Banned From Use: Why I don't allow headgear under helmets

It is steadily becoming more popular for football players to wear some form of head covering underneath their helmets.  Some claim it keeps them cooler, others admit to doing it just so they "look cool."  It is all well and good for a player to want to look cool on the field, but unfortunately when it comes to wearing things that alter their equipment, it simply isn't safe. Football helmets are fitted specifically to an athlete's head at the beginning of each season.  When helmets are given out, most kids are not already wearing their other head gear, and even a fractional addition like a skull cap or bandana can change the fit of the helmet drastically.

Skull Cap, manufactured by Under Armour

If you're not familiar with the term, a skull cap is a spandex, form-fitting piece of headgear that tightly grips a player's head and is designed to keep sweat out of the eyes, similar to how a headband might work.  If they are used as they are designed, skull caps are quite effective at wicking the sweat away from a player's face - a player who isn't wearing a helmet.  The problem comes when a helmet is added to the mix.  Skull caps are made of a slippery material that only becomes more mobile as it gets wet, or in this case soaked with sweat.  Football helmets are able to remain stationary on an athlete's head because the skin and hair that they rest on provide enough friction against the inner padding to keep the helmet in place if it is fitted and tightened correctly.  A sweat-soaked skull cap sitting under the helmet does not provide enough friction to stop the helmet from slipping, even slightly, in any direction.  A helmet that is sliding around on a player's head does not fit properly and causes an increased risk of concussion and TBI.  

Like skull caps, many athletes wear bandanas under their helmets under the belief of keeping themselves cool and keeping sweat out of the eyes.  Unfortunately, the bandana like the skull cap can cause the helmet to slip about on a player's head.  Additionally, because bandanas must be tied to the head, the knot can often settle underneath the helmet, causing not only discomfort but additional motion on the head, again increasing the risk of concussion or TBI.


Is it ever safe to wear head gear under the helmet?

I do have several very specific exceptions to my "no head gear" rule.  The first being the wearing of a head covering for religious reasons, and the second being if an athlete has excessive amounts of hair.  Athletes with dreadlocks or large poofy hair have a harder time fitting into their football helmets with ease.  If you have an athlete with a large amount of hair that does not want to cut their hair for the season, then I do recommend wearing some type of head gear under the helmet, however the helmet must be fitted while the head gear is on the athlete, in order to ensure proper fit.

In all, a skull cap or bandana underneath the helmet is completely unnecessary, equipment altering, and potentially dangerous.  Unless an athlete must wear head wear for religious reasons or an athlete has excessive amounts of hair that need to be kept out of the way, any head covering underneath the football helmet should be avoided.