Advanced Impact Testing of Field Hockey Headgear

曲棍球是一项全球所有年龄段的人都参加的运动。简单地说，22名球员在混乱的多向自然中移动，他们使用武器般的棍棒在球场上推动硬球。这种球的速度可以达到每小时100英里以上，因此可以被认为是一种危险的抛射物。由于比赛的性质、比赛机制和运动的演变，头部受伤的可能性或增加严重头部受伤风险的情况变得更加普遍。个人防护装备（PPE）可以用来减轻这些风险，但是与曲棍球头盔相关的标准要么是守门员头盔过时，要么是外场球员罚角球时的面罩不存在。目前，人们对头部受伤对个人短期和长期健康造成的有害影响的认识处于运动医学的前沿。实验设备和技术的最新发展使得在实验室环境中更好地复制游戏影响，并更好地记录影响程度的真实性质。这些进步还没有应用到曲棍球测试中，也没有应用到妇女或儿童身上。这项研究的重点是球员的安全，并确保所有球员，无论他们坐在哪个人群中，在他们踏上球场时都受到同样的保护。随着人类替代物和实验设置的最新进展，有了新的方法来改善和更好地了解头部损伤情况。这些已经在平行运动中使用，例如板球和棒球，但这将是第一次在曲棍球中引入。这项研究还将增加女性运动员的可用数据，这些数据可以用于所有运动项目。

Hockey is a sport played globally by those of all ages. Simplified, 22 players move in a chaotic multi- directional nature with weapon-like sticks that they use to propel a hard ball around a pitch. The ball can reach speeds in excess of 100mph and can therefore be considered as a dangerous projectile. As a result of the nature of the game, the mechanisms of play and the evolution of the sport, the likelihood of head injuries or scenarios that increase the risk of severe head injury have become more prevalent.Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can be used to mitigate some of these risks, however the standards associated with field hockey headgear are either outdated in the case of goalkeeper helmets or non-existent in the case of outfield players penalty corner face masks. The greater awareness of the detrimental implications that can result from a head injury on both the short-term and long-term health of an individual are at the forefront of sports medicine at the moment.Recent developments in experimental equipment and techniques allow for in play impacts to be better replicated in the laboratory setting and the true nature of the magnitude of impact to be better recorded. These advances have yet to be applied within hockey testing, or to women or children.This research is centred on player safety and ensuring all players, no matter what demographic they sit in, are equally protected when they step on the pitch.With recent advances on human surrogates and experimental set ups, there are new methods to improve and better understand head injury scenarios. These have been used in parallel sports, such as in cricket and baseball, but this would be the first introduction in hockey. This research would also increase the data available for female athletes, which could be used across all sports.