You’re looking at your team’s gear list for the season, and one item catches your eye: a soft shell helmet.
What is a soft shell helmet, anyway? And why do you need one?
A soft shell football helmet is designed to enhance player safety while prioritizing comfort and flexibility. Unlike traditional hard-shell helmets, which rely on rigid outer materials for impact absorption, soft shell helmets feature a padded exterior made of foam or other shock-absorbing materials. Their unique design helps reduce the force of impacts and minimizes the risk of head injuries during practices, scrimmages, and non-contact drills.
Below, we break down this unique piece of football gear, explain how it works, and dive into why it’s gaining traction in the football world.
Soft Shell vs. Hard Shell Football Helmets
Design, purpose, and protection level—these are the key differences between soft shell and hard shell football helmets. Each type of football headgear serves a specific role in player safety and performance.
Soft Shell Helmets
Although you’re probably familiar with conventional hard shell football helmets, soft-shell helmets might still be a head-scratcher. Soft shell helmets are designed with a flexible outer layer made of foam or similar shock-absorbing materials.
These helmets are lightweight and provide protection from smaller impacts, making them ideal for:
- Practice
- Non-contact drills
- Recreational (and, ideally, non-tackle) play
Their padded exterior reduces the force of minor collisions, helping to minimize the risk of head injuries during lower-intensity activities.
Additionally, their lighter design allows players greater mobility and comfort, making them a popular choice for youth leagues and practice sessions.
Hard Shell Helmets
Hard shell helmets are the traditional choice for full-contact football. They feature a rigid outer shell typically made of polycarbonate that’s designed to handle high-impact collisions.1
Inside, padding systems absorb and distribute the force of impacts, offering essential protection during games with intense physical contact. Hard shell helmets are heavier than soft shells, but they provide the durability and strength needed for competitive, high-contact play.
Who Should Use a Soft Shell Helmet?
Soft shell football helmets are an excellent choice for players and teams looking to balance safety and comfort in specific scenarios. While they don’t replace traditional hard shell helmets for full-contact games, they serve as an effective alternative for situations where lighter protection suffices.
Wearing a hard shell helmet gets tiring—soft shells offer a break from the hard shell lifestyle without sacrificing all of your protection.
Ideal Scenarios for Soft Shell Helmet Use
Soft shell helmets shine in environments with lower collision intensity. During the following scenarios, head protection is still a must; however, the risks for injury aren’t nearly as high as they can be in real gameplay.
- 7-on-7 games – In 7-on-7 football, players engage in a non-contact or minimal-contact version of the game focused on skill development, passing, and strategy.2Soft shell helmets provide a layer of protection for the head against accidental bumps or falls while maintaining a lightweight feel.
- Partial-contact drills during practice – Soft shell helmets are also widely used during partial-contact drills, where the focus is on technique rather than full-contact tackling. players during scrimmages, blocking drills, or other controlled practice situations. These helmets reduce the cumulative effects of repeated impacts and help protect
By using soft shell helmets in these scenarios, players can train effectively and confidently while minimizing the risk of head injuries.
Player Groups That Benefit Most
Soft shell helmets are a valuable piece of equipment for specific player groups who prioritize safety, comfort, and mobility in lower-contact football scenarios. Two groups that benefit most from soft shell helmets are youth players and flag football players.
Youth Players
For younger athletes, safety is paramount. Youth players often participate in practices and games where the level of contact is limited, making soft shell helmets an excellent choice. To ensure young athletes are fully prepared, consult our comprehensive youth football equipment list to find other essential gear for the season.
These helmets provide lightweight protection that helps reduce the risk of minor head impacts without adding unnecessary bulk.
Flag Football Players
Flag football emphasizes agility, speed, and strategy over physical collisions, but accidental head bumps can still occur. Soft shell helmets are an ideal solution for flag football players, offering a layer of protection without compromising mobility.
The lightweight design ensures players can move freely while still reducing the risk of head injuries during unexpected falls or contact, making these helmets the best choice for flexibility and safety.
Soft Shell Helmets vs. Guardian Caps
Soft shell helmets and guardian caps both aim to enhance player safety, but they are designed for different purposes and have unique features. Let’s zoom in on these two different pieces of protective football gear.
Key Differences
Soft shell helmets are standalone pieces of protective gear. They are lightweight, flexible helmets designed specifically for non-contact or limited-contact football activities.
Guardian caps, on the other hand, are add-on devices that attach to traditional hard shell helmets.3They provide an additional layer of padding to reduce the force of impacts during practices, particularly in full-contact drills.
While soft shell helmets are used independently, guardian caps work in conjunction with existing hard shell helmets.
When to Choose One Over the Other
Both soft shell helmets and guardian caps serve unique roles in football safety, and selecting the right one depends on the level of protection needed for the activity.
Choose a soft shell helmet if:
- You need protection for non-contact or low-impact football activities.
- Mobility, comfort, and a lightweight feel are priorities.
- You’re equipping youth players or flag football teams.
Go for a guardian cap if:
- Your team participates in high-impact practices with hard shell helmets.
- You want to reduce cumulative head impacts during intense drills.
- You’re looking to enhance safety without replacing existing helmets.
For Your Soft Shell Football Helmet Needs, Choose the Battle Flow
When you need a soft shell helmet with peak protection, the Battle Flow stands out as a top contender. Designed with safety, comfort, and performance in mind, this helmet is built to meet the demands of today’s game while prioritizing player protection at all levels.
At Battle Sports, we’re committed to innovation and quality. We’ve crafted the Battle Flow with premium materials that not only enhance safety but also ensure durability and long-term use.
Check out our entire collection of must-have football drip and make your mark with Battle Sports.
Sources:
- ICIS. The history of chemicals and the football helmet. https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2009/08/24/9240644/the-history-of-chemicals-and-the-football-hemet/
- GridIron Football. 7V7 Football. https://gridironfb.com/pages/7v7-football-gridiron-play-style
- NFL. What are Guardian Caps? How are they used in the NFL? https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40909583/what-guardian-caps-how-used-nfl
