AMERICAN FOOTBALL EQUIPMENTS

NFL – NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

D
Dicker-rod- The dicker-rod (also spelled dickerod) was used in the now defunct World Football
League in 1974 for the purpose of replacing the first down chains more commonly used in gridiron
football organizations. The device was invented and patented by George Dicker (for whom the
device is named) of Orange County, California.
The eponymous device was two and a half yards (90 inches) long. If a ball was placed on the 23-
yard line, a marker would be placed 2 yards up the dicker-rod at the 25-yard line. Then, in order to
measure whether a first down was attained, the dicker-rod would be laid down at the 35-yard line,
and the spot of the ball would be measured against the marker on the rod, which would now be at
the 33-yard line, 2 yards away from the 35-yard line.
The dicker-rod was intended for safety as a ten yard length of chain laying along the sideline was a
hazard for players. A full chain crew was not needed, and measurements could be completed by one
person instead of the typical three. Despite its elegant simplicity, the dicker rod never caught on
outside of World Football League, and the three-man chain measurement crew remains the standard
to this day.
E
Eyeshield- An eyeshield is a piece of football equipment. It is a visor that attaches to the helmet of a
player to protect the eyes. It leaves the mouth exposed and covers the eyes and nose. Only clear
eyeshields are allowed in high school football as the eyes are needed to be seen while checking for
concussions. On the college level, a tinted eyeshield may be used if the player has eye problems.
The NFL allows dark visors (smoke or black) and reflective mirror visors, but does not allow colored
or iridium visors.
The first football visors were made by Oakley and are currently being made by name brands such
as Nike and Under Armour as well as many other sports and eyewear companies.
F
Football helmet- The football helmet is a piece of protective equipment used mainly in American
football and Canadian football. It consists of a hard plastic shell with thick padding on the inside,
a face mask made of one or more plastic-coated metal bars, and a chinstrap. Each position has a
different type of face mask to balance protection and visibility, and some players
add polycarbonate visors to their helmets, which are used to protect their eyes from glare and
impacts. Helmets are a requirement at all levels of organized football, except for non-tackle
variations such as flag football. Although they are protective, players can and do still suffer head
injuries such as concussions.
G
Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer- Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer is a towel used by athletes to improve
their grip on sports equipment. The product releases a wax-based substance that repels moisture. It
is effective in sports that require good grips, such as American
football, baseball, golf, tennis, hockey, and weightlifting.
Major League Baseball in 2001 approved the use of Gorilla Gold in major and minor league games
as an alternative to pine tar. In 2012, National Football League (NFL) game officials were suspicious
of the San Diego Chargers' use of Gorilla Grip. The league later ruled that the Chargers did not
violate any rules by using the towels, but the NFL subsequently prohibited its use.
H
Head impact telemetry system- Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) is a hardware and software
system intended as a shock detector and logger; the hardware is embedded in football helmets and
transmits data to a computer.
The system was developed by Simbex, based on Lebanon, New Hampshire, in collaboration
with Virginia Tech, starting around 2000. By 2006 the system weighed about six ounces and had six
sensors, a small computer, a battery and a radio; helmets including the system were marketed
by Riddell and a set of 40 cost around $50,000 at that time. At that time nine NCAA football teams
and a high school team were testing it, and the NFL had decided it not well validated enough to use.
Helmet sticker - Helmet stickers, also known as reward decals and pride stickers, are stickers
that are affixed to a high school or college football player's helmet. They can denote either individual
or team accomplishments.
M
Mouthguard - A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to
prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. A mouthguard is most often used to
prevent injury in contact sports, as a treatment for bruxism or TMD, or as part of certain dental
procedures, such as tooth bleaching or sleep apnea. Depending on application, it may also be called
a mouth protector, mouth piece, gumshield, gumguard, nightguard, occlusal splint, bite
splint, or bite plane.
P
Penalty flag- The penalty flag (or just "flag") is a yellow cloth used in several field sports
including American football and lacrosse by game officials to identify and sometimes mark the
location of penalties or infractions that occur during regular play.
R
Revolution helmets - Revolution helmets are a line of football helmets. The helmet brand is the
most popular model in use in the National Football League, used by 83% of the players in the league
as of 2008.[1] The most recent model in the Revolution line is the Speedflex helmet. This model can
come equipped with Riddell's HITS Technology, which consists of a sensor in the helmet that relays
data regarding the severity of each hit to a computer system. [2] The Speedflex also features a built-in
hinged panel located on the front near the top. In head-on collisions, this panel gives by up to a
quarter of an inch (6 mm), helping to absorb the impact.
S
Shin guard- A shin guard or shin pad is a piece of equipment worn on the front of a player’s shin to
protect them from injury. These are commonly used in sportsincluding association
football, baseball, ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, cricket, mountain bike trials, and other sports.
This is due to either being required by the rules/laws of the sport or worn voluntarily by the
participants for protective measures.
Shoulder pads - The first football shoulder pads were created by Princeton student L.P. Smock in
1877. These were made of leather and wool and were thin, light, and did not provide much
protection. Additionally, they were sewn into the players' jerseys rather than being worn as a
separate piece of equipment. Allegedly Pop Warner was the first to have his players wear shoulder
pads.[2] When he was coaching at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, he was the first one to use
pads made of fiber rather than cotton.
T
Tee - A tee is a stand used to support a stationary ball so that the player can strike it, particularly
in golf, tee ball, American football, and rugby.
W
Winged football helmet - The winged football helmet is a helmet bearing a distinctive two-toned
painted design that typically has sharp outward curves over the forehead forming a wing. It is worn
by many high school and college American football teams, most popularly by the University of
Michigan Wolverines.