It is no secret that football takes a toll on the human body. With all the tackling involved, players often suffer concussions and other head injuries. Even smaller hits to the head add up throughout the course of a player’s career.
PAC is working to make football a safer game by adding more data about hits players absorb to their dome. This Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company developed the SmackCap, which is essentially a skullcap with built-in pressure sensors. While a player is wearing it, every hit to the head is recorded in real time and sent to a mobile app.
In an interview with KOAT7 News, PAC CEO Michelle Urban stated, “Any time they’re hit, we can show where, how hard, and how many times on their head that they’ve been hit.”
This data is then stored over time. Coaches and athletes will now be able to see a record of each hit while during any given game. This will work to give players a better understanding of how they are tackling. Hopefully, this will aid players who rely too much on their helmet. By adjusting their form, football players can begin avoiding head injuries altogether.According to Urban, the SmackCap is being tested by Alburquerque’s indoor football team, the Duke City Gladiators.
It is important that the cap remains comfortable during a game because if players don’t like wearing it, it won’t help them in the future.
“The results were very favorable,” Urban said. “The athletes who wore it said it felt just like a regular skull cap and couldn’t feel the sensors. They said it fit right under their helmet.”
Currently, pricing and a release date are still being discussed within the company. Coaches and parents who are interested can sign up for further details on the website.
