Patent ID: 7058989

Claim:
A method for providing a protective device that protects the head of a sports player and conforms to a player's head comprising the steps of: a. sizing a length of elastic to conform comfortably to a player's head, wherein the elastic consists of an inner surface and an outer surface; b. securing the ends of the elastic to each other to form a continuous loop; c. preparing first polygonal shapes constructed of a hard elastic material selected from the group consisting of rubber and leather, wherein the polygonal shapes are of uniform vertical height and thickness; d. adhesively aligning the polygonal shapes along the outer surface of the elastic such that each lateral edge of each of the shapes touches the next polygonal shape when the elastic is in an unexpanded state; e. expanding the elastic to the size of a player's head to reveal a space between the lateral sides of each adjacent first polygonal shape on the outer surface; f. preparing second polygonal shapes constructed of a hard elastic material selected from the group consisting of rubber and leather, wherein each second polygonal shape is sized to fit perfectly between the spaces between the lateral sides of each adjacent first polygonal shape on the outer surface, wherein the second polygonal shapes are of the same uniform vertical height and thickness as the first polygonal shapes; g. adhesively applying the second polygonal shapes to the elastic in each space between the lateral sides of each adjacent first polygonal shapes between the first polygonal shapes such that the outer surface is a smooth, continuous surface; h. adhesively applying a material comprising cotton, rubber, nylon, and elastic to the inner surface; and i. securing the headband about the player's head.