Efficacy of Softball Face Masks at Reducing Linear and Rotational Head Acceleration

Abstract

This research study looked at the efficacy of infield softball face masks at reducing concussion risk. The primary goal of this research was to contrast head accelerations experienced during softball impacts for different brands of softball face masks. In order to achieve this goal, a surrogate headform equipped with different brands of face masks was impacted at a constant impact location and ball speed. The resulting headform accelerations (linear and rotational) were collected with a Vernier accelerometer upon each impact and analyzed. The results of the study showed that all tested brands of face masks were successful at reducing head acceleration severity. Moreover, significant differences in performance were observed between the different brands of face masks. One can conclude from this research that particular brands of face masks can more effectively reduce concussion risk because they better reduce head acceleration values. Due to the study results, softball players may have a better understanding of face mask performance, which could lead to higher mask implementation in the sport and an overall reduction in softball-related concussion occurrence.