National Operating Committee On Standards For Athletic Equipment

TO COMMISSION RESEARCH ON AND, WHERE FEASIBLE, ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT.

RESEARCH INCLUDES BOTH FORMAL RESEARCH GRANT REVIEW AND FUNDING USING THE NIH MODEL, DIRECTED RESEARCH CONTRACTS RECOMMENDED BY THE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND SPECIAL RESEARCH PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE NOCSAE TECHNICAL ADVISOR AT THE DIRECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. RESEARCH INVOLVES NOT ONLY MEDICAL ISSUES INVOLVING INJURY EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICAL CAUSATION ISSUES, BUT ALSO INCLUDES SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF TESTING PROTOCOLS, STANDARDS REVISISONS TO ADDRESS TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND ISSUES, AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER STANDARDS AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS TO SHARE DATA AND HARMONIZE EFFORTS WHERE APPROPRIATE.

PUBLIC EDUCATION IS AN ONGOING INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATION SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO ANNOUNCE NEW FINDINGS, STANDARDS, AND RESEARCH UPDATES, AND TO REFER THE PUBLIC TO OTHER EDUCATIONAL SITES LIKE THE CDC HEADS UP TO PARENTS FOR CONCUSSION AWARENESS AND INFORMATION AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RESEARCH STUDIES ON TOPICS OF INTEREST. THIS PROGRAM ALSO INVOLVES CREATING AND MAINTAINING A WEBSITE, FREE TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH CONTAINS COPIES OF CURRENT AND HISTORICAL STANDARDS, GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPORTS RELATED INJURIES AND PREVENTION, EQUIPMENT SELECTION, USAGE, AND MAINTENANCE, AND TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS ON NOCSAE STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT.

LICENSING AND STANDARDS: LICENSING INVOLVES MAINTAINING AND ISSUING LICENSE AGREEMENTS TO CONTROL THE USE OF TRADEMARKS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY USED IN THE CERTIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT AS COMPLIANT WITH OUR STANDARDS, INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF VIOLATIONS OF STANDARDS, AND INVESTIGATING UNAUTHORIZED USE OF TRADEMARKED PROPERTIES BY LICENSEES AND NON-LICENSEES. IT ALSO INVOLVES SURVEILLANCE OF AVAILABLE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AND IMPORT DATA FOR COUNTERFEIT ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT TO PREVENT DILUTION OF STANDARDS AND PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC FOR DEFICIENT EQUIPMENT FALSELY CLAIMING COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOCSAE STANDARDS.STANDARDS PROGRAM SERVICES INVOLVES THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW STANDARDS, CALIBRATION AND COORDINATION OF INTER-LAB VALIDATION TESTING AND ANALYSIS, REVIEW AND MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING STANDARDS, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF PROPOSED STANDARDS ACTIVITIES, INVESTIGATING AND ADDRESSING ISSUES OF STANDARDS INTERPRETATION, APPLICATION, AND COMPLIANCE. THIS PROGRAM SERVICE ALSO INCLUDES MAINTAINING THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION RELATIONSHIP, REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THIRD PARTY CERTIFIER, MANAGING REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAMS FOR CERTIFICATION FEES, MANAGING NON-COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND COORDINATING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION AS TO CURRENTLY CERTIFIED EQUIPMENT.