The helmet is arguably the most important piece of equipment your child will wear while playing football. A lot of parents don't know what to look for when their child puts on a helmet . Is it too loose? Too tight? Is he wearing the right size?

For the most part, your child's coaches and youth league representatives should know how to properly fit your child's equipment. This article is meant to create a system of checks and give parents some peace of mind.  Here are some tips to making sure your child's helmet fits properly.

 

1) Measure your child's head

My son has an unusually large head for a kid his age (I think he's just smarter than everyone else), and finding the proper size is important.

We've all seen videos or pictures of a little kid running for a touchdown while his helmet has fallen over his eyes. It may seem cute, but it's not safe at all!

Measure your child's head using a helmet tape (which can be found at most sports stores) to determine the shell size of the helmet. To make an accurate measurement, you should start about one inch above your child's eyebrows and continue around the widest part of his head. If you find that your child is between sizes, it's recommended that you choose the bigger size and adjust the fit using the airliner. 

2) Check the facemask

Check how much space the child has between his facemask and nose. If there is too much space, it may leave your child a bit more vulnerable to hands and fingers getting caught in there, too little and your child might injure his nose into the facemask when making a tackle.

A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to put about two or two-and-a-half fingers between the facemask and your child's nose.

3) Size the chinstrap

Your child's chinstrap keeps the helmet from popping off on the field (hear that NFL players?). The easiest way to adjust the chinstrap is to have your child hold it against his chin in a comfortable, secure position then tighten each strap until it holds in place. It's important that the chinstrap is centered, and be sure to remove any long excess strap sticking off the sides after adjustment.

4) Checking the fit

After completing the steps above, you should be ready to check the fit of the helmet. Here are some visual things to look for:

• Your child's eyes should be visible (duh), and the helmet's edge should rest about an inch to an inch-and-a-half above his eyebrows.
• The jaw pads should be resting against your child's cheeks but not squeezing them or leaving a gap. These pads snap in, and it should be easy to find the right pad size.
• The ear holes on the helmet should line up with your child's ears.

Next, try to shake and rattle the helmet to test the fit.

• Hold the facemask and pull from left to right and up and down. The helmet shouldn't slide up on the forehead or down over his eyes. 
• Apply some pressure to the top of the helmet and make sure the helmet doesn't slide down easily. If the helmet pops up after you let it go, it's probably too small.

5) Check the certification

If your child is using a used helmet provided by the league, check the certification. It is recommended that helmets are be recertified at least every two years, and you should be able to find a sticker on the back of the helmet with the year it was last certified. If you don't see the certification sticker, be sure to ask the coach. National standards set a helmet's lifespan at 10 years from the manufacture date.