visor labeling

Question
While the rules make it clear that tinted visors are not permitted (even with prescription from doctor) I am concerned that the rules do not require any certification as to the suitability or a particular visor for the purpose in question. It would appear that while gloves must bear certification, most other auxiliary equipment need not. How can officials, coaches players be assured that the visor in use will withstand the circumstances?

Answer
Marc  A follow up to my answer.  I took a quick look in my library and in 2005 the NCAA issued a bulletin requiring that eye shields / visors be approved by a physician and the NCAA but needed to be clear and any tint should not be allowed based on recommendations of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the NCAA's safety and Medical committee for reasons previously stated.  Then in 2006 the NCAA was overwhelmed with requests. The 2006 Rules committee decided based on the prompting by medical experts eye shields would be allowed only if completely clear - no color or tint.  However sports medicine experts suggested that if players needed safety eye shields with tinting then there were better products to give eye protection with tinting - Contact lens, glasses and sports goggles, etc.  If the Rules committee were not going to certify glasses or contact lenses then it would not need certify eye shields.


Marc
Thank you for your question, it is an excellent question!  With respect to how can officials, coaches and players can be assured that the visor in use will withstand the circumstances or be safe is a risk that is held by the manufactures of the visors.  The various manufactures design and manufacture their product with the intent of it being used as a helmet attachment.  The is an implied warranty by the manufacturers and designers that the product is safe for its intended purpose in the stream of commerce.  Therefore coaches, players and officials have the reasonable expectation that the visors are safe with or without certification required by the rules.  The laws governing products liability take the place of any certification.

You raise an excellent safety concern.  The NCAA under rule 1-4-12 has taken the position the Rules committee is not responsible for testing or approving playing equipment,  This duty to provide safe equipment rests with the manufactures of equipment.  The Rules committee does suggest guidelines and standards but makes it clear the NCAA is not in the business of manufacturing testing or involve itself with the technical aspect of equipment design or manufacturing..  It does reserve the right to set additional guidelines and requests that new or innovative equipment be submitted to the rules committee for consideration before production.  Thus the rules committee does not get involved with the certification or standards of most other auxiliary equipment.  Only when there is an issue - a continued issue of equipment will the rules committee act.

Gloves were creating an unfair advantage given their surfaces thus the committees inserted regulations at the manufacturing level when players coaches and officials could not cure the problem.  Helmet certifications came about because of years of liability law suits.

Specific rules about the visors came into being because of the National Trainers association who found the tinting of visor did not allow medical personnel to properly assess injured players' pupils.  The protocols are such that helmeted players with suspected head or spine are not to have their helmets removed until medical personnel can rule out head and spine injury.  Thus a helmet with a tinted eye shield would remain in place and the proper assessment of the injured player was not able to take place.  Thus a clear visor was the remedy.

I hope this answers your question.

Victor Winnek
NCAA Football Official
WCFOA, NASO, CFOA, SCCFOA