Players in professional baseball leagues often wear helmets with less padding, and they frequently wear only an ear cover on the side facing the pitcher. They also sometimes wear more protective gear such as a jawbone cover to protect against high and inside pitches.
Many people often ask, can you wear a softball helmet for baseball? Well, while the two sports are similar, there are differences in equipment required. Baseball and softball helmets are very similar but can have small differences. Some softball helmets will feature an additional face mask for added protection or gender specific padding for women's fastpitch softball.
To ensure a proper and safe fit, you should wear your helmet snugly all around the head with no spaces between the pads and the head.
Pine tar is a sticky substance that players put on their bats to reduce slippage. The goop gets on their batting gloves and gets transferred to their helmets when they adjust them. Players who adjust their helmets constantly leave more gunk on their helmets.
A single ear flap on the helmet offers protection from fastballs in one ear while leaving the other ear free and open in order to hear instructions from coaches.
According to the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), any helmet more than 10 years from its initial certification is not eligible for recertification. In order to comply with this standard, it is essential that you replace any helmet that has been used for more than 10 years.
Helmets are designed to protect players from injury caused by pitches, throws, and batted balls. Although players do not get pitched to in tee ball, helmets are still required for player safety.
Shopping for a baseball helmet is relatively straightforward as helmet sizing corresponds to hat sizes. If you know your hat size, simply look for a helmet of the same size. Alternatively, you can measure the circumference of your head to find your helmet size.