Headgear V. Wrestling

In Wrestling, at the middle school, high school, and college level you are to wear protective headgear to protect your ears, and to reduce blows to your head. Often times, you buy whichever one you see first or see other teammates or wrestlers wearing. Most brands claim that theirs is the best, that it is the most comfortable fitting and protective, but come to find out as you buy them and put them on for the first time, you have this piece of plastic rubbing and scratching the side of your head and jolted around during every match and practice. Often times during wrestling, there are multiple blows to the head, ears, and your head is moved around in uncomfortable positions and headgear can even be used as leverage or something to grab onto by your opponent. Constantly, that piece of plastic that is covering your head and ears is moving around rubbing and moving and being bashed against you. Eventually, you are left with a swelling in your ear that is painful to the touch, and you have to get it drained. Some may see it as a cool battle scar and the rest will see it as a very painful swelling that is just another thing they have to mentally block out on the mat. 

While in Olympic Wrestling, you do not see a single wrestler wearing headgear. 7 out of the 12 wrestlers on the National Team for the United States do not suffer from cauliflower ear, while the other 5 do. None wear headgear while wrestling. NBC Olympics opens with “light kneepads are permitted, but ear guards and headgear are forbidden” due to safety reasons. This is because often times headgear may negate some of the blows to the ear but it can also cause it, and can also cause abrasions and other injuries to the wrestler and his or her opponents. This is also because it can be used as leverage for your opponent or the wrestler, by having something to grab onto or having something hard to press against your opponent in already uncomfortable positions. As well with Olympic Boxing, headgear was also ditched at the Rio Olympics in 2016, for the first time since 1984. The decision to ban headgear came from the International Boxing Association, claiming it comes down to safety. The AIBA also claims “Headgear makes it tougher to see, so boxers can’t dodge as well. Or perhaps headgear creates a false sense of safety and boxers take more risks” this also applies to wrestlers. While wearing headgear, it gives a false sense of safety or security and wrestlers will bash their ears against each other or deal blows to the ears with no regards to the other, thinking nothing will come of it, resulting in the painful throbbing sensation of cauliflower ear, which only gets resolved by the use of a drainage system. 

While watching Olympic Wrestling, high school wrestling, and middle school wrestling, there are two major differences. The use of headgear, and the amount of cauliflower ear. In high school wrestling, head gear was prominently worn especially during matches and practices. In the Varsity line-up, 7/13 wrestlers had suffered from cauliflower ear for Cherry Hill East, while 7 out of 12 wrestlers in the Olympics for the United States did not suffer from cauliflower ear, the only difference is the use of headgear. The protective plastic coverings from wrestling headgear can be extremely annoying and often cause just as much damage as it offers protection. With this, it is also one of the main reasons why wrestlers obtain cauliflower ear. It is uncomfortable to begin with and can cause abrasions, bruising, and even open cuts by the ear and side of the head. Often, these can get infected or eventually if not cleaned and treated sooner than later, can become infected and turn into some kind of skin condition, which takes the wrestler off the mat for a much longer duration of time.

Frequently, many wrestlers do not mind the look or effects of cauliflower ear and consider the look desirable, “he said he considers it a symbol of his dedication to the sport.” (Malloy). While many wrestlers see it this way, after having to get cauliflower ear drained over and over again and the permanent look or even death of the ear, many wrestlers regret it. After the third or fourth time of getting a needle or syringe plunged into your ear and sucking out all the blood and fluid it isn’t as much fun anymore. Headgear most of the time is very restrictive. As well as giving your opponent a slight advantage over you by giving them something to grab and hold onto to shake you around a little extra. Without headgear, you may lose the slight protection it gives you but then you also have the freedom to evasively move without the grip of your opponent on your head, it is much harder to grab the ear than a large bulky piece of plastic after all.

Through the high school and college level of competition, headgear is required to be worn by the wrestlers on the mat. With this precaution at the scholastic level, headgear offers little protection against concussions and can help reduce the damage caused from multiple blows to the head throughout a match. Headgear in wrestling offers some protection around the ears, chin, and side of the head by softening the impact of the blows to these parts of the head. Headgear is required for meets, and duals, but depending on the coach and school rules it may not be required during practices as well as tournaments that are not affiliated with the school.

In many matches during a wrestlers career, there are often heated matches with different opponents, and during these matches both wrestlers will deal out dangerous blows to the head, or mat returning the other as hard as they possibly can, while most referees will call this as unnecessary roughness, some do not and let the show go on, especially at the college level of competition. To protect against these blows headgear has been implemented and is mandatory to wear during most scholastic competitions, and is optional in tournaments outside of scholastic competition. Many wrestlers often edge as close as they can to breaking rules and avoiding calls, such as unnecessary roughness, where you cannot be extremely rough to your opponent and wrestle in a “humble and safe” way. Often, wrestlers will deal blows to the back of the head, ears, and face, as well as using their own head to deal head-butts. Headgear often gets in the way of skin to skin contact and helps you avoid scratches and bruises across the forehead and ear area. Wrestlers will also use clubbing and cross faces to their advantage. Clubbing is using a closed fist to hit at the back of the head and neck area, and cross faces us using your thumb, not your fist, to almost punch the other in the face. While these are both legal for the most part, they can provide harmful damage and injury to your opponent and can often get you called for unnecessary roughness, especially in matches that do not require headgear.  

