Why do NFL players wear tinted visors? Well, to protect their eyes from the sun or perhaps a head injury. But other players don’t use them because it can reduce the players vision by 10%!
History of Tinted Football Visors
In the late 1990’s, the league made a rule where players had to put tinted visors over their visors to keep the light out of their eyes. If this rule were not put in place, players needed to take their helmets off and hold them in their hands as they received medical attention. This rule came in place after the infamous Eric Dickerson helmet catch incident. This rule did cause some controversy.
If you look at the league, it doesn’t just consist of the 49ers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers and so on. If you look at the NFL, there’s also some teams, like the Oakland Raiders and the Vegas Raiders, that have been underachievers in recent years. So, the league wanted to find solutions to help teams that haven’t been doing so well.
Oakley is the Official Tinted Football Visor of the NFL
The collaboration between Oakley and the NFL allows all NFL players to wear their visors in training camp, preseason, and regular season games. The shields are a safe visor without the harmful effects of tint, like the tinted visors that were worn during the 2014 NFL season. The collaboration between Oakley and the NFL allows football players to wear visors while training and playing in both the cold and hot climates.
Oakley Designing Helmets for COVID-19 Reduction
NFL Visor Rules
Any player wearing an opaque visor must have medical clearance from their doctor and the league. All players wearing an clear visor do not need any clearance from any medical professional.
Pros: Why Football Players Wear Visors
Eye Injury Protection
Players can injure their eyes when they are hit or bounced against other players on the field. One way that a player may injure their eyes is when their head is hit by another player’s foot or knee. Another way that a player may injure their eyes would be after a player has fallen to the ground. Players can get dirt and grass into their eyes when they fall and they have to rub their eyes in order to clear their eyes. This is why players wear protective sports visors when they are playing football.
Reduce Facemask Penalties and Injuries
The visor is similar to a football receiver’s helmet for a running back, quarterback, or wide receiver. When a defender tries to grab you, the visor stops their progress by preventing them from grabbing an opening onto your facemask (aka your helmet, which would block the defender from doing so). This makes it harder for the defender to bring you down because they can’t grab an opening onto your facemask.
Mental Game
Players wear visors to protect their face, but there is more to it. It’s much more than just protection from getting poked in the eye. If you’ve ever worn goggles or a helmet in sports, you may have experienced playing with a visor and having your vision hindered. The visor blocks your peripheral vision. It hinders how you see things and prevents you from seeing the opponent.
Intimidation Game
When choosing a helmet, consider your style of play and position on the field. A visor may help you play better because your vision is protected. You also might have a helmet that fits your style of play. A football helmet is the single most important piece of equipment you will ever own.
Looking Good
A football player can make himself feel good about himself by wearing a visor. A visor can make a player that is wearing one feel like he is better than other players, since he can see better. Some football players wear tinted or dark visors.
Cons: Why Players Don’t Wear Visors
Distorted Field of View
While there are plenty of reasons to wear a visor, there are some downsides to this face shield. One issue is that a player’s field of view becomes significantly reduced. The brand Oakley does not give you any distorted picture due to the material’s 3D design shape. Other brands like Nike provide a 2D shape view, which can distort your view while on the field.
The other issue which has been noted in the past is that it is expensive.
Reduced Airflow
 If you’re playing a football game in extreme heat, or naturally becoming tired on the field can make breathing difficult. In addition to not allowing enough airflow circulation from the helmet visor, the shield covered your nose. This blocked your airflow circulation, but also your vision as it prevents you from seeing, which could be potentially fatal.
Scratches Happen Often
Rain, Snow, and Fog Issues
When playing in the snow or rain, your visor can get to be a huge nuisance. When driving through a rainstorm all you need to do is use your windshield wipers. It’s the same with playing football in inclement weather. You can simply wipe your visor down on the sideline to give you a clear view.
Not only does fogging up your visor create visibility problems, but also it can cause you to get sick. For example, the more you breathe, the more water is deposited on your visor. After a while, the fog starts to settle on your glasses. This means that you may begin to see double or more. This can cause you to get sick because your eyes are constantly irritated.
