What Is the Best Head Protection for Netball Players?
The best head protection for netball players is not simply a product that covers the head. It is the option that best reduces the transmission of forces associated with brain injury, especially rotational forces transmitted to the brain during head impacts [1, 2]. For parents worried about concussion, the key question is not just whether a product is padded, but whether it is designed and tested in a way that is relevant to brain protection [3, 4].
Concussion in collision
Netball is officially classed as a non-contact sport, but anyone who has watched or played it knows that collisions and head impacts still happen.
Players collide. They fall. Heads can strike the floor, another player’s shoulder, elbow, or knee. Concussions can and do occur in netball, which is why concussion recognition and management are now part of formal guidance across the sport [5, 6].
That is also why more parents are searching for netball head protection.
Usually, though, they are not really asking about the head in the superficial sense. They are asking a deeper question: what can help reduce brain injury and concussion risk?
That is an important distinction. Because protecting the outside of the head is not the same as protecting the brain [1, 3].
Can netball players get concussions?
Yes. Netball players can and do sustain concussions during training and match play [5, 6].
This matters because netball is still sometimes perceived as lower risk than sports with sanctioned contact. Concussion in netball is recognised within both policy and research. England Netball’s concussion guidance is written for players, coaches, teachers, volunteers, officials and parents, reflecting the reality that brain injury awareness in netball is a shared responsibility [5].
This is particularly relevant in girls’ and women’s sport. Research has repeatedly shown that female athletes have a greater susceptibility to sport-related concussion and often experience longer or more complex recovery than males [7, 8].
What do most people mean by “netball head protection”?
In practice, the phrase “head protection” usually covers a range of different levels of understanding.
Sometimes people mean protection against cuts, abrasions, or impact to the outside of the head. In most cases, conventional padded headgear was designed only for this purpose. Increasingly, however, the search intent is for protection intended to reduce the rotational forces associated with concussion, sub-concussion and brain injury.
These are not the same thing [1, 3].
The scientific question is not simply whether the head is covered. It is whether a product is relevant to the mechanism of brain injury. In the table below, we compare “head protection” with the more relevant and increasingly sought-after “brain protection”.
| Head Protection | Brain Protection |
|---|---|
| Designed to reduce cuts, abrasions and surface injuries | Designed to reduce brain injury risk |
| Typically focuses on reducing linear impact forces | Reduces linear forces and, more importantly, rotational forces, the primary driver of brain injury |
| Typically uses foam padding | Uses advanced protective technology engineered for brain safety |
| Protects the surface of the head | Designed specifically to protect the brain |
| Traditional all-head coverage sports headgear | Modern brain protection technology |
Why this distinction matters in Netball
Brain injury in sport is not just about contact to the head. It is about what happens to the brain inside the skull when the head moves rapidly after impact [1, 2].
One of the most important mechanisms is rotational acceleration. When the head rotates quickly, the brain can experience shear strain and tissue deformation. These are core reasons rotational force is now considered so important in concussion biomechanics and broader traumatic brain injury research [1, 2].
This is why “head protection” that focuses on reducing the risk of cuts and abrasions only is an incomplete way of thinking about the problem.
A product may cushion the outside of the head without meaningfully addressing the forces most associated with brain injury. That is why the more accurate category to consider for player safety is not simply headgear, but brain protection [1, 3].
Watch: Rotational forces and Rotection® Technology.
What should parents look for in netball head protection?
Parents worried about concussion protection in netball should ask a more precise set of questions.
Does it address rotational force transmission, not just surface impact?
If a product is described only in terms of soft padding or general comfort, that does not tell you whether it is relevant to brain injury biomechanics [1, 2].
Has it been tested in a way that relates to concussion risk?
Credible testing should be transparent and relevant. Virginia Tech’s STAR methodology, for example, evaluates headgear using both linear and rotational acceleration across multiple impact conditions [4].
Is it practical for netball?
Netball places demands on peripheral vision, movement, communication, comfort and heat management. Protection needs to work in that environment, not against it. Conventional full head cover and headguards can obstruct both hearing and vision in netball.
Will the player wear it consistently?
This is especially important for junior players. Protection only reduces risk if it is actually worn consistently across training and match play.
Is conventional padded headgear enough for concussion concerns in netball?
No. Some padded products can help to reduce superficial injury or reduce direct impact force. But that is different from being specifically designed and tested to reduce rotational forces associated with brain injury [1, 3].
