additional research is needed to identify methodologies to diagnose CTE in the living and intervene in the progression of the neurodegenerative disease. Diagnosis in the living is critical to advancing clinical trials and developing potential treatments.

Nine-Array Headform Redesign

NOCSAE pioneered the development of variable mass biofidelic headforms, which accurately simulate the biomechanics of a human head. These headforms account for impedance and harmonics resulting from real impacts, enabling more precise testing of helmets and projectiles. Over the last few years, NOCSAE has been working to develop redesigned Nine-Array Headforms with enhanced biofidelity and testing capabilities.

NOCSAE received the first order of the Nine-Array Headforms in May and began testing in June. The new headforms have enhanced instrumentation and biofidelity and may be more sensitive than the current headforms depending on impact location and helmet design. The NOCSAE Technical Director is currently working with other labs to validate the response of the medium headform while proceeding with updates to the small and large headforms. NOCSAE anticipates that the updated small and large Nine-Array Headforms will be validated in the coming months and should be available by the end of 2024. Manufacturing of medium headforms has begun and will be followed by small and large headforms. The timeline for integrating the new headforms into ND002 testing has not been finalized.

Proposed Youth Football Helmet Performance Standard [ND006-23]

NOCSAE is in the final stages of testing and evaluating the Proposed Youth Football Helmet Performance Standard. Based on critical insights from two NOCSAE-funded research studies on the biomechanics of head impacts and injuries in youth players, NOCSAE developed the proposed standard to address the specific needs and different risks youth players are exposed to in tackle football. Designed for football played at a level below high school, key differences in the new youth standard include the mass of the helmet, different impact velocities and the pass/fail threshold. Throughout the development process, NOCSAE has worked to ensure any steps to enhance protection for youth players are grounded in science and do not create other unintended risks.