# NFL tinted visor rule **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 23, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622 "2012-10-23T15:16:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/1 "2012-10-23T15:16:53Z")
NFL players are allowed to wear tinted visors only if deemed medically necessary. What type of medical condition would require the use of a tinted visor? ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/2 "2012-10-23T15:45:30Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > NFL players are allowed to wear tinted visors only if deemed medically necessary. What type of medical condition would require the use of a tinted visor? Is “being a badass” a medical condition? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/3 "2012-10-23T15:49:18Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > Is “being a badass” a medical condition? win close the thread, plz ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/4 "2012-10-23T16:57:44Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > Is “being a badass” a medical condition? Nice. My eyes are very sensitive to a bright sun sky. So I would ask for the dark visor. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/5 "2012-10-23T17:00:56Z")
WAG but Glaucoma? Edgar Davids (Dutch international in Soccer) got dispensation to wear tinted glasses whilst playing after eye surgery following glaucoma problems. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/6 "2012-10-23T17:53:34Z")
LaDainian Tomlinson was prone to migraines, apparently, that’s why he got to wear one. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/7 "2012-10-24T01:02:13Z")
Jim McMahon wore one because of a torn retina. I wonder was he the first? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/8 "2012-10-24T01:13:17Z")
Is there a competitive advantage to wearing a tinted visor? (I can imagine a quarterback would like to make it harder for defenders to see where he’s looking.) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/9 "2012-10-24T01:19:15Z")
Why is there any restriction at all? I don’t see the harm in letting everybody wear tinted visors if they want to. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/10 "2012-10-24T12:47:00Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > Why is there any restriction at all? I don’t see the harm in letting everybody wear tinted visors if they want to. The argument is that if a player is injured it makes it impossible for a trainer to look at the players eyes if he is down and hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/11 "2012-10-25T14:01:47Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Is there a competitive advantage to wearing a tinted visor? (I can imagine a quarterback would like to make it harder for defenders to see where he’s looking.) The field of vision out of a football helmet is fairly narrow. A quarterback is pretty much looking wherever his head is pointed. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/12 "2012-10-25T14:10:46Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > The argument is that if a player is injured it makes it impossible for a trainer to look at the players eyes if he is down and hurt. So, it’s illegal unless you have a medical issue, but it’s illegal _because_ there might be a medical issue? I love the logic of NFL management. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/13 "2012-10-26T12:59:09Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > So, it’s illegal unless you have a medical issue, but it’s illegal _because_ there might be a medical issue? I love the logic of NFL management. Yep ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-tinted-visor-rule/638622/14 "2012-10-26T15:33:45Z")
Makes enough sense to me. Lower levels don’t have the medical exception for tinted visors. If you need shade, you can wear sunglasses underneath (much easier to remove than a visor).