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On September 18, 2019, the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA) updated a letter with recommendations on reconditioning and recertification of athletic helmets. Below is the copy of the letter:
NAERA (National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association), NOCSAE (National Operating
Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) and helmet manufacturers would like to inform you
of reconditioning and recertification recommendations for football, lacrosse, baseball and softball
helmets.
NAERA recommends that during every football, lacrosse, baseball and softball season or practice
period, every helmet should be cleaned and inspected regularly by a school or organization staff
member with knowledge of manufacturer recommendations. We further recommend every helmet
should be reconditioned and recertified annually unless stated otherwise by the manufacturer. ONLY a
company licensed by NOCSAE can perform the recertification of football, lacrosse, baseball and
softball helmets. For a list of NAERA members that are licensed by NOCSAE please visit our web site
www.naera.net. More information regarding NOCSAE and their standards can be found at
www.nocsae.org.
On January 1, 2017 NOCSAE put into effect standard ND 001 6.1.1 shown below.
ND 001 6.1.1. Helmets intended to be recertified shall have a recertification interval provided by
the manufacturer. Certification life is limited to this time period. Helmets not recertified during
the stated interval shall no longer be certified. Recertification interval required for warranty
validation shall satisfy this requirement.
What does ND 001 6.1.1 mean for a school or organization? For Football helmets, as of this
writing, the requirements from all football helmet manufacturers for recertification is a minimum of
every other year. If you acquired new helmets in 2017 these helmets will need recertification per this
standard.
Helmets that have a lapsed certification per NOCSAE DOC. 001 may be recertified under most
conditions. Always ask a NAERA representative if you have doubts. Remember when a
team captain or coach tells the official their team is legally equipped, they need to know that is
correct and factual.
Every state association playing under NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) and NCAA
(National Collegiate Athletic Association) rules has adopted the NOCSAE standards for football,
lacrosse, baseball and softball helmets. Other state associations may have similar rules; however, most
support the helmet manufactures recommendations.
Please make certain your school or organization is using a reconditioning company licensed by
NOCSAE.
Sincerely,
Tony Beam, BA, E.S., CAA
Executive Director, NAERA