Parametric design methods development for the comparison of American football faceguards using validated structural stiffness models.

This article focuses on developing a consistent parametric design framework to quantitatively compare American football faceguards across different qualitative categories and helmet-compatible series. Using validated finite element models of three common faceguards, the study identifies key design parameters—particularly the diameter of main bars—that strongly influence structural stiffness and mass, two critical performance metrics. The results demonstrate that structural stiffness and mass can be independently adjusted to some extent, offering manufacturers potential to optimize faceguard designs while adhering to weight restrictions. This framework aims to enhance athlete safety decision-making by enabling objective comparisons of faceguard designs and supports future research into additional performance metrics and novel faceguard models.