Sports That Require A Helmet

Physical activities always pose risks for athletes, so there are certain sports that require a helmet for safety reasons. Safety gear for sports often prevents injuries and reduces the risk of severe damage. Also, a helmet protects athletes even from fatal injuries. There is no wonder why it is so crucial to wear a helmet for the following activities.

Sports That Require A Helmet

Swords have always been deadly weapons, and though the hobby version of swordplay is much less violent, it holds plenty of dangers. Fencing is one of the sports that require a helmet. When two swordsmen compete, their goal is to score a hit on the allowed areas of the opponent’s body by stabbing or cutting moves. They also try to prevent the other fencer’s sword from touching them. If a disputable movement occurs, there are judges who decide who will receive a point based on the rules. 

Throughout history, people used the tools, in addition to their original purpose, for games and sports. Obviously, the weapons created for killing were gradually modified. Thus, the ancestor of the light, flexible sword is heavy, solid, and sharp. Dancing as a sport appeared at the end of the Renaissance when heavy weapons faded into the background, and lighter, more efficient weapons and clothing suitable for fighting, like breastplates and helmets, became widespread.

Taekwondo

According to Reddit, many people are disappointed that a lack of sports require a helmet. Taekwondo is a martial art of Korean origin dating back more than 2000 years, which is also one of the best-known and most widespread modern Olympic combat sports today. The athletes fight with their hands and feet according to strict rules.

This is one of the sports that require a helmet. Since they apply pretty brutal kicks to the head, using a helmet is necessary. In addition to its sporting nature, taekwondo has preserved and continues to keep its noble features alive. 

However, taekwondo is not just punches and kicks, not just a self-defense system or combat sport, but a lifestyle. Its purpose is to develop the spirit, mind, and body harmoniously. Many countries have included taekwondo in the education system, from primary schools to higher education. It has become an integral part of military and police training in several places. Its colorful and diverse competition system enables the competitors to meet and compete frequently.

The modern regulations, scoring, and examination system was developed based on the Olympic Charter. The protective equipment is impossible to confuse with any other sport. The red and blue breastplates, helmets, shin, forearm, and groin guards are clearly visible to the spectators and serve to distinguish the competitors. They also introduced mouthguards and gloves to keep the competitors safe.

Sports that Require a Helmet – BMX

The abbreviation of BMX stands for bicycle motocross, and the X symbolizes the cross. These bikes are not for traditional use. It is mostly the younger generations’ sport who are bold and love extreme sports. Without these two features, there is no point in trying BMX.

The athletes do daring stunts with their bikes, so helmets and other pieces of protective equipment are necessary. The origins of BMX go back to the 1970s when kids started doing motocross tricks on bikes in California.

However, the sport only achieved a real breakthrough at the beginning of the 1980s, after they released the movie E.T. From then, every kid in America asked for a BMX. The first world championship took place the same year, and the International BMX Federation was established in 1981.

The sport, as a cross-country event, was included in the Olympics in 2008. In this version, the competitors have to run at a high speed on a course full of smaller and more spectacular jumps and sharp turns. The other division, freestyle, has appeared on the Olympic program in Tokyo for the first time. The competitors have 60 seconds to perform various stunts that the judges score based on difficulty, originality, execution, and creativity. Check out the upcoming BMX events at 22BET Sportsbook!

Ice Hockey

Among the sports that require a helmet, Ice hockey is one of the roughest sports today. Without a helmet, they wouldn’t even let athletes play, as it would be life-threatening. Head and neck injuries are the most dangerous in every sport, but since hockey is an aggressive activity with rackets and sharp blades, protective equipment is a key part.

Most often, head injuries occur as a result of a collision or blow with a puck or stick, and the damage could vary between facial injuries, brain damage, or even death. 

Although the players wear special helmets, injuries still happen a lot, though they are minor. Unfortunately, several deaths and horror accidents occurred on the ice. You can look the news up at online sportsbook sites in Canada. Since it’s one of the sports where the players suffer the most head injuries, ice hockey is one of the sports that require a helmet! Though that does not hold the players back! Check out the upcoming ice hockey events at 22BET Sportsbook!

Sports that Require a Helmet

American football is just as dangerous as ice hockey regarding head injuries. In recent years, there have been more and more signs and studies about brain damage of veteran American football players. It’s silly, but almost every collision during a game affects the brain as a trauma that does not go away without a trace. The NFL is justifiably afraid of the results and the multi-million dollar compensation lawsuits. 

The amateur college league has been less shaken by these studies, though it’s probably not going to stay that way for long. It turned out that even one season of American football in college damages the brain long term. It doesn’t even require a concussion.

According to the concussion testing protocol, they check speech problems, coordination accuracy, and pupil reaction to light, among other things. If the players pass these tests, they usually let them back on the field soon. 

However, permanent brain damage does not necessarily require a concussion. Researchers from the University of Rochester in New York studied 38 college football players for one season. According to the results, more than two-thirds of the 38 athletes suffered midbrain injuries, even though only two had a concussion. On the following link, you can read the details of this common brain disease in the NFL! The results are worrying, considering the massive protective equipment they wear during games. 

Formula 1

Definitely one of the sports that require a helmet. Every motorsport requires a helmet for obvious reasons. It’s hard to believe, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the pioneers of car racing did not care about safety since they raced without helmets. In truth, cars could do far less than today, so it’s unimaginable that a driver competes without a helmet these days.

These pieces of protective equipment have saved many lives, including Felipe Massa. However, we can never talk about 100% safety in F1, which was unfortunately proven by Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident.

So cars and helmets must always be improved. The helmets are the most distinguishing thing on a competitor when they are wearing the entire gear, as everyone has a unique headgear. However, its job is far more crucial as it is the only thing that protects the pilot’s head if an accident occurs. If Massa had the same accident fifteen or twenty years before 2009, he might not have made it out alive. So, for safety’s sake, the FIA insists on a very tough test. According to FIA, they simulate the things that can damage the driver’s head.

New rules came into force in 2019, which provide even greater safety. They offer better ballistic protection and can absorb even more energy. The standard they use is called 8860-2018, but they always add new technologies after testing them. For example, they shoot a 225-gram metal plate at 250 km/h at the helmet, drop a ten-kilo weight on it from five meters, expose it to a 790-degree flame for 45 seconds, and even fire pellets with an air rifle at the part that shield the eyes. These changes started because of Massa’s accident but are still far from perfect.

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