Most parents have never read the inside of their kid’s helmet. There are stamps in there that mean things, and the ones that are missing or expired are the ones that should pull a piece of equipment out of the bag.
Helmets: the NOCSAE stamp. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment certifies football, lacrosse, baseball/softball batting, and pole-vault helmets. Look inside the helmet shell. The stamp reads “Meets NOCSAE Standard” with a date or a recertification window. No NOCSAE stamp, the helmet is not legal for organized play. Period.
For football helmets, NOCSAE certification expires. Helmets reconditioned by an NAERA-licensed reconditioner can be recertified up to 10 years after manufacture. After that, the helmet is done. Look inside the shell for the recondition date sticker. If the helmet is older than 10 years from manufacture, replace it.
Bats: the USA Baseball mark. Since 2018, USA Baseball requires bats in most youth divisions to carry the USA Baseball mark, a circular stamp with “USA Baseball” wrapped around it. The Big Barrel and BBCOR standards apply to older age groups. The old “BPF 1.15” stamp from before 2018 is no longer compliant for most leagues.
USA Softball runs its own certification and publishes a list of approved and disapproved bat models. The “ASA 2004” certification carries forward; the newer USA Softball certification is the current standard. Check the league’s rule packet for which standard applies to your kid’s division. The list updates annually.
Mouthguards: state and league rules. The NFHS requires “tooth and mouth protectors” for football, ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, and wrestling. State high school associations follow that lead. Most youth leagues match. The American Dental Association recommends custom-fitted mouthguards over boil-and-bite, but boil-and-bite is the floor, not the ceiling.
Mouthguards do not prevent concussions. The marketing on some “concussion-reducing” mouthguards has been challenged repeatedly. They protect teeth and lips. That is the actual job.
Hockey, lacrosse, and the sport-specific stuff. USA Hockey requires HECC-certified helmets with full face shields for players under 18 and BNQ-certified throat protectors for goalies. World Lacrosse / USA Lacrosse requires NOCSAE-certified helmets in boys lacrosse. Girls lacrosse requires ASTM-F3137-certified eyewear; helmet rules vary by state and level.
Used gear: what’s fine and what’s not. Used cleats, gloves, jerseys, pads with no certification dates: fine, if they fit. Used helmets: only if you can verify the NOCSAE recertification date, the manufacture date, and the absence of cracks or interior padding compression. Used bats: fine if they carry the current certification stamp for your kid’s league.
The honest read: helmets are the place not to save money. The recert program exists because impacts compress padding and degrade shells. A 9-year-old helmet that fits is not the same product it was at year zero.