By: Tyler Rastia

Key Points  How equipment began  Equipment of today and the future  Significant rule changes  Is it enough?

Helmet History  Helmet began as leather in 1893  Some padding was introduced during the time of World War II  Head injuries were becoming a significant concern  1950 was when plastic helmets were created

Helmet Future  Helmets are constantly improving and a great example is the Riddell 360  Concussion proof padding can significantly reduce the impact of a hit  More future improvements include air cooled padding and in game brain monitoring

Shoulder Pad History  Shoulder pads were first introduced by stitching leather to inside of the player’s jersey  Leather was not strong enough to protect against hits so plastic shoulder pads were created in 1939  Players assumed the thicker the plastic, the more protection

Shoulder Pad Future  Theory of thicker plastic makes for more protection is gone  Harder material is used taking place of fabrics such as nylon  With the new material, players can have just as much protection without sacrificing speed and mobility  Temperature Management System allows for air cooled shoulder pads

Knee and Thigh Pads  Idea of knee and thigh pads originated from rugby  Early padding was once again made of leather  Foam padding has taken the place of leather in today’s game  Knee and thigh pads have generally stayed the same over the years other than different foam materials

Rule Changes  Head injuries have become a significant concern in today’s game  In 2010 the NFL made a rule that a defensive player is not allowed to hit an offensive player with the crown of the helmet  2010 also year defenseless receiver rule and helmet to helmet rule was made  2013 is the year offensive players can’t hit defensive players with the crown of their helmet

Rule Changes Continued  2013 is also the year knee and thigh pads are required for all players  Rule changes have created a lot of controversy over the years, but they definitely are helping to make the game of football safer

Conclusion  There is no way to completely make the game of football safe. And there is no one way to make the game of football safer. Equipment is doing very well at giving players more protection during games but equipment alone cannot improve player safety. With equipment getting the help of the rule changes in place now and future rule changes to come, safety in the game of football will continue to be improved