Helmets protect heads, not brains 

By Elliot F. Kaye and Edith Ramirez 

The phenomenon that is the Super Bowl will play out on Sunday in Levi’s Stadium. Yet, while 

the spotlight is on the pro game, we believe there is a need for more attention to an issue 

affecting the majority of athletes — those in high school and youth sports.

Hope of a promising school year on and off the field for many of these young athletes has sadly 

been overtaken by real concern — that a season of blows to the head could lead to significant 

brain injuries that may not be truly understood until later in life. 

As the leaders of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade 

Commission, we want parents, players and coaches to know that there is no helmet or device on 

the market that has been proven to prevent a concussion. Don’t believe anyone who says 

otherwise. 

Regardless of the sport, helmets are designed — and proven in almost all cases — to protect 

against catastrophic injuries, such as skull fractures and bleeding of the brain. 

But, helmets and other headgear have severe limitations when it comes to protecting a brain, 

especially that of a child. This may be counterintuitive, as it makes perfect sense to think that if a 

helmet protects your head, it must protect your head inside and out. 

Safety awareness is better than it was a generation ago and the sports safety culture is improving. 

Still, many parents wonder if there is a product they can buy to help keep their children safe from 

sports-related concussions and other serious brain injuries. Our answer: Save your money. 

We’re concerned that many athletes are relying on products, such as certain helmets and 

headbands, that do not live up to their concussion-reduction marketing. We are also concerned 

that parents, coaches and players are mistakenly relying exclusively on sensors, instead of 

qualified medical personnel or certified athletic trainers, to make decisions about player health 

and fitness to continue playing. 

The FTC has scrutinized concussion-protection claims in recent years for a variety of products, 

including football helmets and mouthguards. The agency settled a case in 2012 against a 

mouthguard manufacturer, Brain-Pad, Inc., and its president, after alleging that the company 

made false and unproven claims that Brain-Pad mouthguards reduced the risk of concussion. 

The FTC also investigated three major football helmet manufacturers, Riddell Sports Group, 

Inc., Schutt Sports, Inc., and Xenith, LLC, which resulted in them discontinuing potentially 

deceptive claims that their helmets reduced the risk of concussions. 
We also are working to accelerate change in the safety culture of youth sports, especially through 

efforts the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention have initiated with the five major professional sports leagues. 

Culture change involves teaching coaches to coach the game the right way, supporting the 

involvement of trained medical professionals, and not criticizing players who rightly sit it out 

when they might have suffered a brain injury. No matter the sport, if a young athlete is showing 

signs of a concussion, we say: “If in doubt, sit it out.” 

Teaching children to take care of their brains is the best investment to help them reach their full 

potential.

Elliot F. Kaye is the chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Edith Ramirez 

is the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission. This article was published in the San 

Francisco Chronicle on February 4, 2016.