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By Marty Maciaszek
NSGA Team Dealer Division Director
and
Tom Van Jacobs
NSGA Marketing Coordinator
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (July 28, 2021) – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) held its Summer Standards Committee meeting on July 23. The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) attended the meeting virtually and provides this recap:
NOCSAE approved an effective date for standard ND200-21, the Test Method and Performance Specification Used in Evaluating The Performance of Protectors for Commotio Cordis, of Jan. 31, 2023. For impact protocol, the protector will be positioned according to the manufacturers fitting instructions. The board accepted the revisions.
The change to the standard does not prohibit a manufacturer who meets the new standard earlier than the effective date of Jan. 31, 2023 from bringing a product to market. Products in compliance with ND200-19 can continue to be sold after the Jan. 31, 2023 effective date but can no longer be manufactured.
“The new standard does not obsolete product currently certified in the field,” said Mike Oliver, NOCSAE Executive Director.
NOCSAE confirmed there are no plans to have a fast-pitch softball standard for commotio cordis at this time.
“The number of commotio cordis events documented in fast-pitch softball is zero or maybe one,” Oliver said. “It’s a different ball with a different diameter and different mass.”
Standard ND081-18am21 Pneumatic Ram Test Method made a modification and added equipment specifications for youth helmet testing.
ND006-21 Standard Performance Specification for Newly Manufactured Youth Football Helmets. The proposed standard is still in draft status. The NOCSAE Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) offered updated recommendations based on testing of current youth helmets by the Southern Impact Research Center (SIRC). It recommends having two impact velocities and two pass/fail criteria within the same standard to account for the two distinct age groups (ages 5-8 and 9-14) that fall within the youth age category.
The standard would have the same drop test as current standard ND002. Would have different Pneumatic Ram and a helmet mass limit of 3.5lb. The pass/fail would be for all headform sizes and not just medium.
Standard ND201-21 Laboratory Procedural Guide for Certifying Newly Manufactured Protectors for commotio cordis. This modification updates the document to reflect changes made to performance standard.
Possible standard development for non-contact (flag) football headgear continued to be discussed. NOCSAE vice president Dr. Robert Cantu said “hard data is not available. The question not known is if regular football helmets will be safer than anything less, but do you need that degree of safety?”
Oliver mentioned that problems with flag football are significant injuries to the face and facial, nose and orbital fractures.
NOCSAE also reaffirmed these standards for five more years:
- ND043-11m16 Standard Performance Specification for Recertified Lacrosse Helmets
- ND035-11m16 Standard Performance Specification for Newly Manufactured Ice Hockey Face Protectors
- ND032-11m16 Standard Performance Specification for Recertified Ice Hockey Helmets
- ND030-11m16 Standard Performance Specification for Newly Manufactured Ice Hockey Helmets