Last updated on October 30th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
In 1998, the NFL league banned using tinted football visors in games. Unless a player was cleared for medical reasons, like to reduce migraines from the sun or lights, players could not use tinted visors. This ban was that medical trainers could not see the player’s eyes if they got injured. Taking off the player’s helmet could be risky due to a possible head or neck injury, so the league created the mandate.
Entering the 2019 NFL season, the National Football League now allows some tinted visors for players to use. One reason for bringing back tinted visors was finding a suitable partner to make them, Oakley. The second reason for the tinted visor was a way to market individual players better, which is always a goal of the NFL.
NFL Visor Rules
Any player who would like to wear a heavily tinted visor must have medical clearance from their doctor and the league. All players wearing a clear visor do not need any clearance from any medical professional.
Pros: Why Football Players Wear Visors
Eye Injury Protection
Some football players choose to put a visor of clear plastic to prevent an eye injury. Ways players damage their eyes are from getting kicked or poked in the eye when colliding into other players on the field. Payers can accumulate dirt and grass into their eyes when falling to the ground, so this visor prevents that.
Reduce Facemask Penalties and Injuries
With the visor attached to the helmet, a defenseman can’t grab your facemask. Having this layer of protection gives running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers more safety when holding on to the ball from an offensive side. The visor does not allow any opening for a defenseman to grab unto, so it makes brining you down even more challenging.
Mental Game
Playing with a visor can give a football player extra mental courage because they won’t fear getting their eyes injured. Player safety is critical for all players, so having some fear set aside can elevate your game. Eliminating the fear of getting ripped down by a facemask or getting poked in the eye can elevate your game.
Intimidation Game
Wearing a visor can make you look more intimidating on the field. Depending on the tint color, your eyes may be difficult to pick up from your opponent. As your opponent stares into you before a play and can’t see your eyes, they may feel like they are going up against something bigger than themselves.
Looking Good
A way football players can make themselves stand out on the field is by wearing a visor. Not all players in the National Football League wear a visor, so you already stand out from the norm. Adding a dark or tinted visor can boost your confidence since you feel good about yourself on the field.
Cons: Why Players Don’t Wear Visors
Distorted Field of View
While there are plenty of reasons to wear a visor, there are some downsides to this face shield. One issue is that a player’s field of view becomes significantly reduced. The brand Oakley does not give you any distorted picture due to the material’s 3D design shape. Other brands like Nike provide a 2D shape view, which can distort your view while on the field.
Reduced Airflow
Wearing a helmet visor creates less air flow circulation to you when on the field. Due to the eye shield covering up your eyes and nose, you only have airflow circulation to your mouth. When playing a football game in extreme heat, or naturally becoming tired on the field can make breathing difficult.
Scratches Happen Often
When playing with a visor, you can expect the protective material to get scratches. Scratches on a helmet visor can occur in many ways, but playing with a scratch (or scratches) can become distracting. Most of the time, you should carry an extra visor just if your current one becomes too damaged when playing football. Most NFL players can go through a visor a game, but players on a budget like in High School or College will have to learn how to play with scratched up visors.
Rain, Snow, and Fog Issues
When playing football during a snow or rain game, your visor becomes a liability. Imagine driving your car through a rainstorm without using your windshield wipers. It would be challenging to make out everything clearly, which is the same with football visors. Even wiping down the visor on the sideline won’t do much to give you a clear view.
In addition to playing football in the rain and snow, you also have to be aware of fogging up your visor’s inside. For example, playing in a colder weather game can create fog inside your visor when you breathe in and out. Having condensation inside your visor can make it extremely difficult to see and create safety issues.
Conclusion
With Oakley as the official visor partner of the NFL, you can expect to see more players use a visor during games in the coming years. The primary reason players wear a football helmet visor is for protection, but there are additional perks to the visor. While there are some downsides to wearing it in a game, Oakley continues to redefine the visor each season to reduce those issues that some players have with the material.
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Greg Kristan, owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC and TM Blast, LLC, brings his extensive experience visiting over half of the MLB ballparks, along with numerous MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL venues, to provide in-depth coverage on the bag policy, food options, and parking. He has also been interviewed about his experiences on several sports podcasts.