American Football Helmet Classification Chart
Since the first head harness was introduced in 1894, sporting goods manufacturers have continuously introduced new, improved models of football head protection designed specifically for the prevalent style of play using commercially available materials and manufacturing techniques. As the game and manufacturing processes have evolved over the past 123 years, hundreds of different helmet designs have been produced.
The purpose of the American Football Helmet Classification Chart is to establish a universal classification system for the different styles offered throughout history and to provide accurate dating for the period of manufacture. The chart was created using data from hundreds of vintage athletic catalogs collected by Antique Football over a 10-year period.
Categories have been created by grouping helmet style with common distinquishing characteristics. Where possible, style names have been selected using contemporaneous manufacturer catalog descriptions. For example, the chart does not include a "dog-ear" style helmet, a term broadly used in the collecting hobby for helmets with floppy ears resembling dogs' ears. We found no examples of manufacturers using this term, and the classification of helmets based solely on the shape of the ear pads is highly problematic.
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1894-1897
1895-1918
1901-1903
1902-1930
1907-1908
1899-1926
1899-1903
1903-1904
1904-1926
1912-1924
1915-1930
1922-1926
1900-1924
1902-1924
1914 - 1930
1921 - 1925
1924 - 1945
1924 - 1950
1924 - 1950
1924 - 1926
1929 -1935
1930 - 1936
1932 - 1955
1932 - 1945
1933 - 1950
1938 - 1952
1938 - 1952
1940 - 1952
1942 - 1945
1941 - 1942
1940 - 1952
1950 -
How to Use the Classification Chart
The American Football Helmet Classification Chart provides an illustrative tabulation of helmet styles broken into seven (7) major classifications based on crown construction:
Each major style classification has been broken into multiple minor classifications in the chart below. Detailed descriptions, catalog images, example photos, and identification diagrams are available for each style, by clicking on the example image or classification name.
Major Classification Categories
Forehead Pad Styles
With the introduction of fibre-reinforced leather helmets in the mid-1920's, manufacturers incorporated padded forehead protectors to various helmet models. This design feature was also used in exposed fibre crown helmets. The following are examples of each forehead pad style.
Helmet Forehead Pad Styles
Plastic/
Hydrocarbon Helmets
Minor Classification Categories