NEW SAFETY GUIDANCE ON THE WEARING OF CRICKET HELMETS BY
YOUNG PLAYERS
The England and Wales Cricket Board has issued new safety guidance on the wearing of cricket helmets by young players.

· It is recommended that a helmet is worn by young players when batting and when standing up to the stumps when keeping wicket against a hard cricket ball in matches and in practice.

· A young player should not be allowed to bat or to stand up to the stumps when keeping wicket without a helmet against a hard ball except with written parental consent. Coaches, teachers, managers and umpires should always ensure that a young player wears a helmet if this written parental consent has not been received.

· Players should regard a helmet with a face-guard as a normal item of protective equipment when batting against a hard ball, together with pads and, for boys, an abdominal protector (box).

· There is a British Standard (BS7928:1998) for cricket helmets and it is in the best interests of players to ensure that their helmet conforms to this standard.

The ECB is recommending that this guidance is followed by all players up to the age of 18. It applies to young players in adult cricket as well as to all junior cricket played with a hard cricket ball.

The ECB is requesting that the new guidance is communicated to the parents or guardians of all young players through clubs and schools, and that parental consent is always obtained before young players are allowed to bat or stand up to the stumps when keeping wicket against a hard ball without wearing a helmet.

ECB Cricket Department – February 2000