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Seeking to reduce head contact, NFL mandates use of Guardian Cap helmet for early portion of training camp


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Seeking to reduce head contact, NFL mandates use of Guardian Cap helmet for early portion of training camp

4E843F61-6C38-4F2C-BFB3-D52AA5C6FBE4.jpeg.d5567288c669000e554409264e561b7e.jpeg

 

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The NFL has mandated the use of Guardian Cap helmet covers for certain positions during a key portion of training camp when concussions and head contact typically elevate, league officials said Tuesday.

The resolution, approved during a morning session at the annual NFL meetings, will require offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers to wear Guardian Caps for every preseason practice between the start of the training camp contact period and the second preseason game.

The caps are soft-shell pads that attach to the outside of the helmet and are used with some frequency in college football. NFL teams have experimented with them sporadically in recent years. According to the manufacturer, the current version reduces force from head contact by up to 20% if all players involved in the contact are using it. Guardian Cap developed the technology in part through an NFL grant awarded in 2017.

The mandate represents the first significant step in the league's effort to eliminate all avoidable head contact, a goal that chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills announced earlier this year.

"Even if there are no change to the concussion numbers with this intervention," Sills said, "we would still consider this worthwhile if it reduces the force that each player receives."

The NFL has brought down its concussion numbers since Sills issued a call to action in 2018. There were 187 reported concussions in 2021 between the start of training camp and the end of the regular season, down from an average of 266.3 between 2015 and 2017. Sills said in February that the league had begun work to drive down the effects of all head contact, whether or not it leads to a concussion.

"We know that some head contact inevitably occurs in sports of all types," he said, "but we want to focus on the part that we think is avoidable."

The first two weeks of training camp produce a high frequency of concussions -- approximately 30 per year -- and a greater degree of overall head contact, according to NFL executive vice president of health and safety Jeff Miller. Part of the elevated rate can be attributed to the higher number of players involved in early training camp periods, many of whom are unlikely to earn a final roster spot. But that early period also features heavy full-pads practices with elevated use of physical drills such as 9-on-7 as teams get acclimated to contact in full pads.

The rate of head contact lowers after the second preseason game as most teams shift to a lighter practice load. Players will be encouraged but not required to wear the Guardian Cap thereafter.

Meanwhile, Miller said, the NFL also will require that every player use wearable technology during preseason practices and walk-throughs. The resulting data will give league and union engineers a better idea of exertion during that time and provide a more accurate aggregation of leaguewide trends.

Most teams use wearable technology of some type and degree -- most typically via Zebra Technologies and Catapult -- but the resolution will standardize the practice. Teams will also be asked to submit video of two full training camp practices to confirm whether submitted practice plans match up with actual practice activity.

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This whole thing could be solved if they just went to having 1" of soft padding on the outside of the helmet and get rid of all the hard shielding on the pads.  Make it look the same, just soft.  Sure, some will tear or damage, but they can just re-wrap it before every game...  But nobody wants to hear the smoosh of the pads so they never will.

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1 hour ago, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

Seeking to reduce head contact, NFL mandates use of Guardian Cap helmet for early portion of training camp

4E843F61-6C38-4F2C-BFB3-D52AA5C6FBE4.jpeg.d5567288c669000e554409264e561b7e.jpeg

 

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The NFL has mandated the use of Guardian Cap helmet covers for certain positions during a key portion of training camp when concussions and head contact typically elevate, league officials said Tuesday.

The resolution, approved during a morning session at the annual NFL meetings, will require offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers to wear Guardian Caps for every preseason practice between the start of the training camp contact period and the second preseason game.

The caps are soft-shell pads that attach to the outside of the helmet and are used with some frequency in college football. NFL teams have experimented with them sporadically in recent years. According to the manufacturer, the current version reduces force from head contact by up to 20% if all players involved in the contact are using it. Guardian Cap developed the technology in part through an NFL grant awarded in 2017.

The mandate represents the first significant step in the league's effort to eliminate all avoidable head contact, a goal that chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills announced earlier this year.

"Even if there are no change to the concussion numbers with this intervention," Sills said, "we would still consider this worthwhile if it reduces the force that each player receives."

The NFL has brought down its concussion numbers since Sills issued a call to action in 2018. There were 187 reported concussions in 2021 between the start of training camp and the end of the regular season, down from an average of 266.3 between 2015 and 2017. Sills said in February that the league had begun work to drive down the effects of all head contact, whether or not it leads to a concussion.

"We know that some head contact inevitably occurs in sports of all types," he said, "but we want to focus on the part that we think is avoidable."

The first two weeks of training camp produce a high frequency of concussions -- approximately 30 per year -- and a greater degree of overall head contact, according to NFL executive vice president of health and safety Jeff Miller. Part of the elevated rate can be attributed to the higher number of players involved in early training camp periods, many of whom are unlikely to earn a final roster spot. But that early period also features heavy full-pads practices with elevated use of physical drills such as 9-on-7 as teams get acclimated to contact in full pads.

