What Parents Need to Know Before Purchasing a Football Helmet

A 2021 study even found that 71.4% of helmets were fit improperly for youth football players (ages 7-12).

The good news is that there are new safety standards coming into play from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), but style, size, and fit are also critically important when it comes to your athlete’s safety. And unfortunately, it can get confusing and expensive.

TrueSport Expert Dennis Coonan, MSE, LAT, ATC, Manager of the Sports Medicine Center and athletic trainer at Children’s Hospital Colorado, breaks it down for parents and coaches—from updated safety standards to concussion myths and smart price checks.

NOCSAE Certification

“Helmet technology is always advancing,” Coonan says. “You look back at helmets on the market even 20 years ago, and you kind of shudder to think that's what people were wearing to protect themselves. There has been progress in a variety of ways; for example, there are a lot more ways to customize the fit now and that makes a big difference. Helmets have also become lighter weight in some ways, so that helps. And they've created new types of impact zones that help deflect some of the force going to the skull.”

When it comes to youth sport, NOCSAE released the first youth football helmet standard (ND006) on February 7, 2025, effective September 1, 2027, targeting risks like impact frequency, type, location, and force for players under high school age. The helmet must weigh no more than 3.5 pounds, including the facemask and any attachments, and it must be meet a standard that limits how quickly a head can rotate/twist during an impact.

When shopping for a helmet, look for the “Meets NOCSAE Standards” label (details here). “If a helmet has that NOCSAE label on it, it has gone through rigorous testing to meet those safety standards,” says Coonan. Until 2027, you can check the Safety Equipment Institute site for compliant models.​

The Purpose of a Helmet

It’s important that caregivers understand what a football helmet is designed to do—and what it isn’t. “A football helmet, just like any other helmet for athletics, is designed to minimize significant injury to the skull, including fractures, lacerations, and contusions,” says Coonan. “It is not preventing concussions, despite popular belief. And that is often a misnomer, where people think that if they buy the top of the line helmet, then their kid is going to be protected from concussions. There is no research that shows that helmets protect from concussion. They do protect from other head injuries, though.”

He adds that some brands will mention things like “decreasing force on the head” when marketing their football helmet. But as Coonan explains, “You can add as much padding as you want on the outside, but the reality is that the head moves around when it’s impacted and the brain essentially sloshes around and slams into the skull, which is how concussions occur. There's no technology that will stop the slosh.”

Helmet Style

Different positions need specific styles. For example, “There are different face masks for different positions,” Coonan explains. So, in addition to checking for the NOCSAE seal, make sure that the helmet is suitable for the position that they’re playing.

Youth helmets also differ from adult ones. “Somebody who's 18 versus a kid who's 12 will have very different needs for a helmet,” says Coonan. “Just because your athlete saw their favorite player wearing a certain helmet doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your athlete.”

Helmet Weight

Weight matters, especially for kids, as heavier helmets strain kids' weaker necks. “Younger kids have weaker neck muscles, and a heavier helmet can fatigue the neck,” says Coonan. “When neck fatigue starts, the neck starts to drop a little bit, and they start losing form when they're tackling or when they're getting tackled. And there's also a correlation between neck strength and concussion risk. Some studies show that a stronger neck can help protect the head from getting whipped around, and therefore lead to less concussion risk, but if your neck has been fatigued from a helmet that's too heavy, it can potentially lead to an increased risk of concussion.”

Given this data, new standards keep youth helmets under 3.5 pounds to help address the issue.

A 2021 study even found that 71.4% of helmets were fit improperly for youth football players (ages 7-12).

The good news is that there are new safety standards coming into play from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), but style, size, and fit are also critically important when it comes to your athlete’s safety. And unfortunately, it can get confusing and expensive.

TrueSport Expert Dennis Coonan, MSE, LAT, ATC, Manager of the Sports Medicine Center and athletic trainer at Children’s Hospital Colorado, breaks it down for parents and coaches—from updated safety standards to concussion myths and smart price checks.