Comparison of face mask removal times in lacrosse helmets

In the event of a head or neck injury in helmeted sports, it has been recommended to remove just the facemask (FM) rather than the entire helmet. Research surrounding FM removal time and difficulty, however, has focused primarily on football helmets. To date, there has been limited controlled research regarding men's lacrosse helmet FM removal. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of helmet type on FM removal time and difficulty. Design Repeated measure design conducted in a laboratory setting. Eight certified athletic trainers (male = 4, female = 4; age = 24.13 +/- 2.17 yr, experience = 1.75 +/- .71 yr). Intervention and main outcome measures included the independent variable of helmet type (Warrior Venom, Cascade CPX-R, Cascade Pro7, and Riddell Revolution) and the dependent variables of FM removal time (seconds), rate of perceived exertion (Borg Scale 0-10), and failure rate (trials failed divided by total trials). Results The Cascade Pro7 FM took 61%, 93%, and 108%. longer to remove than the Warrior Venom, Cascade CPX-R, and Riddell Revolution FMs, respectively. The Warrior Venom FM took 29% longer to remove compared to the Riddell Revolution FM. The participants found the Cascade Pro7 FM to be 59%, 100%, and 199% more difficult to remove than the Warrior Venom, Riddell Revolution, and Cascade CPX-R, respectively. There were no other statistically significant differences identified. The Cascade Pro7 FM was the most difficult to remove due to additional removal sites and the Velcro that helped to adhere the chin guard to the helmet shell.