Protective Eyewear for Athletes
Injuries are a risk we all take when participating in sports. Sprained ankles, broken bones, bruises – they are all par for the course. So are injuries to the eye.
Since the smallest collision has the potential to turn into a sight-threatening injury, the AOA is offering the following tips to ensure optimal eye and vision safety while playing sports:
- Always wear protective eyewear during team or contact sports, especially those that require an apparatus such as lacrosse or ice and field hockey.
- Keep street eyewear off the playing field. Conventional frames and lenses often do not meet the minimum requirements for impact resistance in most sports.
- When shopping for protective eyewear, make sure the equipment conforms to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for that particular sport.
There are well-defined standards for protective eyewear for the playing field. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets standards for protective eyewear in many of the top American sports. When shopping for products for your athlete, make sure the equipment conforms to the following ASTM specifications: (more at www.astm.org)
SPORT | ASTM STANDARD |
---|---|
Baseball – Batting/Base Running | F910 (face guard attached to the helmet) |
Baseball – Fielding | F803 for Baseball, age ranges are specified |
Softball – Batting/Base Running | F910 (face guard attached to the helmet) |
Softball – Fielding | F803 for baseball, age ranges are specified |
Basketball | F803 for basketball, age ranges are specified |
Field Hockey | F803 for women’s lacrosse |
Ice Hockey | F513 (face mask on helmet) |
Ice Hockey – Goalie | F1587 (face mask on helmet) |
Street Hockey | F513 (must be HECC or CSA Certified) |
Men’s Lacrosse | NOCSAE (face mask attached to helmet) |
Women’s Lacrosse | F803 for women’s lacrosse |
Squash | F803 for women’s lacrosse |
Racquetball | F803 for Racquetball |
Paintball | F1776 |
Air Rifle | ANSI Z87/military ballistic test for eye armor |
BB Gun | ANSI Z87/military ballistic test for eye armor |
Full Contact Martial Arts | Not available/not permitted in the sport |
Boxing | Not available/not permitted in the sport |
Fencing | Protector with neck bib |
Cricket | F803 for baseball |
Soccer | F803 for any sport |
Football | Polycarbonate eye shield attached to helmet |
Tennis | F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
Volleyball | F803 for basketball |
Golf | Fashion eyewear with polycarbonate lenses* |
Water Polo | Polycarbonate swim goggles |
Badminton | F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
Paddle Tennis | F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
Handball | F803 or CSA Standard P400 |
Fishing | Fashion eyewear with polycarbonate lenses* |
Bicycling | Helmet + fashion eyewear with polycarb. lenses* |
Swimming | Standard swim goggles |
Wrestling | not available/not permitted in the sport |
Skiing | Fashion eyewear with polycarbonate lenses* |
Diving | Standard swim goggles |
Track & Field | Fashion eyewear with polycarbonate lenses* |
Gymnastics | Fashion eyewear with polycarbonate lenses* |
*or Trivex™ lenses