HELMETS!

[jfoo13]

Hey guys -
Im new to the forum but I know a little bit about lacrosse. I played through highschool but my college doesnt have a team. Anyways, I'm a design student doing research on lacrosse helmets for my thesis. The helmet seems to be the big complaint as far as armor goes and Im planning on making it my senior project.

My big question is why doesnt lacrosse incorporate clear face sheilds like hockey and football? My research into NOCSAE hasnt turned up anything yet. Any information regarding this or any suggestions on lacrosse armor is greatly appreciated. THANKS!
Jon

[moondog]

I had this same question years ago, when the C2 came out, and it is a very good question. My only possible guess is that maybe the clear face shield could scratch, but that is only a guess, and a weak reason not to have them.
I am a former hockey player, and I always anticipated that the future of lacrosse would ultimately include clear face masks for COMPLETE vision, along with an even lighter helmet.
Not sure.

[RockStar]

A few guesses at reasons:

1) Clear shields might be bad for cool weather games (FOG!!!), or hot weather games (SWEAT).

2) For safety, you'd need a thicker, or at least more dense shield than for hockey - this might lead to excessive optical distortion

3) If you eat turf after a bad hit, you'd still be able to see through bars, but you'd have wicked mud/grass smears on a clear shield.

4) scratches are a consideration - sticks are carried higher in laX than in hockey and there's more glances off the head.

Not sure why you'd want a clear shield over a good set of bars anyway....the sightlines through the bars are actually very good these days, and I'd take steel over plastic any day when it comes to protection! The only reason I ever wore a clear shield (half visor) for hockey was because the only legal alternate was a square-grill full facecage with one inch openings. If the cat-eye cages, or lacrosse cages had not been illegal for hockey, I'd have gone with the bars.

[freestylewalkin]

my guess is a ball could shatter the glass and it could be a serious health risk

[stinisonfire]

Well put RockStar

[WHEELAX2]

my initial thought is that the ball travels on a much higher plane than a hockey puck, etc.. and I'm not sure how many psi those clear shields are rated at..

[Guardian]

my personial oppion is that im fine with the helmet with out the visor. and being a umm hefty bot it would make it hotter than it needs to be in there

[laxfan25]

I believe with some of the new polycarbonate materials onthe market that face shields could be made that are shatterproof, but the bigger issue to me would be that you're basically playing in an astronauts helmet, since the shield would need to cover the full face. Hot, foggy from your breath, etc. You can always just add a clear eye shield to your existing helmet, but if your goal is to get rid of the bars, I don't think this is the answer.

[RockStar]

A few guesses at reasons:.....

2) For safety, you'd need a thicker, or at least more dense shield than for hockey - this might lead to excessive optical distortion
.......

I'm an idiot, this can be done.

(If a visor can be rated to protect your head for motorcycle travel at 50 MPH plus, it'll probably stop a lacrosse ball without shattering!)

I think all my other reasons are still valid.

[ninja man 111]

none of you guys have oakly visors in football, i do, there scratch proof, fog resistent, and all dirt wipes off but you dont really need to worry about that since most fields are turf

[Kwick_STX]

A few guesses at reasons:

1) Clear shields might be bad for cool weather games (FOG!!!), or hot weather games (SWEAT).

2) For safety, you'd need a thicker, or at least more dense shield than for hockey - this might lead to excessive optical distortion

3) If you eat turf after a bad hit, you'd still be able to see through bars, but you'd have wicked mud/grass smears on a clear shield.

4) scratches are a consideration - sticks are carried higher in laX than in hockey and there's more glances off the head.

Not sure why you'd want a clear shield over a good set of bars anyway....the sightlines through the bars are actually very good these days, and I'd take steel over plastic any day when it comes to protection! The only reason I ever wore a clear shield (half visor) for hockey was because the only legal alternate was a square-grill full facecage with one inch openings. If the cat-eye cages, or lacrosse cages had not been illegal for hockey, I'd have gone with the bars.

Besides 4, all of those things happen in Hockey/Football. My friend used a visor (I didn't) in football and a few weeks ago he had to keep wiping it clean. So I know #1 can't be right.
#2 - Why would you need a denser/thicker shield than for football/hockey???
#3 - Happens in football, just wipe it off.

I just don't see a use for visors in general.

-STX

[Eclipse]

plus havent you guys seen the pics of the one powell was sporting? It went under his mask anyway so it wouldnt get dirty and like ninja said there scratch proof, and fog resistant. The only downfall would be difficulty seeing at night (unless it was clear) and during rain.

[Snake~eyes]

I cannot think of one realisticly good advantage to wearing a clear faceshield in Lacrosse.

