Playing the game without proper gear would be dangerous, and could even result in the death of a player. While there is no guarantee of safety from the proper protective gear, the chances of injury will allegedly be less if a football player wears a helmet and other protective items. In 1968, for example, there were 32 fatalities in organized football (NOCSAE, n.d.). Because of the deaths and injuries, NOCSAE was formed in 1969 to analyze the problem and start making recommendations for injury reduction in organized and sandlot football.

In 1970, the real work began to establish a standard of safety for football helmets. Quality control became very important, and many of the models of helmets that were used in the past were either eliminated or drastically changed (NOCSAE, n.d.). A test was conducted in 1975 using the new criteria, and nearly 85% of the helmets that were used...
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