Choosing a Field-Use Helmet

Preparation is key.

Football season usually begins around August, but this year things are a bit different. Season start-times are all over the place but honestly, we’re just glad teams are getting the chance to play in 2021! When preparing for the next season, it’s important to ensure that the the most important piece of gear, the helmet, has the previous season cleaned off and that it’s able to continue keeping players safe. 

What are the damages?

During the season, your gear can sustain damage that can affect a football player’s look, their representation of their team, or even the functionality of the helmet. Every removable part of your helmet needs to be inspected and cleaned after roughing a full season. These parts include the visor, facemask, chinstrap, padding, and hardware.

A football helmet can last up to 10 years, but it takes a lot of damage during the season. There are rules against DIY paint jobs to touch up your helmet. Breaking those rules can result in the removal of a player from the game, damage to the helmet shell, and possibly ruining the opposing team’s uniforms when the paint comes off.

If you want to get your helmet reconditioned, we recommend you go to a licensed helmet reconditioner, which you can find through NAERA.NET. The deconstruction of your helmet is a task that provides a good opportunity to give your gear a thorough inspection and should be done by professionals. It is very important to ensure that the helmet has not been compromised structurally, as it would be regarded as unsafe to use and would need to be replaced.

We can help.

At Green Gridiron, we recondition facemasks for professional and college teams as well as individual players. This is a fast and cost-effective way to renew your facemask. You'll know it's time to refresh your mask when there are 5 points of metal showing. We offer 35 standard colors for your choosing and can special-order paint and chrome options. 

Although visors are not required (yet). They are beneficial in improving optics and increasing safety for the player. Due to the virus, many teams are requiring visors this year. Since they are made of thin plastics and composites, visors are more fragile than the rest of the equipment and need to be inspected for any obstruction after use. Most pro and college teams only allow players to wear clear visors for games. If you want to wear a tinted or colored visor, talk to your coach about the guidelines for your uniform or if you have a condition that allows for an exception.

Making a purchase. 

If you do not want to recondition your used gear and you’re in the market for a new helmet, we stock a large variety of field-use helmets for youth and adult players. Don’t know your size? First, consider your age and the age of the group you will be playing against. For instance, if you are 14 years old but going against players that are 14 and older, you will need to wear an adult helmet. If you are 14 or younger and going against others that are 14 and younger, you will want to wear a youth helmet. Next, you will need to determine your helmet size. Take a tape measure and wrap it around from the back of your head to your forehead to find your head’s circumference. Below are some guidelines as to what size you will need, depending on what measurements you collected. Your size may also vary depending on what brand you select.

And there you have it! You have all the knowledge here to choose a field-use helmet that's right for you. If you have any questions or need an opinion, give us a call. Our helmet ninjas are happy to help!