All About Recon

Your equipment goes through a lot of wear and tear throughout the season. Your football helmet collects dirt and damages that can wear it down over time. It’s important to maintain the look of your uniform in order to represent your team well and to ensure you are taking care of your gear. 

Green Gridiron started out reconditioning facemasks for football helmets. We’ve been in the business for over 10 years. We have clients on small, high school teams all the way up to the pros in the NCAA and NFL. We do not, however, recondition football helmet shells. 

The National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA) recommends that helmets should be reconditioned annually. Helmets that go into production and are reconditioned must be approved for use by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). Reconditioning ensures your helmet is durable as well as keeps it sanitary. 

How does it work?

The process of reconditioning includes removing all interior and exterior pieces of the helmet and inspecting the headpiece inside and out, all the way down to the smallest screw. The entire helmet is cleaned and prepped to be refurbished. 

Once the helmet has been repainted, the decals are replaced, and everything is reattached your headgear is nearly finished! In order to be approved for play, the helmet will wear the NOCSAE seal, branded directly onto the helmet. If your helmet does not have this seal or the seal is altered, players risk being disqualified for not following uniform guidelines. 

So what about my facemask?

We just improved our facemask recon process and it’s easier than ever. We got you covered! When your mask’s coating has seen enough and is in desperate need of a recoat, we can do it for you. Rules state, when you see 5 or more areas of exposed metal on your mask, it’s time for reconditioning. 

Our process

When reconditioning a facemask, we take it through a process to ensure your facemask is not compromised and the service is of the highest quality. We inspect the mask for any breakage or signs of weakness. Once we have determined the structure is strong, we strip the old color off and recoat it in the color of your choice using powder coating. Facemasks that have completed our reconditioning process meet NOCSAE standards and return to the owner looking good as new. 

Watch and learn all about facemask reconditioning with the video below!

We recently updated our reconditioning page to make your ordering process easier than ever! Our work follows NOCSAE standards to keep you in the game. You can trust us with your facemasks!

All about the rest

There is no method to recondition a visor or a chinstrap. When the time comes and they are at the end of their lifespan, it’s time to replace them. These accessories can last for a while depending on your devotion to caring for them, but it’s likely they will not make it through an entire season. 

It is important to inspect every piece on your helmet after every game in order to stay within uniform quality standards. If your vision is compromised by a scratch in your visor or it begins to crack, it’s time to buy a replacement. You do not want to wear an ill-fitting chinstrap or question the security provided by your facemask. The number one priority of your headgear is to keep you safe, so ensuring your gear meets NOCSAE standards is vital. 

Now that you know all about reconditioning your headgear, keep yourself safe out there!