NEW YORK -- The NFL for the first time is prohibiting certain helmets from being worn by players.
In notifying the 32 teams Monday, the league has sought to have players stop using 10 helmet varieties. Some of those, particularly those manufactured by Rawlings, no longer are being made and don't have support from the company. Others were found to as inferior to many of the 34 helmets the NFL and the players' union examined.
Previously, NFL players could choose any helmet as long as it passed certification standards. Six of the substandard helmets are prohibited immediately, while the other four may be worn by players who were using them in 2017 but not by new players.
Laboratory testing showed that the VICIS Zero 1 models of 2017 and 2018 rate best for player safety. A chart specifying top-to-bottom rankings for the 34 helmets is posted at every team's training facility.
