Helmet Safety: Standards & Research Overview
- windsorpoloclub
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
New APF Rules
Polo helmets must always be worn during play and must be of a type approved to the standard :
· PAS015:2011 with CE mark (type approval must be performed by a Notified Body for Personal Protective Equipment),
· VG1 01.040 2014-12 or UTAC/CRITT 04/2015 or any newer version of the same standard, including EN1384:2017 and EN1384:2023.
· NOCSAE
The APF require helmets to be both “type approved” and to bear a QC mark. A QC Mark is a higher and more expensive standard, which requires factory inspection and audit by the certifying body.
Any helmet which meets the above standards (to the satisfaction of the APF umpire) is permitted. It is not necessary to wear a “polo” helmet, a general equestrian helmet which meets the standards will do
Standards from other associations (ie FEI / USPA) and why they have higher requirements than APF
Other equestrian bodies have even higher helmet standards than the APF :
· International Equestrian Federation (FEI) are transitioning by 2028 to :
1) Meet two or more of the following acceptable Standards :
§ PAS 015:2011
§ ASTM F1163:23
§ EN 1384:2023 (with CE Mark)
§ SNELL E2021 or E2016
2) Have the Quality Control mark
(Standards can test for different things and may have different pass thresholds – hence by requiring two standards to be met, FEI are requiring the helmet to meet a higher standard in each test component – meaning an overall higher performing helmet).
Virginia Tech has revealed the FEI has also proposed Standards should include Peak Rotational Acceleration (PRA) thresholds (as research shows this metric is a bigger factor in concussion, however no standard currently tests for it)
· U.S. Polo Association (USPA) will only accept helmets that meet NOCSAE 050 standard, which was a standard developed specifically for polo. It is also the only standard that also tests helmet mounted eye protection. There are only 4 helmets that meet this standard :
1) Armis Vera
2) Charles Owen Sovereign
3) Instinct Askari
4) Casablanca NEU
Why Do Helmet Standards Matter to me ?
· Concussion or brain injury unfortunately is a risk when riding horses
· With a head knock there are 3 main factors that determine the risk of concussion or brain injury :
1) Linear force primarily causes focal injuries (bruising/contusion) where the brain hits the skull. (Peak Linear Acceleration – PLA)
2) Rotational force causes Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). Because the brain is asymmetrical and has different densities (grey vs. white matter), rotation causes these layers to slide against each other at different speeds, shearing the connections that allow the brain to function. (Peak Rotational Acceleration – PRA). This force is more likely to occur if the fall occurs at canter/gallop.
3) Duration - A longer duration means more energy is transferred to the brain tissue, allowing more time for the brain to deform and for the "slosh" effect (coup-contrecoup) to occur within the skull.
· The goal of a helmet is to reduce these 3 factors
· Modern research increasingly suggests that rotational acceleration is a more significant contributor to concussion than linear acceleration
· The most accurate assessment of concussion risk comes from considering both linear and rotational acceleration, as well as the duration of the impact. A composite approach provides a more sensitive and specific prediction of concussion risk than any single measure alone.
What the standards Measure (and what they don’t !)
· A QC organization will check a helmet’s manufacture to ensure it meets the Standard it is aiming to achieve. If it does this the helmet will get the QC stamp for that particular Standard.
· Generally Standards will test for :
1) Straight line (linear) hits
2) Crush resistance
3) Will the helmet stay on & in position
4) Can it stop a sharp object piercing the helmet
· Standards are not standard ! Each Standard has a different set of criteria & has different pass thresholds. For example, they might use a different mass, velocity, headshape (headform), temperature, impact surface (anvil), impact location, number of impacts.
· Currently Standards :
1) Are not testing for head knocks that cause the brain to rotate within the skull
2) Some, but not all test for Duration
3) Only NOCSAE tests for helmet mounted eye protection
· The type of peak is also a consideration in helmet performance, with detachable or flexible peaks believed to be safer. Eye protection that falls away with the peak or detaches if caught in a mallet is also considered safer. Some research has also found that having a peak can reduce risk in certain situations.
· Periodically Standards are updated and hence individual helmets need to be checked to ensure that they are the latest version of the helmet & meeting the current standards.
· Standards do not tell how a helmet scored on each test – they only tell you that the helmet passed all the tests.
Understanding Helmet Performance
If we want to better understand how helmets perform relative to each other, and also relative to key risk levels, we need to look to independent testing.
Virginia Tech is one of the leaders in this area, and has tested numerous Polo and General Equestrian helmets and published the actual metrics these helmets scored on their tests.
They have 2 recent studies measuring the Peak Rotational Acceleration (PRA) and Peak Linear Acceleration (PLA) for various helmets. One study was focussed on Polo helmets and another on General Equestrian helmets. They used different test parameters in each study, so they are not directly comparable, but it is possible to compare the helmets within the same study.
If we start by considering where the research suggests a significant risk of concussion (50%). Different studies show different results, so there is no definitive answer to this, but the below values give an approximation based on various studies :
PRA - 5,500 rad/s2
PLA - 90g (this is measured in g-forces)
Duration – duration risk is dependent on the magnitude of the force. The brain can actually tolerate very high g-forces if the impact is extremely brief (e.g., 1–3 milliseconds). A lower g-force (e.g., 60g) can be far more damaging if it lasts for 10–15 milliseconds.
The lower the value for each of these factors, the better performing the helmet is.
The Oblique impact anvil test from 2.2m drop height (6.56 m/s) is the new Standard that VT has said FEI is looking to introduce. It is speculated the threshold for this test may fall somewhere in the 90g-150g range.
Below is a sample of 8 helmets showing some key details plus a summary of the results collated from the VT studies. (Noting again that the two studies are not directly comparable)
Following that is more detail on the results from the VT studies.
From VT 2025 : Report: Polo Helmet Rotational Testing
These graphs show VTs test results for 10 different Polo helmets on :
i) Concussion risk (VT’s methodology)
ii) PRA
iii) PLA
Noting 3.46m/s is equivalent to a fall from a height of 0.6m and 5.46m/s equivalent to 1.5m
• For full paper :
From VT Tech 2025 paper Equestrian STAR: Development of an Experimental Methodology for Assessing the Biomechanical Performance of Equestrian Helmets
These graphs show VTs metrics for 45 different General Equestrian helmets (including at least 1 polo helmet) on :
i) PRA
ii) PLA
Both are measured using a Pendulum test & an Oblique anvil & at different speeds. (4.0m/s is equivalent to 0.8m, 6.3m/s to 2m and 6.56 m/s to 2.2m).
iii) STAR Score – this a metric developed by VT trying to capture an overall risk of concussion (lower is better)
The Oblique impact anvil test from 2.2m drop height (6.56 m/s) is the new Standard that VT has said FEI is looking to introduce. It is speculated the threshold for this test may fall somewhere in the 90g-150g range. The idea of this metric is it best represents what happens to your head when it hits the ground during a high speed fall.
For Full Paper :
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