Should you wear sports headgear in non-contact sports?
Yes. Head injury risk still exists in non-contact sports because impacts are often accidental, unpredictable and impossible to eliminate completely through coaching or technique alone. The real question is not whether sports headgear or a headguard looks padded, but whether it is designed to reduce the rotational forces associated with concussion and sub-concussive brain injury [1, 2].
In football, netball, basketball, field hockey, sailing, curling, flag football and other non-contact or limited-contact sports, players can still sustain head impacts through falls, collisions, elbows, ball strikes, boom strikes and head-to-ground contact. That is why brain protection matters even in sports that are not defined by tackling [3-8].
Why can head injury still happen in non-contact sports?
The phrase non-contact sport is often misunderstood. It describes the rules of the sport, not the reality of every impact that happens inside it. Head impacts in all sports are often unpredictable and unexpected. Players slip, mistime jumps, collide mid-air, turn into an elbow, lose balance, get struck by equipment or hit the ground awkwardly. Accidents happen, and no amount of technique training can ever eliminate the risk of accidental head impacts altogether [3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
This matters because the brain is injured by force, not by the label attached to the sport. A fall in netball, a clash in basketball, a head-to-head collision in football, a stick or ball incident in field hockey, or a backward fall on ice in curling can all transmit damaging force to the brain. In sailing, even a single boom strike can cause a meaningful head impact [3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Football is a strong example of why the “non-contact” label can be misleading. On our football brain-injury page, we cite biomechanics research showing that only 13% of head impacts in football come from heading, while 87% come from other sources such as head-to-head contact, head-to-knee contact, elbows, falls and other collisions. In other words, the majority of football head impacts are not the controlled technical action people usually focus on. They are the accidental and chaotic moments of the game [3].
Basketball shows the same pattern in a different way. Recent youth basketball research cited on our basketball page reports head contacts and suspected concussions in both boys’ and girls’ basketball, with many contacts occurring in the key and only a small proportion being penalised despite being illegal. That matters because it shows that even when contact is not supposed to happen, it still does [5].
Field hockey is another strong example. On our hockey brain-injury page, we note that 40% of injuries in women and 27% in men at major international hockey tournaments were to the head and face, making head and face injury the most common injury category in that dataset. That is a powerful reminder that “not a collision sport” does not mean “not a head-impact sport.” [6].
Curling makes the same point from a different angle. Curling has no tackling and minimal player-to-player contact, yet falls are the leading cause of injury, and head impacts are among the most severe injuries reported. The risk comes from the surface: when a player slips and the head hits the ice, the force can rotate the brain inside the skull [7].
“I bought a Rezon Halos® for my daughter after she suffered a concussion playing hockey. She finds it comfortable to wear, and it has given me real peace of mind as a parent. I would recommend this to anyone looking for additional protection for children playing contact sports.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Taryn Holding | Rezon Halos® Customer
Does sports headgear prevent concussion?
No sports headgear can prevent concussion completely. Concussion is a probabilistic injury risk, not an injury that can simply be blocked in the same way a shin pad blocks a scrape. The more accurate question is whether sports headgear can help reduce concussion risk by reducing the forces most associated with brain injury [1, 2].
That distinction matters because many products described as sports headgear or a headguard were traditionally designed to protect the outside of the head rather than reduce the rotational forces associated with brain injury. The science on headgear is often confused because very different products are grouped together under the same label [1, 9].
What is the difference between head protection and brain protection?
Head protection usually refers to protecting the outside of the head, for example against cuts, abrasions or superficial impact. Brain protection is different. It is about reducing the transmission of the forces linked to injury inside the skull, especially rotational force [2, 9].
This is the distinction that matters most when comparing sports headgear. A headguard may cover the head, but covering the head is not the same as protecting the brain. The key issue is whether the product is designed and tested in a way that is relevant to concussion and sub-concussive brain injury [9].
Why rotational force matters more than padding alone
Most sports impacts are not perfectly straight-on. They happen at angles, which means the head does not just move linearly. It also rotates. That rotational motion causes the brain to rotate inside the skull, creating shear strain in brain tissue and blood vessels. This is why rotational force is so important in concussion biomechanics [2].
This is also why modern testing frameworks such as Virginia Tech’s soccer headgear methodology assess both linear and rotational acceleration rather than linear force alone. If the goal is to reduce concussion risk, the relevant question is whether the sports headgear reduces rotational force transmission to the brain [10, 11].
Comparison: sports headgear vs brain protection
Many athletes and parents searching for sports headgear or a headguard assume all head-worn protection works in the same way. It does not. Some products are designed mainly to cushion the outside of the head or reduce superficial injury, while others are designed specifically around the forces linked to brain injury. The comparison below shows why that distinction matters [9].
| 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 |
The key takeaway is that a headguard should not be judged simply by whether it looks padded or covers the head. It should be judged by what it is designed to protect, how it has been tested, and whether it addresses the rotational forces associated with concussion and sub-concussive brain injury. That is why sports headgear should be compared as brain protection, not just head coverage [2, 9].
“I bought Halos® for my two sons who play football and rugby. I was looking for protection for their developing brains as awareness grows around the long-term effects of repeated head impacts. They find them comfortable, they stay in place, and they are proud to wear them. Knowing I’m helping to reduce the impact on their brains gives me huge reassurance.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Melissa Emson | Rezon Halos® Customer
Which non-contact and limited-contact sports still carry meaningful head-impact risk?
A better way to assess risk is not to ask whether a sport is officially labelled contact or non-contact. It is to ask how head impacts actually happen in it. [3-7].
