Tackling the Overlooked Problem

In football, we have seen remarkable advances in helmet safety, from reinforced shells to soft-shell Guardian Caps. Yet, one of the most frequent collisions is from facemask to facemask impacts. This has remained underserved by traditional protection.

When two players hit facemask to facemask, the impact force travels straight to the chinstrap, the only component connected to that area. Until now, chinstraps were designed only to secure the helmet, not to absorb or mitigate impact force.

Why This Matters

Facemask-to-facemask impacts are not rare or isolated events. They are among the most frequent and dangerous impacts in football. This area of the helmet system has gone completely unprotected until now. Addressing this gap is critical not just for preventing injuries in the moment but also for protecting athletes’ long-term health and longevity in the sport. From youth leagues to the pros, every player is at risk of facemask collisions, and for the first time, there’s technology designed to absorb and dissipate that energy.

A study on 98 NFL players found that (Science Daily, 2024)

• Facemask-to-facemask hits are among the most common and severe hits in football
• 59% of the most severe head impacts occurred at the facemask. For linemen, that number was 66%.
• Nearly one-third of concussions in professional football are due to impacts from the facemask

First Safety Chinstrap

Enter the Guardian Chinstrap powered by SoftShox™, a groundbreaking leap in player safety. It is the first chinstrap engineered explicitly for impact absorption, with advanced hydraulic SoftShox technology embedded to act like a shock absorber. In lab tests, it has been shown to reduce the HARM (Head Acceleration Response Metric) by up to 35%. Traditional chinstraps simply don’t diffuse force. But the Guardian Chinstrap’s hydraulic system compresses to absorb and dissipate energy, easing stress on the jaw, head, and neck. This tackles one of the most overlooked and widespread impact zones with targeted protection for players across all levels.