Chin Straps

[wetwrks]

Just got an email from a local field. Says:


As per the new NXL rules Chin straps are required and must be used on all Masks while in an active play zone.

This will be added and in effect on the recreation fields as well.

[nak81783]

...and how does that make you feel?

Personally, I've been using mine since I purchased a JT Spectra that had one around 2002.

[going_home]

That never gets attached'

Never gets used.

Not needed, never had a mask come off.

And also, what is the NXL ?

[vintage]

remove all of mine

[blackdeath1k]

Don't think any of mine ever had one. I could be wrong though. Sure don't remember a chin strap on my I4 when new.

[wetwrks]

Last time I played I bought a new mask...it came with a chinstrap. I didn't used it. Been playing since the mid 80s and never had one nor did I ever need one. Never had a mask come off or even get knocked eschew.

[caylegeorge]

As a data point -

I've seen 4 masks get pulled vertically off players during active play in the last 25 years. Usually a piece of brush/vegetation that clipped the top of a mask while moving. Some of those during some pretty heavy fire. Definitely easier with a visor.

Luckily no injuries, chin straps certainly would have prevented.

I guess I kind of view it like the old "pros" what would play with goggles only and no face mask in the 90's. The safety options and information are there. Personal risk is on the player.

I'd prefer people wear them as I'd prefer to reduce the likelihood of circumstances where I might injure someone.

[zulubravo44]

As a data point -

I've seen 4 masks get pulled vertically off players during active play in the last 25 years. Usually a piece of brush/vegetation that clipped the top of a mask while moving. Some of those during some pretty heavy fire. Definitely easier with a visor.

Luckily no injuries, chin straps certainly would have prevented.

I guess I kind of view it like the old "pros" what would play with goggles only and no face mask in the 90's. The safety options and information are there. Personal risk is on the player.

I'd prefer people wear them as I'd prefer to reduce the likelihood of circumstances where I might injure someone.

I'm with you there. I've seen this happen twice in the last year. Seems it's a much higher risk on fields where deciduous trees and shurbs have what are called "dangly grabbers" in the scientific community. Ever since the Spectras started coming with them, I've been using my chin strap since I spend a lot of (wasted) time bushwhacking on fields like this. At this point, I hardly notice it, and I definitely don't cinch it down tightly.

[ghost flanker]

My mask came off during a game about 12 years ago. It was a JT X-Fire that was fairly old. Though the head strap was tight, it had lost much of its elasticity. Furthermore, I was wearing a stupid home-made ghillie suit with a separate ghillie head covering wrapped around and tied to the mask, which added weight to the mask. In the final seconds of a walk-on rec game, I ran up and bunkered a group of 5 electro players hiding behind a bamboo patch from a 30' distance, to which they all naturally responded by unloading at me, so I dove for what would prove to be insufficient cover behind some rocks in a dry creek bed. As I was supermanning it in mid-air, my mask flipped backwards off my head and I took a hit to the eye before landing. I covered up immediately as I hit the ground while they continued bonus balling me for another few seconds until one of them yelled for the others to stop shooting. The paintball had hit me directly on the lower right eyelid, with the circular cut from the welt being only 2 millimeters from my exposed eye. The impact had shocked the eyeball hard enough to turn it fully blood-shot and induce a minute or two of 100% blindness in that eye...just complete blackness. Thankfully, my eye sight gradually returned to normal over the course of an hour and no permanent damage was done.

A chin strap would have prevented this, but so would have a decision on my part to change out the old head strap or to not add unnecessary weight to my mask...probably. That being said, masks can and do come off heads during games, but occurrences are rare; before getting my eye shot out, I'd played with that ghillie set-up more times than I could count and never had a single problem with my mask ever coming off. But it only takes one time, I guess. One direct hit to the face to ruin a life, and one lawsuit to shut down a field. I can't say I blame them for trying to minimize injuries.

[ghost flanker]

And also, what is the NXL ?

Nancy-boy
X-dressing
League

[nak81783]

That story brings back angry memories. Similar, except they decided to all shoot at my crotch. I wear a cup, so it wasn't too bad. But what's wrong with some people? Closest I've ever been to getting in a fight. Only thing holding me back were the two to five odds.

[going_home]

Nancy-boy
X-dressing
League