Researchers Say Used Football Faceshields Break on Impact

Game-worn football faceshields - protective gear affixed to a helmet's facemask to guard against eye injuries and glare - are more susceptible to breaking than new ones when subjected to high-velocity impact, according to new research at The Ohio State University. In the study, researchers used an air cannon to hurl baseballs at new and used polycarbonate faceshields. All new shields withstood the strongest impact tested, which was designed to match the force of a kick to the face, but more than a third of the game-worn faceshields fractured during testing.

In a related survey of college football equipment managers, OSU researchers found that 98 percent of football programs allow faceshield use, while only 18 percent of the players wear a shield. Of the programs that responded, 21 percent require the use of a faceshield for players with poor vision in one eye, and half reported that their school had established a replacement policy for faceshields.

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