Another reason Wrestlers wear headgear, is to prevent the infamous injury of cauliflower ear. “Cauliflower ear is developed from blunt force trauma to one or both ears” and ends in a result of a varying size of swelling, as well as pain. The cause of swelling is “separation of the outer skin from the cartilage that forms the shape of our ears” that fills with blood, and later hardens if not properly treated by draining the blood with a syringe. Cauliflower ear can cause permanent and irreversible damage if not treated properly and timely. As well as swelling, it can lead to hearing loss as well, along with a thicker looking ear with scar tissue.

Although headgear offers protection against cauliflower ear, it does not fully prevent it, and can even cause worse symptoms and damage. Often, during a heated match headgear can be moved and no longer fit properly, putting a much harder material onto your ear, and blows will do much more damage than protection, as well as being another thing to grab onto and provide leverage for your opponent to move you around. Headgear is often restrictive and gives your opponent an advantage by having something else to grab onto for leverage. Without it, you lose the slight amount of protection it offers, but you gain the freedom to move around. While some wrestlers do not mind the cauliflower ear and even consider it desirable, many wrestlers regret having it, with having to get medical treatment and having it drained over and over again, as well as the permanent look or possible death in parts of your ear.  7 out of the 12 wrestlers on the National Team for the United States do not suffer from cauliflower ear, while the other 5 do. None wear headgear while wrestling. This is a much better statement versus the 7/13 wrestlers had suffered from cauliflower ear for Cherry Hill East, and 9/13 of the varsity wrestlers of Cherry Hill West had suffered from cauliflower ear, all wearing headgear.

Wrestlers’ headgear’s plastic coverings are one of the leading causes of cauliflower ear, which is painful to begin with and frequently causes further abrasions and cuts around the ear, which can easily become infected or turn into a skin problem. BJJ World argues that there is “No need to wear those plastic ear guards that annoy both you and your training partner any longer.” This is because Jiu Jitsu headgear allows for different materials to be used such as neoprene or nylon, while “they’re extremely lightweight, while still offering more protection than heavier-duty old-school ones” which also allows for more adjustable options through different straps on top and on the bottom. This is different from those of wrestling headgear with adjustable options only on the top depending on what form of headgear you purchase. While some do not come with this option at all allowing for slippage and a fit that isn’t firm, instead being extremely loose.

While in Olympic Wrestling, you will not see the wrestlers competing wearing any headgear from now on. This is because of a recent ruling, deeming it unnecessary as well as due to safety reasons. “When you put face and head protection on people they’re not as worried about taking blows to that area. And so the aggressive nature of the activity is greatly enhanced.” Another point to add, without headgear, wrestlers are not as aggressive with their blows, worrying that they might cause more damage to themselves or to their opponent, resulting in a possible disqualification, or an unnecessary roughness call, giving their opponent points. When implementing safety features, people tend to take more and more risks with the added safety that they feel they have, including being more aggressive or taking bigger risks, and with this weighs in the chance of injury, so with taking out headgear and that safety net that the wrestler feels they have, makes them more careful and cautious while wrestling. This also introduces the Peltzman Effect, named after Sam Peltzman. “…it’s the idea that you can put in a safety device and people can then feel so much safer in the activity they’re engaging in, that they take more and more risk, to the point where you actually have the opposite effect,” causing possibly injury to a wrestler. While in high-school wrestling, headgear is still a must because of the Wrestling Rules Committee and the NFHS Board of Directors. In college wrestling, headgear is now an optional piece in most tournaments, but are still required in actual meets and duals. With possibility to change and follow in the foot steps of the highest level of competitive wrestling.

High school and college wrestling programs mandate headgear during competition. With this, there is shown to be an increased number of cauliflower ear cases versus cauliflower ear cases at the Olympic level. Even with other contact sports, headgear has been banned for safety reasons. In wrestling, and many contact sports cauliflower ear is most commonly caused by severe blows to the ear, causing blood to fill between the cartilage and the skin. If this is not drained or treated properly it results in auricular hematoma, or more commonly known as cauliflower ear. In many cases, it can also be caused by the lack of protection from headgear, and the rough plastic covering of “protection” it provides.

