From USA Today:
Increased number of flying helmets raises concerns
By Thomas O'Toole, USA TODAY
Helmets are flying off college football players during games with alarming regularity.
Though evidence is anecdotal, the supervisor of Southeastern Conference officials says that in the course of watching games on a recent Saturday afternoon he counted 15 to 20 times helmets came off. The trend is raising injury concerns, generating equipment questions and could lead to a rules change.
"It seems clear there are more helmets coming off in the natural course of play," said Rogers Redding, SEC officials supervisor and secretary/rules editor for the NCAA football rules committee. "We see it a few times a game. It's not just with (the SEC) but nationally.
"I've noticed when players go to the sidelines ... it seems it's very easy to pull their helmets off. I don't know what's going on from a design standpoint. It just seems to slide on and slide off very easily. Players don't have to tug on it. ... It's almost like they flick it off."
The issue extends beyond colleges. Duane Summers, commissioner of football for the Mid-Coast Officials Association in Florida, said he had seen helmets pop off in high school games this year.
"If any of our officials see a strap loose before a play starts, he will stop the play," Summers said. "I get a feeling kids don't like them tight like they should be. As soon as they get off the field, they unsnap their helmet like it's uncomfortable. I don't know if it's discipline or comfort."
Said Cocoa Beach (Fla.) High head coach Tony Piccalo: "If there's a problem at the high school level, it's one of two things: chin straps or the helmet is not fitted properly."
The NFL conducted a detailed helmets study, mostly because of concussion concerns. Spokesman Greg Aiello, in an e-mail, said, "We require chin straps to be buckled for safety reasons, and I do not think flying helmets is a significant issue for us."
At least one helmet manufacturer said reasons for helmets coming off were varied.
"The players maybe aren't wearing the correct size helmet; maybe they're not being fit properly. There could be some design flaws," said Rod Trafford, a former NFL player and now southeast regional sales manager for Xenith, the newest major helmetmaker. "It seems the past two or three years, it's become an epidemic."
Redding said SEC game officials had not noticed chin straps being unbuckled but wonders if the straps were loose and if the helmets fit properly. Most helmets have four snaps.
Redding said helmets are a topic among the rules committee. "Just wondering if there is something we can do," he said.
One possibility, Redding said, would be to require a player whose helmet comes off in the normal course of play to sit out the next down, much like a player must do if time is stopped for an injury. Redding acknowledged such a rule "could open a can of worms" because players might argue their helmets were pulled off by opponents.
But a rule could force teams to take a serious look at the way helmets are fitted. As it is now, Redding said there is little incentive to deal with it.
He sees few instances of helmets being pulled off but more coming off in the course of a play. "You mostly see it when a player is being tackled and his momentum is stopped quickly and his headgear keeps going," he said.
Two college rules deal with helmets on the field. If a ballcarrier's helmet comes off, the play is immediately whistled dead for safety reasons. And other than during a timeout or while being treated for an injury, players on the field cannot remove their helmets (though officials have room for interpretation).
The process for a new rule would start with a survey the American Football Coaches Association sends to coaches Nov. 1. Redding said he will consider asking the AFCA to include questions about helmets, including if the coaches would support having a player sit out a play should the helmet come off.
The AFCA discusses possible rules changes at its annual convention in January and makes recommendations. The NCAA rules committee uses that input in its deliberations.
"In relation to concussions, it's certainly a significant issue," said Grant Teaff, AFCA executive director. "It's a reason we have the helmet in the first place, to protect the student-athlete. That's an issue we're very much for looking into."
Teaff said he would welcome survey questions from Redding, though he had reservations about making anyone sit out for a play.
"That's tantamount in many ways to a penalty," Teaff said. "(It would) probably be inappropriate to penalize someone if it's the equipment's fault. But we work closely with Rogers. So we would entertain anything Rogers would come up with."
