Baseball Batter's Helmet Fact Sheet

GET A HEADS UP ON

Batter’s Helmet Safety

While there is

no concussion-

proof helmet, a

batter’s helmet

can help protect

your athlete from

a serious brain or

head injury.

The information

in this handout

will help you learn

what to look for

and what to avoid

when picking out

a helmet for

your baseball or

softball player.

Start with the Right Size:

BRING THE ATHLETE

Bring your athlete with you when buying a new helmet to make

sure that you can check for a good ﬁt.

HEAD SIZE

To ﬁnd out your athlete’s head size, wrap a soft tape measure

around the athlete’s head, just above their eyebrows and ears. Make

sure the tape measure stays level from front to back. (If you don’t

have a soft tape measure, you can use a string and then measure it

against a ruler.)

SIZES WILL VARY

Helmet sizes often will vary from brand-to-brand, so it’s important

to check out the helmet brand’s ﬁt and sizing charts to ﬁnd out

what helmet size ﬁts your athlete’s head size.

Get a Good Fit:

GENERAL FIT

A batter’s helmet should ﬁt snugly all around, with no spaces

between the pads and the athlete’s head. Your athlete should NOT

wear anything under his or her batter’s helmet.

This includes a

baseball hat!

ASK

Ask your athlete how the helmet feels on their head. While it needs

to have a snug ﬁt, a helmet that is too tight can cause headaches.

HAIRSTYLE

An athlete should try on the helmet with the hairstyle he or she will

wear for practices and games. Helmet ﬁt can change if the athlete’s

hairstyle changes considerably. For example, a long-haired player

who gets a very short haircut will need to adjust the ﬁt of the

helmet.

COVERAGE

A batter’s helmet should not sit too high or low on their head. To

check, make sure the ear holes line up with the athlete’s ears. When

the athlete is looking straight forward, the bill of the batter’s helmet

should be parallel to the ground. Also, the bottom of the pad

inside the front of the helmet should be 1 inch above the athlete’s

eyebrows.

VISION

Make sure you can see the athlete’s eyes and that he or she can see

straight forward and side-to-side.

Take Care of the Helmet:

CHECK FOR DAMAGE

DO NOT allow your athlete to use a cracked or broken

helmet or a helmet that is missing any padding or parts.

Check for missing or loose padding before the season and

regularly during the season. Parents or athletes should not

attempt to repair helmet damage on their own.

CLEANING

Clean the helmet often inside and out with warm water and

mild detergent. DO NOT soak any part of the helmet, put it

close to high heat, or use strong cleaners.

PROTECT

DO NOT let anyone sit or lean on the helmet.

STORAGE

Do not store a batter’s helmet in a car. The helmet should

be stored in a room that does not get too hot or too cold

and where the helmet is away from direct sunlight.

DECORATION

DO NOT decorate (paint or put stickers on) the helmet

without checking with the helmet manufacturer, as this

may affect the safety of the helmet. This information

may also be found on the instructions label or on the

manufacturer’s website.

Look for the Labels:

LOOK FOR A BATTER’S HELMET WITH LABELS

THAT:

Say “MEETS NOCSAE Standard®”

as certiﬁed either

by the manufacturer or by SEI

. That label means that

the helmet model has been tested and meets NOCSAE

performance and protection standards.

• State whether the helmet can be recertiﬁed. If

not, look for the label that speciﬁes when the

certiﬁcation to the NOCSAE standard expires.

• Specify how frequently the helmet must be

reconditioned and recertiﬁed.

• Have the date of manufacture. This information will

be helpful if the manufacturer has: speciﬁed a useful

life of the helmet; speciﬁed that the helmet may not

be reconditioned and recertiﬁed; or if there is ever a

recall on that particular model or year.

If the helmet is not new, you should also look for a label

that includes the date the helmet was expertly repaired

and approved for use (reconditioned/recertiﬁed.

Know When to Replace a Batter’s

Helmet:

CHECK THE LABEL

Be sure to follow safety labels on the helmet on when to

replace the helmet. Some batter’s helmets have a label that

says that it should not be reconditioned. Helmets with this

label will also include how long the helmet can be used.

However, some of these helmets may need to be replaced

sooner, depending upon wear and tear.

RECONDITIONING AND RECERTIFICATION

Reconditioning involves having an expert repair a used

helmet by: ﬁxing cracks or damage, replacing missing

parts, testing it for safety, and approving it for use. Helmets

should be reconditioned regularly by a licensed NAERA

member. DO NOT allow your athlete to use a used helmet

that has not been recently recertiﬁed for use by a NAERA

reconditioner.

National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic

Equipment: www.nocsae.org

National Athletic Equipment Reconditioning Association:

www.naera.net

WWW.CDC.GOV/HEADSUP

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