In Olympic wrestling, you will not see any of the wrestlers wearing headgear. In Wrestling 101: Equipment, headgear was banned, which was ultimately deemed as a safety hazard. Headgear allows for your opponent to have something extra to grab onto, move around, and an additional item with a hard surface that can cause abrasions, bruising, as well as minor cuts. NBC Olympics starts with “light kneepads are permitted, but ear guards and headgear are forbidden” due to safety reasons. This is due to their nature of being hard and sometimes having sharp edges or the roughness of the Velcro or the metal clip that is used to attach it. While in high-school wrestling, headgear is a must due to the fact of the Wrestling Rules Committee as well as the NFHS Board of Directors. As well as in college wrestling, headgear is also an optional piece in most competitive tournaments, but required in actual meets, duals, and scrimmages.

With eliminating the use of headgear, it will remove an advantage that both you and your opponent have if both of you are wearing headgear, as an extra item to use and grab onto. While in Olympic Wrestling, you do not see a single wrestler wearing headgear. 7 out of the 12 wrestlers on the National Team for the United States do not suffer from cauliflower ear, while the other 5 do. None wear headgear while wrestling. This is a much better statement versus the 7/13 wrestlers had suffered from cauliflower ear for Cherry Hill East, and 9/13 of the varsity wrestlers of Cherry Hill West had suffered from cauliflower ear, all wearing headgear.

Often headgear is very restrictive. During a match or practice, it can give your opponent a slight advantage by being something extra to grab onto and shake you around a little more. Without it, you may lose the slight amount of protection it gives, you but you have more freedom to move around. Mayes continues with, “‘A hundred years ago, farmers working out in the fields didn’t have gloves, so their hands would become calloused. People called them working-man’s hands,’ Mayes said. “I think cauliflower ear is the same thing, just with wrestling.” While being like a simple callous on the hand, just a little added pain and damages with repetitive medical treatment.

Within the use of headgear, there will always be pros and cons. Sure, it may provide some sort of protection, but with this it will also give an advantage to your opponent. It provides them with something to grab onto and move you around. Without it, you gain a bit more freedom and a lot less to grab onto, as well as less friction, abrasions, bruising, and cuts both wrestlers will obtain during the duration of the match. Headgear directly has an effect on whether or not a wrestler may obtain cauliflower ear, or auricular hematoma. While wearing headgear during a match, it can easily be moved around and because of the cupping around the ear, it also moves this piece around, which can cause bruising, cuts, and abrasions to the ear and side of the head.

In Cauliflower ear among Finnish high-level male wrestlers and judokas is prevalent and symptomatic deformity, while sitting down and spectating a wrestling match, you often see both wrestlers giving it their all. While wrestling, there are often multiple blows received and given in the duration of the match, to the back of the head and neck, cross faces, and other types of legal moves that are rough on the head and ear area. Every so often, you see a painful wince from the wrestler receiving the blow, most of the time, this is due to cauliflower ear. A study, done by Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, and KIHU – Research Institute for Olympic Sports, Jyväskylä, Finland, shows that a ratio of 46 wrestlers out of 55 had experienced or have cauliflower ear, 84% of the wrestlers surveyed. The study also shows that almost all (96%) had sought treatment for an auricular hematoma, 96% of the wrestlers had been treated for cauliflower ear, typically done with a syringe or a needle, allowing for the blood to drain out of the ear.  In the midst of this, headgear is easily moved around and gives both wrestlers an advantage with being able to clutch onto something. Without headgear, both wrestlers will be in a more fair competitive field and even a safer competitive field. Added to this, headgear offers little to no protection other than “protecting” against cauliflower ear, it does not protect against concussions. As well as the rough and sharp parts of headgear which cause abrasions, cuts and bruises. Headgear also adds a false sense of protection and safety, which causes the wrestlers to take greater risks and become more aggressive in their offense and defense.

By following in the footsteps of the highest competitive level of wrestling and contact sports, there can be a safer, and more fair level of competition in high school and college wrestling. With no headgear, wrestlers will be able to move more freely and not have to pause matches because of mishap with their headgear, they won’t have to deal with being jostled around by opponents grabbing onto it, and no more of the annoying cuts and bruises from their headgear.

References:

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Manninen IK;Blomgren K;Elokiuru R;Lehto M;Mäkinen LK;Klockars T; (n.d.). Cauliflower ear among Finnish high-level male wrestlers and judokas is prevalent and symptomatic deformity. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31359522/

Cauliflower ear. Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2022, from https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/cauliflower-ear

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Zhang, S. (2016, August 10). Why olympic boxers aren’t wearing headgear anymore. Wired. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.wired.com/2016/08/olympic-boxers-arent-wearing-headgear-anymore/

Niehoff , Karissa, L. (n.d.). 2020-21 NFHS – Goncso.com. 2020-21 NFHS Wrestling Rule Book. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.goncso.com/Sports/Wrestling/Wresting-NFHS-21-CaseBook.pdf

Tomizawa, R. (2015, December 15). The banning of headgear in boxing: The convoluted world of protecting our athletes. The Olympians. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://theolympians.co/2015/12/16/the-banning-of-headgear-in-boxing-the-convoluted-world-of-protecting-our-athletes/

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