Football / soccer
Football is often discussed as if heading is the whole problem. It is not. Just 13% of head impacts come from heading, while 87% come from other collisions and impact mechanisms. That is exactly why football head injury risk cannot be solved simply by changing technique or limiting one part of the game [3].
Netball
Netball is officially non-contact, but players still collide, fall and hit the floor or each other. Concussions do occur in netball, which is why concussion recognition and management are now part of formal guidance in the sport [4].
Basketball
Basketball is a low-contact sport, but concussions are still documented across youth, college and professional play. Many head contacts in youth basketball happen in the key, and only a small proportion are penalised despite being illegal. That shows how often accidental or poorly controlled head contact still occurs in open play [5].
Field hockey
Field hockey brings a different risk profile: stick, ball, player and surface. At major international tournaments, 40% of injuries in women and 27% in men were to the head and face, making head and face injuries the most common injury category in that review [6].
Cricket
Cricket carries similar risks to hockey: ball, bat, player and surface. Research in elite cricket reported head impacts at 7.2 per 1,000 player days and concussions at 2.3 per 1,000 player days, showing that even in a non-contact sport, meaningful head injury risk remains [13].
Curling
Curling demonstrates that a sport can be low-contact and still carry serious head-injury risk. Falls are the leading cause of injury in curling, and backward falls with head-to-ice contact can produce some of the most severe outcomes [7].
Flag football
Flag football exposes players to fewer head impacts than tackle football, but it is not head-impact free. Collisions, falls and head-to-ground contact still happen, which is why the difference between ordinary head coverage and true brain protection still matters [8].
Sailing
Sailing is another example where the impact mechanism is obvious once you think about it: boom strikes and onboard collisions can create sudden, high-force head impacts even without player-to-player contact [4].
What should parents, athletes and coaches look for in a headguard?
Start with the most important question: what is this product designed to protect? If the goal is reducing concussion risk, then the product should be designed around the forces associated with concussion, especially rotational force [2, 9].
Then ask how it has been tested. Terms like sports headgear, protective headgear and headguard can sound reassuring, but they do not tell you whether the testing is relevant to brain injury risk. Testing should reflect concussion biomechanics, including rotational acceleration [10, 11].
Finally, consider whether the product is practical enough to wear consistently in matches and in training. Comfort, breathability, fit and freedom of movement all affect whether athletes actually keep the product on in training and play [4].
Why sub-concussions matter even when there is no diagnosed concussion
One of the biggest mistakes in this conversation is focusing only on diagnosed concussion. Sub-concussions are lower-force head impacts that do not cause concussion symptoms, yet they still transmit damaging force to the brain. Our science pages explain that sub-concussions are 500 times more frequent than impacts that result in diagnosed concussion [12].
That matters in non-contact sport because many of the impacts athletes accumulate are not dramatic enough to stop play. They are the everyday collisions, falls and glancing impacts that still expose the brain to repeated rotational force over time [2, 12].
How wearing Rezon Halos® can reduce concussion risk in non-contact sports
Once you understand that accidental head impacts cannot be fully coached away, the practical question becomes what kind of protection is most relevant to the brain.
We designed Rezon Halos® to reduce the transmission of rotational force to the brain in both concussive and sub-concussive impacts. That matters in non-contact and limited-contact sports because the risk often comes from the impacts players do not plan for: the fall, the clash, the elbow, the head-to-ground contact, the ball strike, or the boom strike [2, 10].
Independent testing cited across our technology and product pages shows that Rezon Halos® can reduce rotational force transmission by up to 61% and reduce concussion risk by 74% using Virginia Tech methodology. Rezon Halos® also hold a Virginia Tech 5-Star rating and CE / UKCA Category II PPE certification [4, 10, 11].
That makes Rezon Halos® relevant well beyond traditional collision sports. In football, netball, basketball, field hockey, curling, sailing, AFL, flag football, cheerleading and many more sports, the challenge is not that players expect a head impact on every phase of play. It is that unexpected head impacts still happen, and when they do, rotational force is what matters most [3-8].
“I wore Halos® throughout the Dubai 7s in 32°C heat and didn’t notice it during the game. It felt totally comfortable and gave me confidence that my brain had some additional protection during heavy contact.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ George Robinson | Rezon Halos® Customer
Frequently Asked Questions About Head Protection for Non-Contact Sports
- Does headgear prevent concussion? Further Reading. Rezon.
- How Does Rotational Force Cause Brain Injury in Sport? Further Reading. Rezon.
- Brain Injury in Football: Heading, Concussion Risk & Brain Protection. Further Reading. Rezon.
- What Is the Best Head Protection for Netball Players? Further Reading. Rezon.
- Best Brain Protection for Basketball. Further Reading. Rezon.
- Head and Brain Injury in Hockey. Further Reading. Rezon.
- What Is the Best Head Protection for Curling Players? Further Reading. Rezon.
- What Is the Best Head Protection for Flag Football Players? Further Reading. Rezon.
- How to Compare Sports Headgear for Concussion Risk Reduction. Further Reading. Rezon.
- Brain Protection Technology. Further Reading. Rezon.
- Soccer Headgear Ratings. Virginia Tech Helmet Lab.
- What Are Sub-Concussions? Further Reading. Rezon.
- Incidence of Concussion and Head Impacts in Australian Elite-Level Male and Female Cricketers After Head Impact Protocol Modifications. Hill T, Steffens D, Parmenter B, et al. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2019.
Author: Alex Reily
