Types of Football Face Masks

Football face masks attach to the front of the helmet and protect the face. Face masks are made out of steel wire coated with plastic and then covered with a vinyl coating to protect the bars from chips, scrapes and scratches. Face masks can also be colored to identify the players and their teams. There are two basic types of football face masks, the open cage and the closed cage, but each can have different styles and variations depending on what position a player plays.

  1. Closed Cage

    • Closed cage face masks have two or three horizontal bars and no vertical bar above the nose that could obstruct vision. Closed cage face masks are generally worn by players who need to have a wider range of visibility for passing and catching the ball. These players are quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and defensive backfield players.

    Open Cage

    • Open cage face masks are made with two or three horizontal bars and one vertical bar that runs the length of the mask and over the nose. This style is preferred by offensive and defensive linemen, since the vertical bar helps to keep fingers and hands out of the eye area.

    Protection Grades

    • Face masks are also marked with abbreviations for the different kinds of protection they offer. OPO stands for Oral Protection Only. JOP stands for Jaw and Oral Protection. NOPO is Nose and Oral Protection Only. NJOP means Nose, Jaw and Oral Protection. And EGOP is Eye Glass and Oral Protection.

    Styles

    • Open and closed cage face masks also have style variations as well, depending on the amount of protection the wearer needs. Abbreviations are used for the styles. R means "Reinforced," which has a reinforced bar at the top of the face mask that makes it stronger. DW stands for "Double Wire Configuration," which reduces the opening of the face mask, strengthens and adds support. SW means "Single Wire Configuration" in which the horizontal bar is eliminated. UB stands for "U Bar Attached," which is also described as a bull ring and its purpose is to keep hands and fingers from colliding with the nose. SK stands for "Skill Position Players." This style has a slightly longer and angled side bar that helps with peripheral vision.