The rate of head contact lowers after the second preseason game as most teams shift to a lighter practice load. Players will be encouraged but not required to wear the Guardian Cap thereafter.

Meanwhile, Miller said, the NFL also will require that every player use wearable technology during preseason practices and walk-throughs. The resulting data will give league and union engineers a better idea of exertion during that time and provide a more accurate aggregation of leaguewide trends.

Most teams use wearable technology of some type and degree -- most typically via Zebra Technologies and Catapult -- but the resolution will standardize the practice. Teams will also be asked to submit video of two full training camp practices to confirm whether submitted practice plans match up with actual practice activity.

OMG, I love this,  Wish they had done this sooner.

WTG NFL!!!!!!!!!!!

Shaking My Head GIFs | Tenor

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Ah, the days of yore when wine moms were going to shut down the NFL over CTE concerns and Roger Goodell whipped up a pretend rule that said “hey guys, no more concussions!” and then the NFL posted historic ratings and tech companies fought to give them billions for the TV rights. 

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What's the concussion/CTE deal in rugby/Aussie football? I ask because part of me thinks the helmets are really not as good as advertised and are probably the culprit. Also anecdotal, but I see NFL and College DBs 'tackle' by throwing their heads and shoulders at guys' knees. I'm in my early 40s and that's not how we were taught to tackle back in the day. Also, how about massive suspensions for this stuff? OT, but In Jet9's perfect world there would be 30-day suspensions for diving in hockey, soccer and basketball too. The leagues aren't serious about any of this stuff though. Concussions, sportsmanship, etc.... College guys get tossed on innocent plays routinely. It's all theater. 

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13 hours ago, RutgersJetFan said:

There are dudes in martial arts gyms that spar in these and I can tell you that it is 100% fact that everyone laughs at them behind their back and we’re all certain they pee sitting down.

Only when we sh*t bro, only when we sh*t. 

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On 4/2/2022 at 11:27 AM, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

Seeking to reduce head contact, NFL mandates use of Guardian Cap helmet for early portion of training camp

4E843F61-6C38-4F2C-BFB3-D52AA5C6FBE4.jpeg.d5567288c669000e554409264e561b7e.jpeg

 

 

Is there a digital equivalent of this protection that @Maxman can require for certain posters in this forum who are most likely to sustain trauma from the way they post?  You know who YOU are!!

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23 hours ago, Untouchable said:

Ours should be green so they look like little koopa shells.

lol goddamn football is starting to really suck 

Yes.

Efforts to reduce head trauma that results in 40 year old men running through plate glass face first and shooting themselves in the chest is what's making football suck.

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22 hours ago, RutgersJetFan said:

There are dudes in martial arts gyms that spar in these and I can tell you that it is 100% fact that everyone laughs at them behind their back and we’re all certain they pee sitting down.

Right? What a bunch of p*ssies.

a liddle dain bramage never did not no hurt nobody dfn... .?!

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On 4/2/2022 at 3:32 PM, Origen said:

This whole thing could be solved if they just went to having 1" of soft padding on the outside of the helmet and get rid of all the hard shielding on the pads.  Make it look the same, just soft.  Sure, some will tear or damage, but they can just re-wrap it before every game...  But nobody wants to hear the smoosh of the pads so they never will.

I looked into this once- soft helmets would result in significant neck injuries which are worse than head injuries (paralysis)

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On 4/2/2022 at 3:32 PM, Origen said:

This whole thing could be solved if they just went to having 1" of soft padding on the outside of the helmet and get rid of all the hard shielding on the pads.  Make it look the same, just soft.  Sure, some will tear or damage, but they can just re-wrap it before every game...  But nobody wants to hear the smoosh of the pads so they never will.

I actually saw a video on how a soft helmet would be worse because it catches the full force of the hit instead of bouncing off. That seems to conflict with the padding they are wearing now which may mean that speed plays a factor. 

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On 4/2/2022 at 10:14 PM, Jet9 said:

What's the concussion/CTE deal in rugby/Aussie football? I ask because part of me thinks the helmets are really not as good as advertised and are probably the culprit. Also anecdotal, but I see NFL and College DBs 'tackle' by throwing their heads and shoulders at guys' knees. I'm in my early 40s and that's not how we were taught to tackle back in the day. Also, how about massive suspensions for this stuff? OT, but In Jet9's perfect world there would be 30-day suspensions for diving in hockey, soccer and basketball too. The leagues aren't serious about any of this stuff though. Concussions, sportsmanship, etc.... College guys get tossed on innocent plays routinely. It's all theater. 

