When did the NFL switch to hard helmets?

In 2004, the NFL formally banned single bar helmets, but some players were grandfathered in. This exception was made exclusively for kickers, who like the single bar because what it lacked in safety, it made up for in visibility.

When did the NFL start using hard helmets?

In the mid-1940s, leather helmets were required in the NFL. It wasn't until 1949 that the NFL officially adopted the plastic helmet, ending the leather helmet era.

When did they stop using leather football helmets?

The NFL required use of leather helmets in the mid-1940s. The NFL officially adopted the use of the plastic helmet in 1949, ending the leather helmet era.

Why did the NFL switch to plastic helmets?

HELMETS GO HIGH-TECH

Facemasks retreated in size, affording more visibility. To protect their eyes, players began opting to outfit their headpiece with plastic visors. During the 1990s, another function was added to some helmets.

When did helmets become mandatory in NFL?

After WWII ended, plastic became more readily available, and in 1949 the NFL mandated that all players wear helmets made of this more durable material. The days of leather helmets were over. Plastic facemask bars were added in the 1950s, and by 1962 every player in the game was wearing a helmet.

Who was the last NFL player to not wear a helmet?

The last NFL player to play in a game without a helmet was Dick Plasman of the Chicago Bears in 1940.

When did the NFL start wearing face masks?

The party line, repeated in many sources, is that the first facemask was worn by Otto Graham of the Cleveland Browns, who got elbowed in the mouth during the first half of a 1953 game and then played the second half wearing a piece of plastic that coach Paul Brown taped to his helmet.

When did the NFL remove the white stripes from the football?

Back in the mid-1920s, every football was made with white stripes. Then, in 1941, the NFL switched the color of the ball to white with black stripes for visibility during night games, according to Rick Walls, an Eastern Region Coordinator for the National Football Foundation, in an ESPN Magazine publication.

When did James Naismith invent the helmet?

James Naismith, the "Father of Basketball," invented the helmet while playing for the YMCA International Training College football team in 1891. Joseph M. Reeves, U.S.N.A., after being warned that one more blow to the head may cause "instant insanity," had the first helmet made for him in 1893.

What were old football helmets made of?

In the 80's, a much lighter and more durable plastic – polycarbonate – became the primary helmet shell material used in the production of football helmets. The NFL used polycarbonate to improve head protection throughout the league.

Why do kickers wear different helmets?

Each position has a different type of face mask to balance protection and visibility, and some players add polycarbonate visors to their helmets, which are used to protect their eyes from glare and impacts.

When did quarterbacks get headsets?

It wasn't until 1994 that the league finally approved radio communication with the quarterback. Prior to that, coaches could communicate via headsets, just not with the players. The league allowed teams to add speakers to player's headsets with some reservations, even from coaches.

When was the first sports helmet made?

There are a few different stories about the invention of the football helmet but the earliest and the most frequently told dates back to they Army-Navy game of 1893.

Did James Naismith invent football?

James Naismith was a Canadian-American sports coach and innovator. He invented the game of basketball in 1891, and he is also credited with designing the first football helmet. He penned the first basketball rulebook, and established the basketball program at the University of Kansas.

What was the first football made of?

The first properly made ball was simply a pig or sheep's bladder, inflated by good old fashioned lung power and knotted at the end. A leather casing would then be fitted around the bladder to provide durability. The resulting ball was rounder than a rugby ball, although still far from spherical.

Is NFL ball bigger than college?

In overall circumference, college footballs can be up to 1 1/4 inches smaller than NFL footballs. To get into the weeds, the circumference of college footballs ranges from 20 3/4 inches to 21 1/4 inches lengthwise from end to end, versus 21 inches to 21 1/4 inches in the NFL.

Did the NFL ever use a white football?

The White Football

The Providence Steam Roller's meeting with the Chicago Cardinals on Nov. 6, 1929, was the first NFL game played at night, and the teams used a white ball in case of foundering floodlights.

Why are NFL game balls white?

At most levels of play (but not, notably, the NFL), white stripes are painted on each end of the ball, halfway around the circumference, to improve nighttime visibility and also to differentiate the college football from the pro football.

Why did NFL ban custom face masks?

The NFL Bans Customized Facemasks Because Football Isn't Supposed to Be Fun. The NFL continues its crusade to make the beloved sport as boring as possible, as it has banned customized facemasks for players not receiving medical clearance.

Is clipping still a penalty in the NFL?

It is usually illegal, but in the National Football League it is legal to clip above the knee in close-line play.

Why do football helmets have ear holes?

The luxury of ear holes allowed players to actually hear each other. Around 1915 the helmet began to take a modern day shape. Additional interior padding was added, as well as flaps with ear holes for better on-the-field communication.

Why do some football helmets have a hexagon?

Called a cantilever, the feature allows the helmet to flex more while maintaining an overall stiffness. The thick padding behind the movable area doesn't allow it to move much, but just enough in an area where players can take big hits.

When did face mask become a penalty?

In 2008, the NFL made a rule change regarding how facemask penalties would be called. Prior to that season, inadvertent grabs of the facemask were considered penalties even if the player did not twist or cause movement to the helmet. After this season these inadvertent grabs were longer considered penalties.

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