[ColtsLax]

keeps dust and dirt out of contact lenses, because debris in them can take you out of a game

[shoebag2000]

Like people have said, it would have to cover your entire face, meaning it would be much more prone to fogging, unless you did a kind of hybrid mask, with lexan or whatever over your eyes and a grill over the lower half of your face. Also, keep this in mind. Have you EVER seen a hockey goalie wearing a clear facemask? I know I haven't. I don't claim this as a fact, just as an opinion, but I would think that this is because he is much more likely to be hit in the face with a fast shot. Now think about it from a lacrosse perspective. You are even more likely to be hit in the facemask, even if you are not a goalie, and the ball is consistently moving fast when shot, not to mention that it is heavier than a hockey puck. (I'm not 100% sure on that one, someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

As for a lighter helmet, I don't think that they can get much lighter and stay in the same price range. Already you pay more for lighter helmets due to titanium and such. If they were to use a lighter substance for the shell that was just as strong, I'll bet that it would be more expensive and would drive up the price of helmets even more. Personally, I'm happy with my helmet and wouldn't change it, it was expensive enough as is.

[RockStar]

Besides 4, all of those things happen in Hockey/Football. My friend used a visor (I didn't) in football and a few weeks ago he had to keep wiping it clean. So I know #1 can't be right.
I'm not sure what your argument is here. Mine was that visors fog, and are a pain. If you don't actually need a visor, why on earth would you wear one prone to fogging?

#2 - Why would you need a denser/thicker shield than for football/hockey???
I've split an Itech in half with a shot.......Ask the guy who was wearing that if he thinks he needed a thicker one ( For the record, I was shooting with my off hand and I doubt I shoot harder than mid 80s on my good side). I guess if you've still got the iron bars, you don't need a thicker visor, but if you're looking to get rid of the cage, you certainly do.


....not to mention that it is heavier than a hockey puck. (I'm not 100% sure on that one, someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

I'm pretty sure you're wrong (ball 5 oz., puck 6 oz., I think).

Of course this is kind of telling, given that I split a piece of designed-for-hockey equipment in half with less energy than it could seen in a hockey game......Maybe visors are only designed to keep sticks out of your face. Hockey goalies certainly don't wear them.


#3 - Happens in football, just wipe it off.

Well, yes, but in football the play usually stops soon after you eat turf, and you have several seconds of dead ball time to clean the visor before the next play. You don't get that opportunity in any form of lacrosse I've ever seen.

[zak]

Put shaving cream on the visor, leave for a minute or two, and then wipe it off. No more fog. It might not work on visors, but i know it does on glass.

[rosslax37]

Ok here is my 2 cents worth.... If helmet companies were to make a regular mask but use a clear material it could cause problems seeing the ball. Since in a regular mask the light waves go straight through the openings and dont penetrate through the mask bars your eyes can focus on the game or the ball. However if if the bars were clear the light rays would refract through the bars causeing a distorted view and a very hard time trying to catch the ball. If you do not believe me fill a glass full of water put ur head down on a table and pass an object behind it. As you can see when the rays enter a new medium the rays do not pass through as the same speed as air and actually bend. I dont know if there is anyway to get across this dilema but i know its a large one that might take some research to get across.

[LaxRef]

Um, I think they're talking about a clear faceshield, not changing the current metal bars on the mask to a clear material.

[kp10]

Hey guys -
Im new to the forum but I know a little bit about lacrosse. I played through highschool but my college doesnt have a team. Anyways, I'm a design student doing research on lacrosse helmets for my thesis. The helmet seems to be the big complaint as far as armor goes and Im planning on making it my senior project.

My big question is why doesnt lacrosse incorporate clear face sheilds like hockey and football? My research into NOCSAE hasnt turned up anything yet. Any information regarding this or any suggestions on lacrosse armor is greatly appreciated. THANKS!
Jon


HI man i think that is a great idea. tell me if u are thinking about making one. Im very interested. KEEP ME UPDATED!

[NuKoN]

I think some sort of Eye Shield / Cage thing will be implemented in time, I heard that some company had oen as a prototype (DB?) but never followed thru.

[rjattack19]

WHAT R U GUYS TALKING ABOUT...i cant beleive that none of u have ever seen a visor on a lax helmet

[Tex71]

thats because they are talking about clear face sheilds instead of bars on a lacrosse helmet. not anything about visors on lax helmets because all field helments have a visor on them. the thread was started with a question on why they do not have clear face sheilds on helmets for better vision not anything about visors. maybe you should read the thread before you post.

[LaxRef]

There is also a terminolgy problem, since "visor" is used for both the part that sticks out like the brim of a hat and for the clear face shield that goes under the bars of the mask. (Or maybe not clear, but then it's illegal.)

[tomahawks11]

there cant be any advantagees to wearing one of those for lacrosse

[LaxRef]

there cant be any advantagees to wearing one of those for lacrosse

If you trash talk a lot it keeps your opponents from spitting in your face.

[Laxref_36]

The face shield/visor does provide a extra level of protection for the players eyes. It will keep them safe from dirt, rocks and wind blown objects. As a player/coach you have to balance the increase in protection against the possible discomfort factor.

[atacklax]

I would never get one. I like having as much protection as possible and plus, they're just not practical. Fog, scratches, dirt... You'd need a new one every few weeks. In my opinion facemasks have evolved far enough (except maybe materials).