This is not about dismissing all padded headgear. It is about being scientifically clear on what different products are designed to do.
Parents looking at netball head protection because they are worried about concussion should not assume that all products serve the same purpose. They do not [1, 2].
A better question: what helps reduce brain injury risk in netball?
This is the more useful question.
No product can eliminate concussion risk entirely, and no responsible discussion of sports protection should suggest otherwise [3, 4]. But some forms of protection are more relevant than others because they are designed around the rotational forces most strongly associated with brain injury [1, 2].
That is where the conversation is beginning to shift. Rather than asking only which product covers the head, more parents, players and clinicians are asking which solutions are actually aligned with protecting the brain.
Rezon and the growing brain health conversation in netball
Awareness of brain health in women’s sport is growing. Netball is part of that broader shift.
England Netball’s NETBALLHer platform reflects a wider focus on female athlete health and education. Rezon Halos® has been featured within that wider educational ecosystem as part of the growing conversation around concussion awareness, brain injury in netball, and protecting women’s brains in sport [5, 11].
What makes Rezon different for netball players?
Rezon was developed around a different scientific question.
Not simply: how do you protect the head from cuts and scrapes?
But: how do you reduce the transmission of rotational forces to the brain?
Rezon Halos® is engineered to reduce rotational force transmission during both concussive and sub-concussive impacts [1, 3]. Halos® achieved a 5-star rating using Virginia Tech’s soccer headgear STAR methodology, with a score of 0.26, which equates to a 74% reduction in concussion risk under that methodology [4, 12]. In independent Virginia Tech testing, Halos® demonstrated reductions in peak rotational acceleration of up to 61% [12]. Halos® holds CE and UKCA Category II PPE certification [13].
For netball, that matters because players and parents are often looking for something lightweight, fashionable, wearable, and compatible with the practical demands of the sport, while still being rooted in the science of brain protection.
“I purchased Rezon Halos® following a serious concussion that required hospital treatment. I now wear it every time I play netball. Since then, I’ve had falls and been medically checked as a precaution, but have had no further damage.”
— Renee Fraser Shepherd | Netball player & Rezon Customer | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Is Rezon relevant for junior netball players and worried parents?
There is a lack of understanding around brain injury in youth sport, with many parents mistakenly believing that children are at lesser risk than adult athletes.
This is reflected in Rezon’s first-hand data on grassroots attitudes to brain injury risk in sport. The Rezon Survey, developed with the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing and Voice at Newcastle University, explored how parents, players, volunteers, and coaches think about brain injury risk in sport [9]. Rezon found that many parents ranked children as less at risk of brain injury than adults, despite evidence that younger brains are more vulnerable and that earlier exposure to repetitive head impacts may be associated with more serious long-term consequences [10, 14].
This is an important point for netball parents.
In girls’ and youth sport, concern about concussion is not an overreaction. It is a rational response to an issue that has historically been under-recognised [7, 8, 10].
Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Protection In Netball
Final takeaway
The best head protection for netball players is not simply the product that covers the head most. It is the option most closely aligned with protecting the brain.
For parents worried about concussion, that means asking a more informed question. Not just: is there padding? But: is this designed and tested in a way that is relevant to brain injury risk?
That is where the conversation around netball head protection needs to move.
- What Is Brain Protection in Sport? Further Reading. Rezon.
- Rotational head acceleration and traumatic brain injury in sport: a review. Lota KS et al.
- Does Headgear Prevent Concussion? What the Science Actually Shows. Further Reading. Rezon.
- Virginia Tech Helmet Lab / Virginia Tech STAR Methodology
- Concussion Policy. England Netball.
- Ankle, knee and concussion concerns: Unveiling injury patterns in highly trained South African netball players. Lalloo R et al.
- Concussion in Female Athletes of Contact Sports: A Scoping Review. Fahr J et al.
- Sport-Related Concussion in Female Athletes: A Systematic Review. McGroarty NK et al.
- The Rezon Survey. Further Reading. Rezon.
- The invisible brain injury risk in youth sport that every parent is missing. Further Reading. Rezon.
- Female athlete health and protecting women’s brains in sport content. England Netball / NETBALLHer.
- Laboratory testing for Halos®. Further Reading. Rezon.
- CE / UKCA Category II PPE certification information. EU Declaration of conformity No. PPE359AT2023
- The Science Behind Sport’s Undiscussed Brain Injuries. Further Reading. Rezon.
Author: Alex Reily
