Portsmouth Little League: My Site News: PLL is recommending batting helmet face guards

 For the upcoming baseball/softball season (2011), Portsmouth Little League is recommending batting helmet face guards. We all have a story where we have witnessed a near miss with a ball whizzing by a batter’s head or a play at a base where a thrown ball has come too close to the baserunner’s head and face. Leagues are now moving in the direction of requiring helmets with face guards, as noticed during the 2010 Little League World Series.

The league is NOT mandating that your child where a helmet with a face guard, but we do feel this is a prudent safety measure to be considered. In the future, all helmets purchased by the league will have a face guard. If you are planning on purchasing a helmet for your child, we recommend that you consider buying one outfitted with the guard.

Below is the standard you should be aware of when purchasing helmets with a face guard:NOCSAE Seal (pronounced "noxey") MUST be clearly marked on all helmets and face guards. NOCSAE has set the standard in football helmet protection since 1969 and in 1983 baseball helmets started meeting this standard. Softball also falls under this standard. In 2005 Little League adopted this safety standard and has made it mandatory that all helmets and face guards meet this standard which includes catcher’s helmets.

Any questions can be directed to league safety officer listed under eBoard.