I’m pretty keyed into the AFL in Oz and there are plenty of concussions. The league has definitely gotten better about protecting the player’s heads, but a huge part of the game is keeping your head down and attacking the ball. Concussions are still pretty frequent. I know there are a few past players who have died with CTE (I’m unsure of what they died of.) How it compares to NFL, I’m not sure but I’d bet the NFL is worse.
I don’t know how it would work, but I often think if guys would be safer playing with less padding. They’d be less inclined to lead with their heads if their face will get rearranged. The league could copy the AFL and make head high contact a penalty and tag an extra few yards on the play. players would have to tackle soundly and scoring could go up. It would change the game though, so I dont think it would fly, but it’s an interesting idea to me.

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On 4/2/2022 at 7:19 PM, Untouchable said:

Ours should be green so they look like little koopa shells.

lol goddamn football is starting to really suck 

Because theyre trying to add extra protection in training camp?  That makes the game really suck for you?   Having players like Junior Seau blowing his head off after retirement is what really football is about.

Yeah!!!!

 

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I'm all for trying this sort of stuff out, but I very much doubt it makes much of a difference.  The league as we know it is on borrowed time.  The second the medical establishment figures out how to test for live CTE, and we discover that 95% of the players have it, there won't be much anyone can do to save the league.

 

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18 hours ago, David Harris said:

I looked into this once- soft helmets would result in significant neck injuries which are worse than head injuries (paralysis)

Honestly the best thing they could do is go full Rugby and get rid of pads entirely.  The thing is with the helmet, you immediately become a head first missile when you realize it doesn't hurt as much because you have this hard thing on your head.  So all the coaching is about making you tackle like you normally would in rugby with your shoulder, head to the side.  If you make using your head as a blunt object more painful to do in the immediate, it will lessen the long term build up injuries like CTE because people will stop doing it sooner, hopefully.  Those guys in the Leatherheads picture had more to worry about for clothesline tackles and backside cut blocks and finding a good job for the offseason than they did for CTE.

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Great tool, no reason not to use them.  It does statistically make a difference during practices and scrimmages honestly.  We use them at the High School Level and have seen a clear reduction in incidences during practices and scrimmages where we have had concussions.  That combined with a Hawk Tackling system has made a pretty big difference in the amount of concussions ive seen coaching over the last 8-10 years. 

Only time we get players with concussions now is illegal blind side blocks or hits during games.  Otherwise these two things have been really successful at reducing the incident rate. 

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On 4/2/2022 at 2:27 PM, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

Seeking to reduce head contact, NFL mandates use of Guardian Cap helmet for early portion of training camp

4E843F61-6C38-4F2C-BFB3-D52AA5C6FBE4.jpeg.d5567288c669000e554409264e561b7e.jpeg

 

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The NFL has mandated the use of Guardian Cap helmet covers for certain positions during a key portion of training camp when concussions and head contact typically elevate, league officials said Tuesday.

The resolution, approved during a morning session at the annual NFL meetings, will require offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers to wear Guardian Caps for every preseason practice between the start of the training camp contact period and the second preseason game.

The caps are soft-shell pads that attach to the outside of the helmet and are used with some frequency in college football. NFL teams have experimented with them sporadically in recent years. According to the manufacturer, the current version reduces force from head contact by up to 20% if all players involved in the contact are using it. Guardian Cap developed the technology in part through an NFL grant awarded in 2017.

The mandate represents the first significant step in the league's effort to eliminate all avoidable head contact, a goal that chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills announced earlier this year.

"Even if there are no change to the concussion numbers with this intervention," Sills said, "we would still consider this worthwhile if it reduces the force that each player receives."

The NFL has brought down its concussion numbers since Sills issued a call to action in 2018. There were 187 reported concussions in 2021 between the start of training camp and the end of the regular season, down from an average of 266.3 between 2015 and 2017. Sills said in February that the league had begun work to drive down the effects of all head contact, whether or not it leads to a concussion.

"We know that some head contact inevitably occurs in sports of all types," he said, "but we want to focus on the part that we think is avoidable."

The first two weeks of training camp produce a high frequency of concussions -- approximately 30 per year -- and a greater degree of overall head contact, according to NFL executive vice president of health and safety Jeff Miller. Part of the elevated rate can be attributed to the higher number of players involved in early training camp periods, many of whom are unlikely to earn a final roster spot. But that early period also features heavy full-pads practices with elevated use of physical drills such as 9-on-7 as teams get acclimated to contact in full pads.

The rate of head contact lowers after the second preseason game as most teams shift to a lighter practice load. Players will be encouraged but not required to wear the Guardian Cap thereafter.

Meanwhile, Miller said, the NFL also will require that every player use wearable technology during preseason practices and walk-throughs. The resulting data will give league and union engineers a better idea of exertion during that time and provide a more accurate aggregation of leaguewide trends.

Most teams use wearable technology of some type and degree -- most typically via Zebra Technologies and Catapult -- but the resolution will standardize the practice. Teams will also be asked to submit video of two full training camp practices to confirm whether submitted practice plans match up with actual practice activity.

There goes my training camp viewing

These creepy looking things legitimately  activates my Trypophobia ?

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