Lesson 8 of 15

Helmet Engineering & Impact Absorption

6 min read•6/19 sections

BS 7928:2013 and why the grill gap matters.

Materials: ABS or carbon-fibre shell EPP foam; titanium grill with calibrated bar spacing.

Technical Breakdown

19-section schema

Definition

Cricket helmets are engineered to British Standard BS 7928:2013, tested against ball impact up to 90 mph (145 km/h).

History

Batting helmets became common after Dennis Amiss and Graham Yallop wore them in 1977–78; British Standard BS7928:2013 is today's certification benchmark.

Physics Involved

Grill bar gap must be smaller than the ball — the 2013 standard tightened gap tolerance after the 2014 Phil Hughes tragedy.

Tactical Use

Mandatory in international cricket post-2014; junior cricket requires neck-guard 'stem-guards' against bouncers.

Common Mistakes & Drills

Loose chin strap — a poorly fitted helmet rotates on impact and exposes the temple.

Injury Risks

Even with helmets, concussion remains the most-tracked injury; new ICC concussion-substitute rule allows like-for-like replacement.