It is called the “360” and it has seen the field.  In the National Championship Game, Oregon Duck running back LaMicheal James donned this for its debut.  Brittany Sauser of Technology Review, published by MIT, wrote about the helmet today.

Riddell, the official equipment manufacturer of the NFL, has released a new type of helmet designed to help reduce concussions. The Riddell 360 reduces the force of impact to the front of a player’s head, where 70 percent of hits occur, says Thad Ide, Riddell’s senior vice president of research and development. Ide adds that 70 percent of concussions result from hits to the front of the helmet.

Riddell has gathered statistics on head injuries using its own HIT technology, a system that employs sensor-equipped helmets to measure the location, magnitude, and direction of hits experienced during a game or practice.

A lot has been made of the helmets being worn on the field, and they were tracked here on this blog.  As the number one producer of helmets for the sport of football, Riddell is doing its best to bring to market the best possible solution.  As we all know and the article states no helmet will prevent concussions from occurring; Continue reading →