The Riddell Speedflex football helmet flexes to absorb hits and reduce the risk of serious head injuries to football players. With football season now underway amid a growing awareness of the short-term and long-term impact of head hits, this kind of technology may well serve to make the game safer.
The Speedflex football helmet has a hinged rubber-padded panel located on the front near the top. The panel has a 6 millimeter give, enabling it to absorb the impact of head-on collisions. Additionally, it has a stainless steel face mask that takes up some of the force. The mask attaches to the helmet at four points on either side of the pace rather than at just one point, distributing the force of impact evenly throughout the helmet.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Flexible Football Helmets
- The development of flexible football helmets presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the sports safety equipment industry.
- Head Injury Prevention
- The increasing awareness of head injuries in sports creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in protective gear across various sporting industries.
- Impact-absorbing Technology
- Advancements in impact-absorbing technology can lead to disruptive innovation in protective equipment beyond football, such as in cycling, hockey, and other contact sports.
Where This Applies
- Sports Safety Equipment
- The development of flexible football helmets can disrupt the sports safety equipment industry by setting a new standard for impact protection.
- Professional Sports
- The push for improved head injury prevention in professional sports offers opportunities for disruptive innovation in athlete protection and safety protocols.
- Consumer Goods
- The demand for safer sports equipment from parents and athletes can disrupt the consumer goods industry and drive the development of innovative protective gear.
