Statements

Add-On Helmet Products

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – May 22, 2024 – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) has released the following statement regarding equipment certified to NOCSAE standards and add-on helmet products.

“Products designed to be added to a football helmet are being marketed and sold; some are intended to measure impacts, while others are expressly marketed as improving a helmet’s performance. Some products claim the ability to protect against concussions. Regardless of the truth of such claims, the addition of those products to a certified helmet changes the model, by definition, under the NOCSAE standards.

“For many years NOCSAE standards have defined a helmet model as a helmet “intended to be identical in every way, except for size.” Any changes, additions or alterations of the model, except for size, color or graphics, even if made by the original manufacturer, require that a new model name be created and a separate certification testing process begin for that new model. This concept of limiting certification to a specific model is commonly found in national and international helmet standards.

  • NOCSAE itself does not certify any product, it does not “approve” or “disapprove” of any product and has no authority to grant exemptions or waivers to the requirements imposed by the standards it writes.
  • The addition of an item(s) to a helmet previously certified without those item(s) creates a new untested model. Whether the add-on product changes the performance or not, the helmet model with the add-on product is no longer “identical in every aspect” to the one originally certified.
  • When this happens, the manufacturer and SEI have the right, under the NOCSAE standards, to declare the SEI certification void. The manufacturer can choose to obtain SEI certification of the new model with the add-on product.
  • Companies which make add-on products for football helmets have the right to make their own certification of compliance with the NOCSAE standards on a helmet model, but when that is done, the certification and responsibility for the helmet/third-party product combination would become theirs, (not the helmet manufacturer). That certification would be subject to the same obligations applicable to the original helmet manufacturer regarding certification testing, quality control and quality assurance as well as complying with SEI third-party certification
  • Products such as skull caps, headbands, mouth guards, ear inserts or other items that are not attached or incorporated in some way into the helmet are not the types of products that create a new model as defined in the NOCSAE standards and are not items which change the model definition.”

Cheek Flaps

Cheek flaps cannot pass testing to the NOCSAE faceguard standard because cheek flaps don’t cover areas over the face that are impacted during certification testing. The standard requires these impacts over areas that include the eyes, nose, and more.

  • There is no cheek flap standard (by NOCSAE or any other organization).
  • NOCSAE’s faceguard standard requires coverage and protection of the entire face, including the eyes, mouth, nose, and jaw.
  • Cheek flaps DO NOT protect a batter’s eyes, nose, chin, or most of the mouth.
  • Faceguards that meet NOCSAE standards provide more protective coverage than cheek flap products.

Cheek Flaps—Whether Separate or Pre-Attached

Many manufacturers sell cheek flap products for baseball and softball batting helmets that cover a portion of the cheek and jaw. These products are available both as separate accessories and as factory-attached features of newer helmets.

Factory-Attached Cheek Flaps

  • NOCSAE’s batting helmet performance standard is for the helmet only and does not apply to any cheek flap.
  • SEI does not certify cheek flaps.
  • SEI certified helmets that come with an attached cheek flap will have NOCSAE’s mark, but the certification mark does not include the attached cheek flap.

Two Standards to Protect the Face and the Head

NOCSAE has a batting helmet standard and a batting helmet faceguard standard. These 2 standards are related—but still separate.

Here’s how the two standards are related:

  • A faceguard must be SEI certified to each helmet model for which it will be used.
  • In many cases a batter’s helmet faceguard is SEI certified for use with more than one helmet model.
  • A batter’s helmet is first SEI certified compliant with NOCSAE standard ND022  —without a faceguard—and then the faceguard is tested for compliance to ND072.

NOCSAE Faceguard Pass/Fail Test Threshold

NOCSAE’s faceguard standard prohibits any part of the faceguard from touching the eye area during testing impacts. The standard also prohibits any structural portion of the faceguard from touching the rest of the face area including the mouth and nose. SEI certification testing will fail a faceguard model if it allows any prohibited touching. This pass/fail test threshold is a requirement of all NOCSAE faceguard standards, including 

Cheek Flaps Are Helmet Add-On Products

As with almost all accessories added on to SEI certified helmets, cheek flaps change the original certified configuration of the batter helmet model. It’s possible an add-on can change the way a helmet model “works” or performs.

Altering a certified helmet model configuration with an add-on product may create a situation where the helmet manufacturer could choose to void the certification of compliance with NOCSAE’s helmet standard. This is because the addition of an accessory product creates a new and untested helmet model, as “model” is defined by NOCSAE standards.